Charlton v Shrewsbury | Thurs 10 May | 7:45pm KO | Match Preview, Predictions, News & Views

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Charlton Athletic v Shrewsbury Town
Thursday 10th May 2018 ... 7:45pm Kick-Off
League One Play-Offs - Semi Final ... 1st Leg

Introduction
With Plymouth needing a huge win on Saturday, our place in the Play-Offs was pretty much guaranteed regardless of our own result against Rochdale - Its been a remarkable turn around from Lee Bowyer and his side, defeat against Scunthorpe and the end of season extension looked dead a buried a few games ago... With a minimum of two games left to our season, its now a priority to see if we can extend it even further and so enjoy a day out at Wembley - There will be tears of despair and joy, there will be anger that a team can be denied promotion by a team four places below them, yet that's the lottery of the Play-Offs...

I hope your sitting comfortably because the real fun is about to begin

The Opposition
Name: Shrewsbury Town | Manager: Paul Hurst
Aggregate League Score: Charlton 2-2 Shrewsbury

When Shrewsbury visited the Valley in 2016, I was sure that they would be relegated that season (such was the ease of our victory) - Paul Hurst would come in midway through that season and guide the Shrews to safety, ready for another relegation battle this time around... Or so we all thought...

Many times this season I've commented on how there will always be a surprise package, there will always be one side that the bookies will get wrong; Leicester and Huddersfield are perfect examples of this, and having finished in the Play-Offs; Paul Hurst will be hoping that his side can emulate the latter of those two sides and taste Championship Football for the first time since 1990.

Play-Off Success
For Addicks fans our history of the Play-Offs is well known... Victories in 1998 and 1987 are well known yet there have also been two defeats - The first of those coming in 1996 against rivals Crystal Palace and the second of those against Swindon Town in 2010, with both of those coming in the Semi-Finals its a comfort to know that if the Addicks can reach the Final, history dictates that they should win.

Of course, our knowledge of our rivals is less known yet all three teams have had Play-Off success...

Shrewsbury have just the one win from their Conference days (over Morecambe) despite having made five Play-Off appearances... For Scunthorpe having finished in the Play-Offs on nine occasions, their last, of their two wins came against Millwall in 2009 - Rotherham on the other hand have made three appearances in the Play-Offs, they too just have the one win which came against Leyton Orient in 2014.

Charlton Team News
Last Saturday saw the Addicks losing to relegation survivors: Rochdale, yet that defeat was softened by the opportunity to rest certain players and avoid injury ahead of the Play-Offs.

Jake Forster-Caskey having appeared for the majority of the season was given a much needed rest midway through the second half... His absence was proof at how important he is in the middle of the field - Both Nicky Ajose and Josh Magennis were left out (with the former not even on the bench) yet should return on Thursday, whilst Tariqe Fosu has resumed training... His return could be vital to any success at the end of the month!!

Amos
Konsa | Bauer | Pearce | Dasilva
Reeves | Forster-Caskey | Kashi | Marshall
Ajose | Magennis

Substitutes Bench: Phillips | Sarr | Dijksteel | Jackson | Zyro | Aribo | Fosu

Prediction
Without doubt, the Play-Offs are the hardest part of any footballing season... Form can be thrown out of the window and depends entirely on who wants it more - There is experience within the Addicks ranks; Mark Marshall reached Wembley last year and will want to put the demons of losing last year behind him... Shrewsbury have been the surprise package of the season, yet have struggled since the automatic places were confirmed. They will have rested players over the last few weeks, yet do they have the guts for one last push?

iamdan

1-1

ross1

We need to win at our place to stand a chance, 1-0

palarsehater

1-0 charlton

kinveachyaddick

Don't expect many goals - particularly as since the early flurry we haven't managed many under Bowyer but conversely we look a lot more solid at the back than under KR.

Hoping for 1-0 to us but wouldn't be surprised if it's 0-0 which I'd be happy enough with.

