Tuesday 28 November 2017

Charlton Athletic 2 v Peterborough United 2

I said after our defeat at Scunthorpe on Saturday that I was now looking nervously at avoiding a seventh-place finish. Especially with the current 8th and 7th placed sides the next Valley visitors. 

Up stepped inconsistent Peterborough this evening, whose away form has been poor, and they took a point but will rue missing all three after conceding in the 89th and 94th minutes. After the cup this weekend (AFC Wimbledon), Portsmouth could also give us trouble based on our current form. To rub a bit of salt into the wounds, Blackburn used their game in hand to batter local rivals Blackpool and open a gap above us.

The pre-match news was that we have finally made Leon Best an offer of a two month contract. Two months? He must be absolutely desperate. Having already been training with the squad for two months you would think he might have held out for an end-of-season loan having shown us what he can do. What it tells me is that Karl Robinson is also desperate. Desperate to increase his goal-scoring options but realising that Best is probably not going to be able to do that, irrespective of how much he might want a longer deal. Nonetheless he started this evening in a strange formation which inexplicably saw Magennis go out left. Best hardly touched the ball and was subbed after 70 minutes.

In front of another pitiful home gate (laughable given as 9,532) we had another stuttering first-half. Playing in fits and starts but not really troubling Posh, whilst Amos was forced into a couple of saves and couldn't stop Gwion Edwards' free-kick for the opener. Edwards turned provider early in the second-half as Marriott scored at the near post. Peterborough had a strong penalty appeal waved away after a poor Kashi tackle in the box.

Ahearne-Grant and Aribo came on for the hapless Best and the anonymous Marshall but it took a last minute penalty to throw the Addicks a lifelong. That man Forster-Caskey stepped up to give the Reds hope and in the dying seconds of added time, Karlan Ahearne-Grant finally scored a long-awaited and much-needed equaliser. Some light then at the end of another dim evening at the Valley. I was thinking about KAG earlier today and thought about how long it took Carl Leaburn to start scoring. I meant to check but didn't get around to it - maybe tomorrow.


2 comments:

  1. That Ahearne-Grant/Leaburn comparison; Big Carl managed 3 goals in his first 53 games over four seasons. KAG has now notched 4 in 44 appearances, so the slow start is similar. Learn manage 53 goals in a Charlton career of 344 appearances (albeit at a higher level). Let's hope KAG's ratio is much better than that.

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  2. Ohhh leggsy Leaburn. I think he often played with Garth Crooks, which shows we are going back a bit...

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