A crowd of over 17,000 Charlton fans at the Valley today in a gate of 17,486. They saw their team cruise to victory against a weakened Preston side whose reserve goalkeeper had an absolute shocker. Fifteen goals in the last four matches and four wins on-the-trot are the facts we need to concern ourselves with as we stride on at the top of League One five points clear of Huddersfield in second spot. The only damp squib was the finale to the match when we allowed Preston to unsettle us with two goals and tempers were on the verge of fraying in the Addicks defence.
It all started so well with four goals in the opening 38 minutes. The buzz around the stadium after the fourth was startling and a brief reminder of some of the more special moments at the Valley. Everyone was speculating how many we would end up with - at least six looked almost inevitable at that point.
Johnnie Jackson helped himself to the opener after a piercing move involving Wright-Phillips and Danny Green which sent Green darting clear. His rasping shot was parried by Aristidou in the North End goal and the advancing Jackson slammed home the loose ball. Minutes later we forced a corner and the in-swinging ball was pushed onto the bar by the struggling keeper only to drop back into the melee where Michael Morrison was waiting to pounce from close range. On 26 minutes, Aristidou up-ended Yann Kermorgant as he chased a through ball and Jackson smacked home the third. The fourth was embarrassingly easy as a back post ball found BWP unmarked and all he had to do was head beyond the stranded Aristidou.
Phil Brown brought on a second striker at the break which opened Preston up a bit more and the fifth, when it came on 70 minutes was one of the best headed goals I have ever seen. The impressive Rhoys Wiggins galloped down the left flank and ran onto his own ball as he burst beyond the last man. As he looked-up to cross, Danny Hollands was on a diagonal catch-up run into the box and Wiggins' cross was an absolute peach. He got the perfect line and enough pace for Hollands to have to leap to meet it at full stretch and, my-oh-my, did Danny-Boy do it justice. Somehow, he managed to put pace onto the ball and it rocketed into the far top corner. Five-nil and still twenty minutes for the sixth or seventh.
Chris Powell made a double substitution at this point, deciding to rest Bradley Wright-Phillips and the tiring Danny Green. Paul Hayes was brought on to, hopefully, rub some salt into his old clubs wounds and Scott Wagstaff was fresh legs. It didn't really work and Preston were still labouring to salvage something before having to face Phil Brown again. They forced a goal from a corner that looked poorly defended and their heads were up. The second was a classy spin-and-finish from the substitute Daley and the Valley was silenced and flat. The mood brightened at the whistle and the crowd went home happy, although you wonder why we find it so hard to top the cake.
Having said that, we must see the big picture and it's all rosy right now.
It all started so well with four goals in the opening 38 minutes. The buzz around the stadium after the fourth was startling and a brief reminder of some of the more special moments at the Valley. Everyone was speculating how many we would end up with - at least six looked almost inevitable at that point.
Johnnie Jackson helped himself to the opener after a piercing move involving Wright-Phillips and Danny Green which sent Green darting clear. His rasping shot was parried by Aristidou in the North End goal and the advancing Jackson slammed home the loose ball. Minutes later we forced a corner and the in-swinging ball was pushed onto the bar by the struggling keeper only to drop back into the melee where Michael Morrison was waiting to pounce from close range. On 26 minutes, Aristidou up-ended Yann Kermorgant as he chased a through ball and Jackson smacked home the third. The fourth was embarrassingly easy as a back post ball found BWP unmarked and all he had to do was head beyond the stranded Aristidou.
Phil Brown brought on a second striker at the break which opened Preston up a bit more and the fifth, when it came on 70 minutes was one of the best headed goals I have ever seen. The impressive Rhoys Wiggins galloped down the left flank and ran onto his own ball as he burst beyond the last man. As he looked-up to cross, Danny Hollands was on a diagonal catch-up run into the box and Wiggins' cross was an absolute peach. He got the perfect line and enough pace for Hollands to have to leap to meet it at full stretch and, my-oh-my, did Danny-Boy do it justice. Somehow, he managed to put pace onto the ball and it rocketed into the far top corner. Five-nil and still twenty minutes for the sixth or seventh.
Chris Powell made a double substitution at this point, deciding to rest Bradley Wright-Phillips and the tiring Danny Green. Paul Hayes was brought on to, hopefully, rub some salt into his old clubs wounds and Scott Wagstaff was fresh legs. It didn't really work and Preston were still labouring to salvage something before having to face Phil Brown again. They forced a goal from a corner that looked poorly defended and their heads were up. The second was a classy spin-and-finish from the substitute Daley and the Valley was silenced and flat. The mood brightened at the whistle and the crowd went home happy, although you wonder why we find it so hard to top the cake.
Having said that, we must see the big picture and it's all rosy right now.
It was Kermorgant who was up ended for the penalty.
ReplyDeleteAnon - thanks, yes Kermogant upended for the pen.
ReplyDelete