Charlton Athletic 2 v Gillingham 3

In spite of what we have been witnessing over the last three months and the 'one-step-forward-one-step-back' nature of the results, I was completely unprepared for it to happen again on Saturday. What we witnessed has caused me to seriously consider whether or not we can make the play-offs. That's obviously still a distinct possibility given we are only a point off sixth placed Sunderland, but somehow, things seem much worse than that.

I wrote automatic promotion off after Accrington Stanley beat us at the Valley on 8th January. Writing yourself out of managing to finish in the top six, is much harder to do given the range involved but we have slowly slid down the table and are now in eighth place, but have played three more games more than Accrington Stanley (1 point behind) and Ipswich (4 behind). A number of clubs above us have points advantages as well as games in hand. 

None of this should come as a big surprise when you look at our results at home. We have not won any of the last six matches at the Valley and have been losing at half-time in all of them. We have also failed to win a match we have conceded in first since beating Sunderland at Wembley! I haven't seen any stats but playing in empty stadiums would appear to have removed the fear factor to an extent that traditional home advantage has been significantly reduced. We have only won four from twelve games at home and have lost five of them. 

Seven away wins have kept hopes up but coming back to Saturday and you have to wonder if we can put another run together? Gillingham are an average League One side at best. They operate on a fraction of our budget but on Saturday they put up a fight that we couldn't put down. They weren't better than us and nothing in the stats would have suggested a 3-2 win other than the scoreline. We didn't play particularly badly but we can't keep making excuses for not playing our game and beating teams.

We keep going one-behind and it's not good for the confidence, particularly when we seem unable to come from behind to win. We also have a habit of conceding early and Saturday's 33 second opener was a lot of salt in open wounds. Having deservedly levelled after only 15 minutes, recent experience told me to fear falling behind once more but we did so to another once-in-a-career strike, this time from Ogilvie. We have seen a succession of thunderous long range strikes against us at the Valley. You can't really defend against these and it's difficult to counter when defensively you are still in a strong position when an opponent hammers an arcing 25 yard volley over your keeper into the top corner of the net. 

Two-one down but still creating chances. Hitting the woodwork twice but the equaliser eventually comes early in the second-half. What can stop us now from ending that hoodoo since Wembley and turning this one around? Well going down to ten men would handicap us, so we do that. Anneke booked twice in two minutes for a couple of strong challenges, neither of which was a stonewall booking. 

With ten men we still went for it and had a couple of chances to win it. Jayesimi saw a neatly placed shot pushed around the post before Gillingham broke with four minutes of time left and applied vinegar to the salty wounds.

During this spell we have seen a defensively frailty caused by losing both Inniss and Famewo but our other options should have done much better than than they have. This is League One after all. It hasn't just been mistakes from Pearce, Oshilaja or Pratley. Gunter, Matthews, Maatsen and Purrington have all taken turns. 

In my view, the midfield has been equally culpable because they have failed to hold the opposition far too often and consequently doubled the work for the back four. we haven't been able to hold the ball for nearly long enough in midfield in too many games and haven't relieved the pressure successfully in nearly enough games. I thought the January window additions in midfield and upfront where the right areas to address (with Famewo and Inniss now due back) but they are conspiring to prove me wrong. 

We are running out of road to start that run which would secure us a play-off place and maybe see us finish the season with momentum. I was encouraged enough by the upcoming fixtures to believe we would take a haul from the six games from Rochdale onwards but did not figure on losing at home to Gillingham. Suddenly, Saturday's long trip to Fleetwood looks much harder. Ched Evans may have moved on but I am expecting Fleetwood to have a real go and I fear we could fold again. Anneke will be missed and we could be short on confidence. We could do with a bit of luck and one our two players having pearlers.