Sheffield Wednesday 0 v Charlton Athletic 0

Normal service has been resumed after the heroics of Friday night. Charlton drew a blank here but can have few complaints.

The only Charlton change was Jon Fortune back in for the unfortunate Madjid Bougherra who sustained a foot injury in the Palace game. We started threfore with Weaver, Youga, Fortune, McCarthy, Halford, Ambrose, Holland, Zheng Zhi, Sam, Gray and Varney.

Wednesday started quickly and saw a lot of the ball in the opening five minutes managing their first corner and a header at Weaver from Showumni. Luke Varney got Charlton's first chance after 12 minutes having been played in by Lloyd Sam but the ball was on his weaker left foot and he fired wide. The match was scrappy and the referree was stopping it too frequently for niggly fouls. Things livened up after 25 minutes when Youga and Johnson clashed on the left and squared up to each other. Johnson threw a right arm which hit Youga but in the ensuing melee and clamour from the crowd, referree Keith Stroud took the soft option by booking both players. Weaver then saved from a Tudgay header that Richard Wood touched on and Charlton followed this with their best opportunity of the half when Zheng Zhi found Varney who ran on and pulled the ball back to Matty Holland but his shot clipped the upright.

Jermaine Johnson had been switched to the right side so that Wade Small could continue the harrassment of Kelly Youga and it paid dividends when Youga was given a final warning following a 50-50 tackle. Alan Pardew had seen enough and Youga was reluctantly substituted for Jose Semedo before the break.

The second half wasn't much better than the first. Charlton were unable to raise the tempo and conceded a succession of corners and free-kicks which Ronnie Wallwork largely wasted. Weaver saved smartly from Lee Bullen on the hour and Paddy Mccarthy stopped everything else that Wednesday could muster. Iwelumo came on for Gray on 63 minutes and Lee Cook made his debut for quiet Lloyd Sam minutes later.

Charlton had their best chance to win the match after 71 minutes when Greg Halford found Iwelumo and his flick was picked up by Zheng Zhi on the edge of the box. Zheng found Varney and he found the net but the linesman was flagging with Varney looking level to the BBC London commetary team. Zheng Zhi ballooned another opportunity from an Iwelumo knock down before the end but a winner might have been unfair on Wednesday who made a game of it.

For me this was another game in which our two wide men didn't do nearly enough. Ambrose and Sam are simply not pulling their weight and it's time we tried something else, especially away from home. Having said that, I don't think Lee Cook did anything of note in the 25 minutes he was on the field but the bloke's not played any football for ten months....

Alan Pardew will probably see this as a point won but we've lost ground at the top. Watford, Bristol City and Stoke all won tonight and move above West Brom who could only draw at home to Sheffield United. Bristol City's 1-0 victory at Scunthorpe probably hurts the most. Palace lost again and have slumped to 9th but that's a small consolation. We've now brought some pressure to bear on ourselves for the Watford game but maybe that will help. We will need another performance like Friday nights to reduce their 7 point advantage.

Norwich City 1 v Charlton Athletic 1

Charlton ground out a draw at Carrow Road as the Red Mist claimed another victim. For the third time in the last four games, Charlton had a defender sent off and it cost them two points. All this at a time when injuries are severely limiting Alan Pardew's options. Charlton's disciplinary record under Alan Pardew has been in marked contrast to that under Alan Curbishley where we were invariably in the running for the Fair Play award. Maybe that is more a reflection on playing in the Championship than anything attributable to management styles.

Jonathon Fortune and Danny Mills were spectators today having been sent off in recent games and Sam Sodje joined them following a two-footed tackle on Darel Russell after 30 minutes. It might have been so different if Sodje had managed to stay on the pitch as Charlton were leading thanks to a Zheng Zhi strike when he saw red. The Addicks had weathered the early Norwich pressure to breakaway and take the lead. Varney broke down the right and his cross was knocked back to Zheng Zhi who skipped passed the first challenge and beat David Marshall with a weak cross-shot. Jamie Cureton hit the side netting and Norwich finished the half attacking but couldn't get the equaliser. Nicky Weaver had made several good saves, the best coming from a Jason Shackell header after he had beaten Sodje to a corner.

Alan Pardew started the second half with Izale McLeod replacing Chris Iwelumo, whom I assume is still carrying a knock. Norwich were quick to re-start and Chris Powell had to clear off the line after a free-kick was headed passed Weaver. Charlton were inviting pressure but regularly counter-attacking, with Thomas and Zheng Zhi linking well on the break. Norwich upped the ante and Huckerby hit the side netting after 70 minutes. They weren't to be denied minutes later however, when Huckerby's corner was headed in at the near post by Darel Russell.

Dion Dublin was brought on to pressurise the Charlton defence in the final 15 minutes. Pardew responded by taking substitute McLeod off for Lloyd Sam, which doesn't say a lot for McLeod's chances of progressing his Charlton career when there is already plenty of speculation that he'll be pawned in January. Nicky Weaver saved from Huckerby on 90 minutes and Holland and Bougherra both blocked shots in the melee that followed. Charlton held on in the three added minutes for the point which pretty much maintains the status quo with the chasing pack.

