Milton Keynes 0 v Charlton Athletic 1

Before the game I thought we could win this evening if we carried on from where we left off against Swindon. We had created enough chances to have won handsomely but our terrible start in conceding twice to their only attempts on goal during the first-half ruined meant we had to settle for a point.

This evening, Bowyer's team came our fighting and our chasing-down of the opposition in possession during the opening twenty minutes was very impressive. Our midfield four of Forster-Caskey, Pratley, Shinnie and Millar sat a little higher than normal and were very quick to press any player receiving the ball or trying to move through our middle. Stockley and Washington also played their part and Milton Keynes found it so difficult that their only outlet was from centre-half Darling, who was restricted to launching 50 yard balls over the top.

We moved the ball well in possession and Liam Millar, in particular, was having real success down the Charlton left. ironically, when our goal came after 18 minutes, it was from our right-hand side. A probing pass-and-move down the flank had dragged the home defence across the field and when Pratley looked to cross, Stockley and Millar were unmarked on the other side of the box. The ball evaded Stockley but Millar caught it with his first touch which moved it onto his right foot and he slammed it past Fisher.

Milton Keynes did come back at us after that but but found the going tougher in midfield than some of our other opponents of late. Andrew Shinnie and Fortser-Caskey were nipping at their heels and Pratley was breaking things up. Millar and Matthews took the ball out every time they got it which made the home team fall back. Amos had seen an effort across goal skim the post and watched a free-kick clear our bar but at half-time we looked comfortable.

Whilst I think a second goal was there if we had gone for it, caution gradually tookover in the second-half. Ronnie Schwartz had been introduced for Conor Washington after 50 minutes - Washington had been by far our quietest player. Annke came on for the tiring Stockley around 70 minutes along with Albie Morgan for Andrew Shinnie. By then we were beginning to defend in more depth and an equaliser looked far more likely. Ben Amos made a brilliant one-on-one stop to halt Jerome as Milton Keynes went for it. A triple substitution around 80 minutes saw them maintain the momentum but we held firm and amazingly played out the four minutes of added time relatively easily.

Saturday's opponents Portsmouth suffered their second successive home defeat, albeit only by the odd goal to table-toppers Lincoln, and we look to be playing them at a good time.

I hope Bowyer sticks with the Oshilaja-Gunter central defensive pairing and is not tempted to bring Pearce or Pratley back into the line. Oshilaja had another commanding performance, even if the man-of-the-match award went to Millar. I would like to see Anneke and Schwartz start on Saturday with Stockley and Washington coming on for the last twenty. I'd stick with the squad of players who played this evening with no other changes.

It would be great to see Famewo come back into a winning side and help improve the defence until Inniss is ready to resume duties.