Remember - no away goals rule in the play-offs

_MrDick

One word ... nervous. We’re very capable of winning this but we need to take our chances and we need their keeper to have a nightMeire

ForeverAddickted

_MrDick said:

One word ... nervous. We’re very capable of winning this but we need to take our chances and we need their keeper to have a nightMeire

Dean Henderson has been rested (I can only presume it was a rest) for their last three games - Seems strange to rest your Goalkeeper when they do the least amount of running ... Hopefully thats a mistake there and he's now a bit rusty

Elthamaddick

2-0 win Josh and JFC

eaststandmike

Not a lot of goals, 1-0 or 2-1 either way, I don't make Charlton nailed on to win this one.

addick05

_MrDick said:

One word ... nervous. We’re very capable of winning this but we need to take our chances and we need their keeper to have a nightMeire

It's the 'taking our chances' bit that worries me and has done for most of the season. If, and it's a big if, Fosu is anywhere near fit then it could be a whole different ball game.

CAFCTrev

Comfortable home win 4-3

CharltonPete

Just in case of any dodgy goaline decisions could work for or against us
https://www.efl.com/news/2018/may/goal-line-technology-introduced-to-all-efl-play-off-fixtures-for-first-time/

killerandflash

Charlton lose 5-0, with JFC carried off, JDS limping off and Pearce sent off

I thought I'd keep my expectations low

ShootersHillGuru

Fancy 1 - 1 at The Valley but we beat them on Sunday.

ForeverAddickted

CharltonPete said:

Just in case of any dodgy goaline decisions could work for or against us
https://www.efl.com/news/2018/may/goal-line-technology-introduced-to-all-efl-play-off-fixtures-for-first-time/

Those balls on the sticks are going to get in the way a bit surely?

stonemuse

2-1 win

smudge7946

2-0
Easy win.

luke1

2-0 JFC and Ajose

CharltonDave85

3-1 To charlton just because I'm away on hoilday and missing it.

covered_end_junior

Confident with the Home leg, can't see where their goals will come from at the moment.

2-0 Home win.

Rothko

Simon Hooper is the ref on Thursday

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Rothko said:

Simon Hooper is the ref on Thursday

Cheers for adding this...

Tried searching this morning on the usual sites I rely on for the Referee but wasnt updated

king addick

3-1 Charlton....Think Bowyer will gee them up and make them work hard for this....got a feeling that Mavididi will have a belter...Sub or Start.

Rothko

ForeverAddickted said:

Rothko said:

Simon Hooper is the ref on Thursday

Cheers for adding this...

Tried searching this morning on the usual sites I rely on for the Referee but wasnt updated

No probs, the list for the all the games is here, Jeremy Simpson is the man for the second leg

Unknown

This content has been removed.

ForeverAddickted

Rothko said:

ForeverAddickted said:

Rothko said:

Simon Hooper is the ref on Thursday

Cheers for adding this...

Tried searching this morning on the usual sites I rely on for the Referee but wasnt updated

No probs, the list for the all the games is here, Jeremy Simpson is the man for the second leg

FFS - I went on the EFL Website as well and couldnt find it!!

Henry Irving

We grind out what looks like being a 1 - 0 win from an early Bauer goal but as Shrewsbury press late on substitute Fosu-Henry drives into the box and sets up JFC for an easy finish.

Much talk of only half time etc but the job is Done

CAFCBourne

Can't see where our goals are coming from 0-0

Pedro45

0-0. Usual over-expectation and frustration. Wouldn't be surprised to see Ahearne-Grant back on the bench after his goal-scoring exploits. Marshall may well be kept back for the return leg where he may be a better option.

Sage

100% Mavididi will be in the squad, hopefully Fosu on the bench as well, it will make us even stronger. As two very good players who could make such a huge difference.

Same starting line up as the original post but adding in Mavididi to the bench in place of, well not sure who..

Charlton Athletic 2-0 Shrewsbury Town
Magennis
Reeves

king addick

Pedro45 said:

0-0. Usual over-expectation and frustration. Wouldn't be surprised to see Ahearne-Grant back on the bench after his goal-scoring exploits. Marshall may well be kept back for the return leg where he may be a better option.

Not allowed due to his loan contract running until June.