Stoke equalised at Barnsley in the 90th minute. Ipswich and Wolves were both beaten by Leicester and Hull respectively. Below them, Plymouth beat QPR in the last minute and Palace won at Coventry. Unfortunately, Watford scraped a point at home to Cardiff earlier in the day and were joined on 44 points by the Baggies who humped Bristol City at the Hawthorns 4-1.

An even weaker Charlton side will take to the field at the Walker Stadium on Saturday and we will need another dogged performance to get anything from the game. The other fixtures on Saturday could see Watford and West Brom increasing their leads in the automatic places, so we will likely need to beat Colchester at the Valley on New Years Day to stay in touch with the chasing pack.

WBA 4 Charlton Athletic 2

West Brom scored four, took all three points and have gone top of the table. Charlton can have few complaints and were comprehensively beaten. Nicky Weaver made several good saves or it might have looked worse.

Alan Pardew won't be too disappointed. His side competed well in the first half and had even managed to take the lead through a fine piece of play from Thomas on the right flank. He skinned the young Albion full-back and left him on his back-side as he floated in the cross which Big Chris did very well to reach and direct back across the keeper. The goal came against the run of play but we hadn't looked ragged. Roman Bednar had hit a post and Weaver was busy but we looked strong. The Baggies hit back before the break when Bednar latched onto a through ball and managed to turn it inside the advancing Weaver. Big Chris turned an ankle and couldn't continue which will be a concern for Pards.

West Brom started the second half in top gear and Zoltan Gera headed home a fine cross at the back post. He squeezed it passed a surprised looking Nicky Weaver who looked to me like he'd shut his eyes. If Weaver can take any criticism for the second it would be harsh and he more than made up for it seconds later with a one-handed diving save from a follow-up header. West Brom created a number of good chances to kill the game but it was the Addicks who scored next. Luke Varney (on for Ambrose) broke free on the left and Izale Mcleod (for Iwelumo) slotted home. At this point anything looked possible but we were fortunate to be level.

Justice was duly served with Gera again thumping home a powerful back-post header from another delicious cross. We still had time for another couple of half-chances before substitute Kevin Phillips sniffed a fourth following a goalmouth scramble and ended the contest.

A heavier-than-usual looking Andy Reid was substituted in the sceond half and appeared to be struggling, so we have to hope that's precautionary and that Iwelumo's ankle doesn't turn out to be as bad as it looked. Hopefully this defeat can be turned to our advantage and be the stimulus for a convincing win against and double against Hull next week.

Charlton Athletic 3 v Ipswich Town 1

A thoroughly entertaining game this, which Charlton won by half time and yet Ipswich contested for the 95 minutes. At half-time it looked like the thrashing we've been promising someone all season and yet you knew Ipswich didn't deserve it based on their home form. So it proved with Town rallying in the second half to make a contest of it.

Ipswich were poor for the first 45 minutes. Charlton were allowed to dominate possession and it lead to the opener when Matt Holland over-lapped on the right and drove a fine cross into the heart of the box for ex-Townite, Darren Ambrose, to power home the first. After the number of ex-Addicks to score against us so far this season, it was sweet revenge. Big Chris bundled home a strange second when least expected and all of a sudden the Valley breathed easy. Better was yet to come when Ambrose stroked home a third before half-time after being served on a plate by the quick thinking Reid.

So, 3-0 at half-time and Ipswich looking vulnerable to a tonking. Er, no, this is the Charlton, this is the Valley! Not sure what the half-time instructions were but "hang on" was probably the message. I was looking for the 4-4-2 switch to up the ante, but no, we stuck at it. The Ipswich half-time talk was obviously shorter, more direct and probably louder. As a consequence they bossed the second half, missed a penalty, hit the crossbar and managed a fine consolation through an exquisite Counago back-heel. They left themselves too much to do, however, and the points were secured.

Nicky Weaver had a fine game and capped it with another penalty save. The back four stood up to some real pressure; Fortune was excellent and Sodje answered everything asked of him; Powell was ok but was put under a lot of pressure, and Mills had his quietest game of the season, although things hotted up for him in the last 30 minutes.

Andy Reid was nearly back to his best; Matt Holland had a decent game and his cross for the first was perfect; Zheng Zhi held his own and, I thought, had a better game than of late. Lloyd Sam did ok but has much more to offer. Save a place then, for the man of the match for me, Darren Ambrose. If only he played like this every other week instead of twice a season, I wouldn't be calling him lightweight and asking for his dismissal. He arrived with perfect timing and was also on hand to dispatch the killer third after a quality build-up and lay-off from Reid.

Iwelumo was less effective up front and had to watch lots of won headers being steered away from goal. I would have switched to 4-4-2 at half-time and got Varney introduced early. Unfortunately, Semedo was first sub for Sam before Varney came on for Reid. Too late.

