Charlton Athletic 1 v Southend United 0

This match was, in many ways, very similar to the performance at Brighton on Tuesday. Having taken the lead we were content to sit back and defend against a Southend side who didn't stop coming forward even if they lacked any obvious cutting edge. Surprising then that their number included Lee Barnard the division's second top scorer.

On the balance of play, Steve Tilson will no doubt claim that his side deserved a point but, like Brighton, all they could manage was a couple of chances throughout the ninety minutes which would suggest that our first half goal deserved to win the match. I think we had the capacity to have responded to a Southend goal but that begs the question why we weren't more attack-minded in a sterile second half.

Parkinson sent Fraser Richardson out for the first half but he obviously suffered a reaction to his recent injury because Omozusi started the second period. Sam and Dailly were joined again in the central defensive pairing and once again shut out pretty much everything that was thrown at them. Basey had another good game although his lack of pace means he needs to get his positioning near to perfect if he's to avoid being left trailing as he was for Southend's best chance of the match early on when they got in behind our left flank. The defence was drawn magnet-like to the ball carrier and the cross found Barnard unmarked at the back post with goal written all over it. He might have had a tad too much time because he controlled the ball first and that gave Elliot time to come out and block the shot.

Nicky Bailey had a busy match in the middle with Racon until Racon was replaced in the second-half with the fresh legs of Matt Spring. The surprisingly decent 1500 Southend turnout were in good voice but for the most part that involved questioning Bailey's lone sexual habits or expressing their opinion that there was only one avarice illegitimate. That did at least provoke a few rousing choruses of "there's only one Nicky Bailey" from the docile home support.

Wagstaff got another left wing start with Sam on the right. Sam created the goal after about half an hour with a penetrating ball into the six yard box that Deon Burton got to first. The pace on the ball was good and the trajectory perfect. All it needed was the touch to steer it in and that's what Deon applied for his tenth of the season. Our wing threat was limited throughout but Wagstaff was involved much more than Sam as he tracked back and got stuck in to the midfield battle. Mooney ran well again and gave Deon support but he missed an opportunity to score shortly after we had taken the lead when he miscued a ball from Burton completely. It ran on to the arriving Racon but you know what to expect with Therry leaning back on his shot.

As I have said, the second half was a slog as Southend failed to make a game of it and we looked lacking in any ambition to add to our goal difference. Maybe with Leeds and Huddersfield already having drawn the players were content with the one-nil win? Not great value-for-money then but it's another three points and another game unbeaten at home. We are now only four points adrift of Leeds and remain four in front of Norwich. The gap to the rest increases after that and we are, satisfyingly, 11 points clear of seventh which will begin to increasingly assure us of a play-off chance, if nothing else, providing momentum is maintained.

Next week's opponents Stockport lost 2-1 at Wycombe and are now adrift at the foot of the table. It's the perfect opportunity to win more convincingly than we have managed in the last two. That would increase the pressure on Leeds and Norwich and set us up nicely for the much hyped visit of Millwall.

Speaking of which, the fact that we haven't played them since the mid-90's appears to be addling the memories of many who seem convinced this a grudge game for Millwall's mindless majority and are predicting all sorts of mayhem. We should remind ourselves that whilst our historic gloating over our relative success annoys them intensely, they know we are no threat to their hooligan reputation and are usually satisfied with simply beating us on the pitch most times we play. We should be careful what we wish for. If we treat it as just another London derby and focus on supporting our team, I am sure it will come and go much like all the others. A well-timed wave of post-West Ham dawn raids and banning orders will probably quieten them down and the ticket-less morons and wannabees can spend the day playing cat and mouse with her majesty's finest.