This defeat was tough to take. A 98th minute winner for the visitors silenced and emptied the home sections rapidly. It's not as if the result was a big surprise (I predicted it) but our performance was much better than I expected and with an ounce more luck we would have taken something from the game.
Sorry to learn before kick-off that Mandela Egbo's Charlton career was ended after only 15 appearances as he has moved to Colchester. Pleased, however, that we started with a back four of Edun, Ness, Jones and Asiimwe. Apart from a ten minute spell in the second-half they stood up well and kept things relatively tight.
Alfie May was alone for much of the game until Daniel Kanu entered the fray and again our midfield struggled to pick him out despite another strong attacking performance from Blackett-Taylor.
Maynard-Brewer made the first telling save of the game when he beat out a Marquis effort after good work from Thomas and Collins to fashion the shooting opportunity. For our part, Alfie May fired in from wide after picking up a ball over the top but Cox parried that in similar fashion. I thought we played the better football in the first-half but once again without creating anything much. Rovers were a bit disappointing but they stepped it after after the break.
On 58 minutes the game really came to life. Rovers won a free-kick 25 yards out kicking towards their fans in the Jimmy Seed. When the shot came it beat the wall and looked to have Maynard-Brewer beaten too but he got closer to it and then looked like he had beaten it out. I turned to my mate as we both shouted 'what a save' only for the visitors to loudly celebrate a goal. I assume the ball was knocked back quickly where Sinclair finished from close range.
Suddenly we found an extra yard of pace and we began to stretch them. Some fine play had them back-peddalling and desperate to relieve the pressure. Again we were just short upfront and got no breaks. This seemed to give Rovers some urgency going forward and they had two fine opportunities to increase their lead. Sinclair was played in from distance and lobbed the advancing Maynard-Brewer, only to watch his shot drop inches wide of the far post. After that Marquis should have scored when they opened us up and Marquis went around Maynard-Brewer and fired in at his near post only to see the sliding Lucas Ness stretch a leg to stop it crossing the line.
Kanu was introduced shortly after and within ten minutes found himself racing into their box and being supplied by Dobson (I think). For once, he remained composed and slid a first-time effort beneath the charging Cox for a dramatic equaliser.
The decibel level racheted up in what was a disappointing gate (certainly compared to the Orient game) as the Addicks were roared on but for all our running and passing we struggled to create the chance we needed. However, it did come when Alfie May was played in for the chance he has been waiting for all season, he steered it slightly right before lining up his shot only to see it cannon of the inside of their left post and the rebound was too quick for Kanu to turn in.
After that we faced seven added minutes and they looked to have been played out when Rovers made once last attack as players converged in our box, a well driven shot crept in by the post as Maynard-Brewer once again looked like he might have saved it.
The inquest will begin and end with more questions of why Alfie May is being expected to play upfront on his own?
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