Charlton Athletic 2 v Hartlepool United 1

The lowest league crowd of the season at the Valley so far witnessed probably the poorest footballing spectacle we have been part of at home this season. No doubt there will be talk of winning ugly and that the mark of a good side is one that wins when it doesn't play well etc, but make no mistake, this was dire.

There was a strangely muted atmosphere around the ground this evening before kick-off. Trade in the Oak was slack even by today's sobering standards and there were no queues at the turnstiles. Hartlepool's tiny travelling support of approximately 70 looked lost in the Jimmy Seed and there were acres of red seats elsewhere around the ground. Only the top tier of the Covered End looked remotely healthy.

Perhaps the anticipated line-up of Elliot, Richardson, Dailly, Llera, Basey, Sam, Semedo, Bailey, Shelvey, Mooney and Burton would tear from the blocks and get the crowd going. You know, notch a couple of quick goals and then play some swashbuckling football as we swaggered our way to the biggest win of the season and slashed the goal deficit to Norwich and Leeds and had them trembling in their boots? No such luck.

The opening thirty minutes were as poor as I have seen this season home or away (with the notable exception of Colchester). Absolutely littered with basic mistakes. Miguel Llera gave his detractors a couple of howling first touches to warm themselves on; Semedo looked ponderous and was caught in possession the first three times he touched the ball; Lloyd Sam let another dolly pass slide out under his feet on touchline; Jonjo Shelvey couldn't find any range and Deon Burton's touch was absent. Even the Ginger Maestro was finding it hard to get going. Hartlepool couldn't do anything but string a few passes together in amongst all this.

Yet on 30 minutes, we took the lead! Grant Basey was one player trying to get the game going and broke down the left flank from a good ball out from Burton and knocked a fine cross onto David Mooney's napper six yards out. The pace of the cross and Mooney's connection was all it took to beat Flinders. The goal did at least lead to an improvement before half-time as we finally began to cut out some of the mistakes. Ironically, it was during this spell that Hartlepool got their best chance of an equaliser when the ball found it's way to Ritchie Humphreys in a yard of space on the penalty spot but he wasn't expecting it and under-hit his shot straight at Elliot. One-nil at half-time and we could convince ourselves that we would get to work and score some goals in the second forty-five.

My guess is that the loudest voice at half-time was Chris Turner's because his side started the second-half like they were chasing the game and determined to do something about it. Two minutes in and with men committed to the attack, Antony Sweeney cut into our box and was picked up by Llera. Sweeney was running across the goal as he tried to make space for himself but Miguel decided to stick a leg out to see what would happen. Denis Behan scored from the spot for an unlikely looking leveller but one which ironically enough gave the scoreline some balance it probably deserved.

We huffed and puffed after that as Hartlepool retreated into their half and tried to hang on to what they had. Mooney fired wide and Shelvey clipped a post but it was going to take a change of personnel to restore the lead. Leon McKenzie came on for Shelvey and we began to find a bit of momentum but it was the double substitution of Wagstaff and Dickson for Sam and Mooney that finally made the difference. Lloyd Sam wasn't really in the match during the opening period but he had shaken a leg in the second-half and was running at the Pool defence by the time he was subbed. I would have left him on for another ten minutes, but it was Wagstaff who did the damage within minutes of joining the action. He looked very quick with his first few touches and he seized the ball thirty yards out with plenty of support and options in front of him. Just as I screamed "no-ooo," his selfish low shot whistled passed the dive of Flinders and nestled beautifully in the Hartlepool goal.

It was poor game over and all we managed after that was a close-range Chris Dickson header that beat Flinders but was ruled out, presumably for a push on the man he beat to the ball. We then had what looked like a boy streaker in a luminous green mankini. The poor sod had obviously been waiting his moment and made his dash seconds after Dickson scored. I wonder whether or not he was aware that the goal had been ruled out. It was disappointing to see him man-handled away when I am sure he could have been frog-marched off with a little more decorum. Still, when you are part of a highly-trained elite hit-team I suppose you cherish moments like these when you can show off your skills.

I was baffled by the 14,636 crowd. Barely 3,500 on top of season ticket numbers. We haven't played at home for three weeks where we are unbeaten all season and haven't lost home or away for ten games. I suppose the gate for Leyton Orient could actually be less bearing in mind it's being televised. Rick Everitt may have to put his thinking cap on to stimulate interest and cash-in on what promises to be an exciting finish to the season, especially if Phil Parkinson can get the team to play some football in amongst winning games.

P.S. I'm turning CAFC Twitter off - it adds nothing when you're at the game but is intensely annoying.