Charlton Athletic 1 v Hull City 1

This game lived down to all expectations. Yes, we have an injury crisis and it was anyone's guess what side we put out but it was an uninspiring line-up and we got a performance to match. Blackheath Addicted got it right seeing Hull as a pub team. They were there for the taking but proved to better than us over the 90 minutes and will be disappointed they didn't take all three points.

We started with Weaver (my Man of the Match), Mills, Sodje, Bougherra and Powell in a defence that looked somewhere near reasonable. Unfortunatley, Sodje was quick to join the injury list and the unfortunate Paddy McCarthy was re-introduced to first team football as if to ensure the back-four looked as weakened as the rest of the side (he did ok).

In midfield, Pards got it wrong for me. Holland and Ambrose are both lightweight and putting them together is a recipe for disaster. Holland is always honest but he is one-paced, can't tackle, gets caught in possession and has not been able to shoot from distance since he left Ipswich. Ambrose shows too little too often and was anonymous once again yesterday. Jerome Thomas had an ok game but was double-marked and didn't get a lot of space. I was expecting Lloyd Sam to be the tormentor in chief yesterday, following his harsh dismissal at Hull, but he looked intimidated and it was no surprise that he made way for McLeod at half-time. Zheng Zhi was also included in a five man midfield. He had an ordinary game but at least helped us compete in midfield. I would have preferred two upfront but we would have been exposed with only Holland and Ambrose in the middle. That left poor Iwelumo alone again shouldering the goal-scoring burden and he got little close support from midfield.

The first half was dire and I think the only effort on goal was the Hull opener which was fortuitous, coming as a result of a clearance deflecting off Powell and falling to Frazier Campbell. Danny Mills was busy throughout the first half looking for a booking. He put menace into every tackle, was leaving his hands, arms and elbows in his opponents faces and also making a meal of every challenge on him. Bryan Hughes seemed to be his principal target for some reason. Must be something personal there because you never imagine Hughes having given him a hard time in the past.

Izale Mcleod was introduced at the start of the second half in a bid to create something up front. He had another disappointing 45 minutes and Chris Dickson must have been wondering why he was recalled from Gillingham. The Charlton equaliser came from a free kick which was floated deep to the back post. The Hull defence missed it completely and it fell to Iwlemuo and Bougherra who were umarked five yards out. Bougherra was first to react and he couldn't miss. For five minutes you actually believed we would get a winner but the game did not improve. Danny Mills then managed to get himself sent off for dissent which meant we spent the last 15 minutes defending desperately to cling on to our point.

We need some good news on the injury front soon and will be in trouble if the team is not strengthened in Janaury. Mills is off back to City saying he's not been approached about a permanent move, so yesterday was probably his last Charlton appearance - quite fitting then that he left the Valley with a red card. Reading are rumoured to be taking Sam Sodje back to bolster their team which will be hit by the African Nations Cup. If we add to that the current injury list, I think Pards needs four or five new players early in January. I also believe the time has come to get the likes of Dickson, Christensen and Arter involved. If they aren't going to get a chance when we are down to the bare bones then we shouldn't be employing them.

Norwich and Leicester away now look like very hard games and Christmas is looking like an iceberg on the horizon. Results didn't go for us yesterday either with Bristol City, Stoke and Watford all winning. If that's not depressing enough, Palace are up to 10th and, amazingly, are only seven points behind us.

Merry Christmas Mr Scrooge.

Charlton Athletic 2 v Norwich City 0

It's looking good. The team are beginning to get to know each other and dictate a pattern of play. We played like a proper home team for 90 minutes and deserved our win.

The midfield was dominant for the opening 30 minutes with Reid pulling the strings and venturing forward at every opportunity. Semedo and Zheng Zhi were quick to the breakdowns and Lloyd Sam looks increasingly comfortable in the shirt. At the back SAP brought in Bougherra for McCarthy and it made all the difference with Fortune looking very asssured alongside him. Powell played a tidy game and Danny Mills provided the abrasion for Huckerby and finally Dublin.

Iwelumo headed onto the bar in the first half and Norwich cleared the rebound under presure from Varney. Varney looked a class act from the off and was unfortunate not have opened his account when put clear in second half only to slam his shot against the advancing Marshall.

Norwich came for the draw and it wasn't until 10 minutes before the break that they attacked with any purpose and caused Weaver to make the save of the game with a left handed reflex save from a snap-snot inside the box.

The game tightened in the second half but Charlton were still creating chances. Following Varney's miss, Reid had a golden opportunity to break the deadlock firing wide from 12 yards out when all around him were at sixes and sevens following a spell of pinball. As the clock counted down it looked like a draw might be on the cards. SAP had other ideas and brought McLeod on for Varney. The impact was immediate. McLeod hared into the box and fired inches wide from a tight angle. Minutes later he repeated the burst but this time from the right and this time Gary Doherty, who struggled all evening, put in the clumsy challenge that begged a penalty. Referree Singh obliged and Andy Reid smashed the opener. Before the Valley could draw breath McLeod seized the ball again and hurtled goalward. This time the challenge looked less obvious and it was closer to the edge of the box but the result was same. Singh pointed immediately to the spot and Andy Reid repeated the trick. In the dying minute as the Norwich faithful were waved on their way, Dion Dublin clashed with Danny Mills and stupidly kicked out during the follow-up which earned him a straight red card.

Up to third with Leicester at home on Saturday. This performance deserves a decent increase on the 21,533 there tonight, just less than 20,000 of who were Charlton fans.