Swindon Town 0 v Charlton Athletic 3

I suggested in my earlier post that this game could be something of a make or break in terms of our recent form. On the basis of the performance this evening as well as the result, I have to conclude that we appear to be on the make. Three successive wins have moved us up to fifth in the table and we can go to Barnet on Saturday and hopefully play some relaxed football against the Football League's current bottom side.


It was an unchanged side that was sent out to do battle at the County Ground. Those of us who may have been a touch disappointed that Jon Fortune didn't get a start, can't fail to have noticed that Gary Doherty made a number of telling contributions as Charlton fought hard to maintain a 16th minute lead that came courtesy of Johnnie Jackson. Whilst Charlie Austin went close for Swindon on two occasions in the first-half, we remained a threat on the break and Wagstaff, Anyinsah and Benson did a lot of running when we regained possession in our half. Whilst it sounded like Swindon had the best of the opening period, we actually had 60% of the ball even if they had more efforts than us.


Five minutes after the break we made it two-nil when a powerful far post cross from Matt Fry was headed home by Bristol-boy Joe Anyinsah. Anyinsah is really looking like he's settled quickly at the Valley and is beginning to show much more than we might have expected from a lower league cast-off. After that we had opportunities to make it three as we forced a number of corners. Gary Doherty saw a header cleared by Austin on the line and Jackson, Benson and Anyinsah were all touches short of clear scoring opportunities as we took the game to our hosts. It was Paul Benson who finally got the third on 75 minutes after Scott Wagstaff raced clear and played another far post cross which was converted via a defender by the sounds of it.


It was good to gain some revenge for the bitter disappointment of missing out on a Wembley play-off appearance to Swindon in May, even if an encounter against Millwall would have put a massive dampener on it. The victory moves us up to fifth, but ominously, Brighton, Huddersfield, Colchester, Peterborough, and Southampton all recorded convincing wins to join us in the top five places.


Bring on Barnet.