Saturday 16 January 2021

Bristol Rovers 0 v Charlton Athletic 1

Lee Bowyer's boys made a meal of this but at least we got the win and are still hanging on to a play-off place. 

A goal that looked direct from a corner just after the hour gave us the lead but we should have been three up at least when the five minutes of extra time were added. By then, we had been reduced to ten men because of a silly first yellow card that Albie Morgan got and the almost inevitable second for a foul. Lee Bowyer should be very unhappy with Morgan given he was booked for pulling someone back on Tuesday when again they represented no immediate threat. 

For a change I am pleased to say that the defence were pretty solid and our midfield managed to hold the ball and play it up for the strikers. Sadly, it was not a good day for them. Washington, Anneke, Smyth as well as subs Bogle and Schwartz all fluffed their lines. Aneke missed a couple of sitters in the first half. Bogle blew a one-on-one and Schwartz managed to block a couple of other efforts that might have gone in. Still, we managed the win and that excuses the misses to some extent.

My man-of-the-match was the unfairly maligned Deji Oshilaja with Jake Forster-Caskey a close second. Oshilaja won everything in the air at the back. He made several fine last-ditch tackles and provided great support for Maatsen on his left and Gunter and Matthews to the right. Forster-Caskey saw a lot more of the ball than in recent weeks and provided a supply of decent balls forward which deserved more. 

Liam Millar had another good game and may have a shout of the goal if he got a touch. His presence in the line between Forster-Caskey's corner and the goal at least blind-sided Day in the Rovers goal. 

It should be said that Rovers didn't exactly look full of confidence and that this was the sort of result we might expect against a side 19th in the table. However, the others down there have all been taking points off us, so we shouldn't knock it. The win keeps us in sixth as those above us largely won as well but what is now very noticeable is that sides below us have games in hand. Ipswich and Sunderland both have two and they are a point and three points off us respectively. Accrington have four matches in hand and are only three points behind us. We will need to get another run going just to stay in the chase.

On Tuesday night we go to Peterborough United who sit a place above us. It will be a big test for our make-shift side. They walloped Mk Dons 3-0 today and have won their last four home games handsomely. We do have a tendency to play better against better opposition but we will need everyone to be on their game at London Road.


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