Charlton Athletic 2 v Swindon Town 1

I am just home from the wake in the Royal Oak. A wake cut short by 30 minutes of extra time and 15 minutes of drawn-out penalties. We will start next season in League One and face a massive challenge now to get back into the Championship. The financial uncertainties facing our club mean that without a wealthy benefactor, we are unlikely to compete seriously again in this division for a number of seasons and will have to rely on youth and probably the good fortune to find ourselves a new manager with abilities to read a player as well as to develop and motivate them. In all honesty, a spell in League Two (Division Four) is more likely than promotion.


Ultimately, we failed the test this evening but we came so close and there can be few realistic complaints about our failure to make the final. In all honesty we haven't been good enough since Christmas and it really hasn't felt like a promotion season for months. We haven't scored more than twice in a game since the 4-4 draw with Millwall and we only managed it on five occasions all season. Our lack of fire-power was my major concern as this season started and it's proven to be our Achilles Heel. My money was on us finishing outside the play-offs, so from that perspective, I think we have over-performed.


Expect a significant clear-out during the Summer and we will be fortunate to survive Administration and a ten point penalty that could push us into a relegation dogfight. My thoughts at this moment are very much with Richard Murray, a man who has done far more than his bit over the years and whose personal integrity has prevented us from slipping into Administration before now. The harsh reality is that Richard and the other Directors simply can't continue to bankroll the club and push may well be coming to shove. We should bear that in mind in the coming months. I will be renewing my season ticket and re-starting my Valley Gold subscriptions that I stopped in a fit of pique over the allocation of Swindon tickets.


In terms of the game this evening, Christian Dailly deserves a call-out for another thoroughly professional performance. Jose Semedo was excellent again in front of the back four and I thought Kyel Reid did very well having started the match. I was pleased to see Nicky Bailey restored to a more attacking central role but his performance was well short of the mark. He looked very tired and the Swindon players seized on his mistakes. Burton and Mooney ran their hearts out but they simply aren't good enough to be playing at Championship level and that was proven this evening. Lloyd Sam remains an enigma and like Kevin Lisbie of yesteryear, it's time we made our minds up once and for all with him.


Other than that, I have to say well done to Swindon. They rode their luck at times but they were up for the fight all night and they probably deserved it over the two legs. There haven't been many players who have caught my eye this season, but Alan O'Brien, the blonde left winger, was one from the home league game against Swindon and I thought Jonathan Douglas had a superb match this evening. O'Brien reminded me of Craig Bellamy and Douglas tonight looked like a young Peter Beardsley, albeit playing a more defensively midfield role (and he's 28). His distribution was top notch and I can see why he's their captain. Millwall and Huddersfield beware!


As per an earlier post, these were potentially the two most important games in our history and we haven't come through them. There will be consequences and we will need to bear this in mind as they unravel. It's also the time to dig deep, show your support and get behind the club. There's along road ahead....