Charlton Athletic 1 v Colchester United 0

Chris Powell has said he feels very fortunate to have been given the manager's job at the Valley. So far, I think the Valley is feeling lucky to have him. Two squeaky wins from two is a decent start even if we might have had higher hopes of a more immediate improvement in our style of play.


After the 16,600 high of Powell's first game, tonight's attendance was a disappointing 13,800. Colchester may only have brought 500 or so but it was still a poor showing. Those that were there didn't see a classic but there were two incidents that will live long in the memory. Midway through the second-half, with the game looking increasingly like a draw or a one-nil defeat at worst, Colchester broke and managed to play a man into space goal-side of the red back-line and he beat Elliot from ten yards. The celebrations in the Jimmy Seed were cut short by the referee who had appeared to blow his whistle a second before the ball entered the net. He was signalling an infringement but no-one seemed to understand why. As he was surrounded by blue and white shirted players he waved all protests away and went to consult the linesman. It took a full minute of deep conversation before he signalled for a goal and the desperate attention of all the red-shirted players. As everyone made their way back towards the centre-circle, activity increased on the touchline by the dugouts as Charlton officials, Mr Powell included, remonstrated strongly at the change of mind. The fourth official then took centre-stage and appeared to over-rule referee Sheldrake. The pair then went to consult with the linesman again before the goal was again disallowed to a stream of protests and gales of laughter and astonishment from the Charlton stands. The inquest will be fascinating but I can only conclude that having blown to disallow the goal, the referee couldn't have changed his mind to award the goal and the fourth official felt he had to intervene. I have never seen anything like it in forty-years of live football.


So unfair was the sequence of events on the visitors that we all expected a penalty award the next time Colchester got anywhere near our box but Mr Sheldrake managed to turn down three appeals before ending the game. Before that, however, the excitement of the goal-no-goal incident managed to inject some life into our side and we scored a cracker worthy of winning any game. A Francis-Wagstaff move down the right flank ended with Waggy cutting in and crossing to the centre of the box where Bradley Wright-Phillips lent back and dispatched a peach of a volley side-on which flew past Colchester's replacement keeper. What a start to his Charlton career!


Colchester couldn't muster an equaliser in the seven minutes of added time and we were left to reflect on another even-steven first-half where we fashioned only two chances; an early save from Wagsfaff after good work on the goal-line by Joe Anyinsah for the cut-back and a Johnnie Jackson miss from ten yards although he saw it very late to be fair to him.


I was pleased to see us play 4-4-2 this evening although I don't see what McCormack is adding as one of two central midfielders. Their first-half chances apart, Wagstaff and Jackson did too little in support of the eager and busy front pairing. Wastaff appeared to stand aside every time Simon Francis crossed the half-way line in order to let him play right wing and deliver the crosses. Young Scott might have done better by swapping fully with Francis because as good as he may have been with his crossing, he had another indifferent game at full-back. His lack of basic technique is unacceptable in my mind for a professional. 


Federico Bessone made his debut at left-back and I thought he had a very solid game, although he limped off to be replaced by Matt fry in the second-half. The defence were largely untroubled and Gary Doherty gave the distinct impression that he was confident he had Mooney in his pocket all night.


Not much else to report other than an horrendous new half-time "Charlton-mix" which appears to combine repeated chants of "C-A-F-C" with "London Calling."