In between times Ipwsich rattled the woodwork and generally did all they could to get back into it but the game had been lost. Their fans though were superb; they brought the biggest visiting allocation so far this season by 1000 and were vocal throughout despite being three down at half-time. Our professional performance was spoiled at the finish by an unseemly brawl in which Jonaton Fortune managed to get red carded. I hope Pardew smacks his arse too because this was completely unnecessary and the sort of thing that better teams limit.

West Brom snatched a last minute winner at Leicester to keep us in third but we will leap-frog them next Saturday with a win at the Hawthorns and could catch Watford too if results go for us.

All-in-all we really can't complain. We have every chance of going into the New Year in pole position and, frankly, there isn't a lot to beat. What we need is some overdue home form and to stick at battling away from the Valley. Not too much to ask for is it?

Off to bed now so I am awake and ready to throw punches for Ricky at 4am! There's only one, R-I-C-K-Y H-A-T-T-O-N!

Preston NE 0 v Charlton Athletic 2

Ultimately a fourth successive clean-sheet win for the Addicks. A rare live TV victory and it never really looked in doubt.

Charlton were first out of the blocks and controlled much of the first half. Thomas was finding a lot of space and no real challenge on the right. Zheng Zhi was busy in front of him and Iwleumo laboured tirelessly up front. Lloyd Sam saw less of the ball and Andy Reid had a very quiet game or Charlton might have wrapped this up long before the end. The back four looked comfortable throughout. Basey and Mills were sound and it was left to Sodje and Fortune to huff and puff against what pressure Preston did have. Charlton created the few real chances of the first half and it was no surprise when Zheng Zhi controlled a ball on the penalty spot away from all of the rest of the players with his first touch and pushed a low shot back against the on-rushing defence and through a narrow hole into the far corner of the net. It was perfect timing, coming as it did on 47 minutes.

Preston tried harder in the second period and forced three good saves from Nicky Weaver; the reflex stop from Sedgewick's close shot was the best since he's been at the Valley and he deservedly collected the Sky Man of the Match award. Charlton didn't create a lot in the second half but continued to have plenty of possession in the opponents half and you felt we had another gear if we had to use it. Holland, Ambrose and Varney were introduced towards the end of the game and it was left to Varney to add the second late in extra time; Iwelumo headed on a throw from Count Basey into the channel and Varney latched onto it, accelerating passed the last defender and turning in to goal where he beat the unfortunate Lonergan on his near post.

This was a good, professional performance and came on a day when Watford, Bristol City, Ipswich and Coventry all lost. The Addicks have stormed into second and closed the gap on the Hornets to 5 points. We are a point in front of West Brom and they are now under pressure to beat Wolves in their derby game tomorrow. With two home games coming up this week we again have the opportunity to consolidate our automatic position, especially as West Brom face tricky away games at Plymouth and Palace after their derby tomorrow lunchtime.

Let's get behind them this week!

Charlton Athletic 0 v QPR 1

A disastrous week was capped today at the Valley with the poorest performance of the season and an embarrassing defeat by bottom-of-the-table QPR. Once again Charlton produced a stadium-emptying display for a watching nation on Sky television.

QPR were good value for the win and they should have had the winner even earlier in the second half having missed a penalty and an open goal. They were hardworking but their win was handed to them on a plate by a disinterested Charlton side. Varney and Iwelumo mis-fired throughout and our midfield was all over the place. Reid was subduded on the left in the first half and failed to up the tempo when he came into the middle after Semedo was substituted. Lloyd Sam had a poor game on his return from a three match ban but did come closest to scoring for the Reds with a second half free kick which Lee Camp pushed out.

The back four were again a major disappointment. Alan Pardew at least took some positive action after the midweek display by dropping Bougherra and starting Sodje at the back with Fortune for the first time. He also gave Grant Basey a debut at left-back and he was probably the only Charlton player to emerge with any credit. Sodje made two superb last ditch tackles but Fortune cantered through the game and again made several howlers, worst of which was his mis-timed tackle which gave Rangers their penalty. Turned inside out he waited until his opponent got into the box before bringing his man down. The resultant penalty was slammed off an upright by Rowlands and that should have been the wake-up call Charton needed but no-one looked that bothered and you knew what was coming.

Minutes later and Danny Mills, who looked more interested than the rest, was far too casual in the box and lost the ball to a Rangers player who amazingly failed to hit the target. They didn't have to wait too much longer though, another raid on the left saw Vine curl a deep cross which Weaver came for but never looked like getting. Weaver collided with Sodje and Nygaard, and went down looking for a free-kick as the ball fell to Bolder who fired home. There was still plenty of time left but we hadn't shown any urgency all day and continued at a pedestrian rate.

Alan Pardew should be furious after this performance but it's hard to see what options he has. Thomas came on for Semedo but failed to create anything and Izale Mcleod didn't touch the ball after coming on for Iwelumo with a good 15 minutes left. What we need is an international break but the last one doesn't seem to have done us any good. Two away games now look very difficult and we face running out a mid-table side in the next home game. The bubble has well and truly burst and we have a lot of hard work to do to turn this around.