If there was any lingering doubt about the seriousness of Millwall's late surge for the second automatic promotion spot, it disappeared at Elland Road this evening, where Millwall put on a confident all-round performance and beat Leeds 2-0. They have moved within three points of Leeds who were playing without the hamstrung Jermaine Beckford and lost Kisnorbo through injury in the first -half.
If Leeds fans are anxious, we know the feeling. They go to Norwich on Saturday for a game they can't afford to lose. Millwall entertain bottom club Stockport at the New Den and look odds-on to join Leeds on 71 points. With Colchester playing at home to Brentford tomorrow evening and home again on Saturday to second-bottom club Wycombe, this could be the weekend where we slip to sixth. Swindon are at Hartlepool, where they too will be favourites for the points.
A defeat at Huddersfield would put our side under enormous pressure but a draw would be enough to keep the Terriers six points behind us. A Charlton victory would give us a nine point cushion on the seventh place side and put one foot firmly in the play-offs. I think it will also be our last chance to kick-start the engine and renew any hopes we still have of automatic promotion. Trouble is, a win there looks like Mission Impossible based on our form of late and we then have to go to MK Dons.
By the time we play Carlisle at the Valley on Easter Monday, Phil Parkinson might just have to repeat his comments about having built his side on a shoestring and that the boo-boys should, er, take a look at the league table. Seventh might be justifiable to Phil Parkinson but not by anyone else connected with Charlton Athletic Football Club after what would be yet another another end-of-season nosedive.
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Now it really is going to start getting tense and nervy, with little time to recover from setbacks. In the space of one weekend you could be in the race for the second spot, or numerous points adrift and fighting for your play-off place. I never thought I'd say it, but last night result may prove to be a good one for Charlton. The second spot would have seemed out of reach with a Leeds win and Millwall remain in touching distance. Millwall's great run will end, and it will be interesting to see how they will cope with that. All the facts point to an Addicks defeat this weekend, but I've got a feeling that we're due one of those 'freak' results! God, I hope so!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Ted on this one. Not only does it keep the automatic place in reach, I think its more likely that Leeds will be in the play offs rather than Millwall - and Leeds are stuttering as much as we are.
ReplyDeletePembury Addick
Who'd support one of the "big" clubs in this situation. Teams who come to play those have the manager's words ringing in their ears...you can hear it yourself. "They're favourites, you're not expected to win, they're the big boys...ex-Premier League! Now go and prove you're not just here to make the numbers up!"
ReplyDeleteThe only ones at present who are bucking the trend are Norwich...and maybe that first loss was kick enough to show it as a fluke.
I hope you are not going native Suze?
ReplyDelete