ROCHDALE 1 (Henderson 4) CHARLTON 0
Attendance: 3,109 (483 Charlton) Rochdale Moore, Rafferty, Delaney, McGahey, Dooley, Camps, J Williams (Andrew 67), Rathbone (Perkins 67), Inman (Cannon 90+1), Hart, Henderson.Charlton Steer, Dijksteel, Pratley, Pearce (c), Solly, Bielik (Reeves 46), Cullen, Aribo, Ward (Fosu 61), Taylor, Grant (Vetokele 76).
Summary
Disappointment continues as the Reds succumbed to an early goal. Charlton certainly had their chances; hitting the woodwork, missing a penalty and having two goals disallowed. But they failed to register a strike that mattered in their second consecutive away defeat, leading Lee Bowyer to deliver some harsh words post-game (below).
Post Match comments
Bowyer:
“It wasn’t good enough. First half, we were very poor. We didn’t compete, we didn’t pass the ball and everything we’re good at we just didn’t do. I don’t know whether we thought we could just turn up and be handed three points, but that isn’t football. I’ve just questioned their attitude. Because you can’t do what they did against Barnsley, the best side in the league that we’ve played, and then go and get one point out of six against Oxford and Rochdale. That’s just wrong, so I’ve questioned them and their attitude because, for me, that wasn’t good enough. We have to fight and compete as a minimum. We certainly didn’t do that in the first half.”
“We missed a penalty, we hit the bar, the keeper made a great save from Josh. We had all those things, but we still didn’t do the right things, so it’s all irrelevant. It was slightly better second half, but still not good enough – not for what we are and what we’re about. It’s disappointing, but we’ll go again, keep working at it and I’m sure we’ll get it right.
“Pratley was outstanding on Tuesday and I thought he was again today. That’s why I played him there. Krystian Bielik is normally good at sitting at the bottom of the diamond, but today he took too many touches and kept getting caught in possession. He needs to learn that you have to move the ball quickly because that’s the way we play. Not just him, everybody was poor first half.
“It was disappointing all round, but we’ll work to put it right.”
STATBANK Player Marks
Steer = 6.50
Pearce = 6.29
Cullen = 6.29
Dijksteel = 5.81
Reeves = 5.71
Pratley = 5.67
Taylor = 5.60
Solly = 5.52
Ward = 5.50
Bielik = 5.40
Fosu = 4.98
Grant= 4.93
Aribo = 4.71
Team Average = 5.61
At the game...
@RedChaser : My second visit to Spotland masquerading as the Crown Oil Arena (wtf). Prematch beers and a pie in the Ratcliffe Arms at the ground which was populated by a fair number of Addicks. The pitch was in good nick and the late autumn sun thankfully managed to lift the temperature from the early morning lows.
We started with both Pratley and Bielik in the side but not in the positions I would have preferred, the former at RCB and the latter as DM of a diamond. This meant that Cullen played RM with Aribo LM and Ward supposed to be at the tip behind Taylor and Grant. Whatever Bowyer's thinking behind the Prately / Bielik positional selections his plans were upset after just four minutes in, when we were opened up down our left with Soly in reverse gear backing off and backing off, Aribo offering little help and a simple cut back for Henderson to slot home. Pigs and cherries sprang to mind, 1-0 to the Dale.
Undeterred we pressed forward to seek out an equaliser and their keeper soon presented us with the perfect opportunity by coming for a ball past his penalty spot clattering one of our players and conceding a penalty. Up steps Taylor 'I reckon he'll go to the right rather than down the middle this time' me thinks, Trouble is so did their keeper and duly saved it. I wonder how many fans who were previously singing that he could sleep with their wives had second thoughts! To his credit he did rattle the bar with a long range effort but how costly that pen miss would prove to be, that's two now I believe.
Ward tried but gave little service to the front two Cullen didn't look confortable at RM and neither he or an out of sorts Aribo offered much going forward. Bielik I felt carried the ball well and was the best of an ineffective midfield.
Second half saw the withdrawal of Bielik for Reeves whether tactical to try and add a bit more creativity or because of injury, I know not but we looked better balanced for it with Cullen reverting to the DM position. Ward was then rightfully replaced by Fosu approaching the hour mark yet again who I felt offered more in half the time. The Dale goal survived several close attempts and we actually had the ball in the net on a few occasions only for the efforts to be ruled out. Mind you we had a few close escapes at the other end and had it not been for one point blank save by Steer and some timely interventions by Prately and Pearce the home team would have run out comfortable winners.
Good support from the travelling 500 odd diehards who became frustrated with the performance and tactics notably, crap short corners which more often than not came to nothing and the relentless passing from side to side across the back four, five yards from our goal line when time was of the essence to get the ball forward for an equaliser. Not surprisingly the final whistle was met by a crescendo of boos from the long suffering away support. Automatics? Top six? No chance after the last two performances, mid table mediocrity more like
.
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HERE(Photo credit: Kyle Andrews on twitter)
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