Charlton Athletic v Scunthorpe United
Easter Monday ... 3pm Kick-Off
Referee: Brett Hextable (Devon)
Introduction
Well its tough to take but you cant argue that the holiday periods over the course of the season have hurt us... A total of four games have so far been played over Christmas / New Year / Easter and all that Charlton can show for it is three points. Good Friday saw the latest defeat; Oxford continue to prove to be a bogey team of late, a 2-1 loss confining the Addicks to the Play-Offs for the second year on the trot... This Monday we welcome struggling Scunthorpe United to the Valley, its a tough period for Lee Bowyer, on one had we need that form back, on the other its time to rest players in preparation for the challenge ahead
The Opposition
Name: Scunthorpe United | Manager: Andy Dawson
Ground: Glanford Park
Sigh!!... three Managers in a season!!... Never works does it!!... After having an impressive season last time out (only just missing out themselves on promotion via. the Play-Offs) you'd have thought that Scunny would be rivals to our own promotion hopes once again this term - Following the surprise sacking of Graham Alexander; Scunthorpe would appoint their own version of Lee Bowyer in Nick Daws and after early results appeared to be an inspired choice...
Despite drawing the majority of their early games it was decided before the end of August that Daws wasn't the right man and was replaced with the experienced Stuart McCall - McCall's own start wasn't much different but certainly took charge of one of the most remarkable games this season; Charlton would travel to Lincolnshire once again as a form team, a crazy opening thirty eight minutes (starting with the loss of Lewis Page that we've felt ever since) would see the Iron leading 3-2 at half-time, Charlton would once again get back into the game but a couple of contentious refereeing decisions would see the points staying with the home side.
Between the end of the year though that was as good as it got for Scunthorpe, they'd win just two more games and so consign themselves (like nearly everyone else) to a remarkable relegation battle; McCall would be sacked at the end of March and Andy Dawson would take over (given the job till the end of the season) - Sitting outside of the relegation zone by just a point, am sure our opponents would appreciate another game like the one witnessed at Glanford Park this season, one thing is certain that we'll go into the last day of the season with god knows how many futures still to be decided!!
Charlton Team News
As already mentioned its the Play-Offs that are the route that Charlton must take if they want to return to the Championship this term - Of course automatics arent mathematically over yet apart from a complete melt down from three teams who have shown consistency over the course of the season its highly unlikely... At risk of repeating myself it becomes a case of Bowyer now having to juggle a team who have struggled with injuries this season and getting our form back - The likes of George Lapslie and Albie Morgan have been reliable at times this season so could earn starts on Monday afternoon.
The most debatable decision to come out of the Oxford clash was the resting of Naby Sarr - Having done little wrong this term (becoming one of our best players) the Frenchman was rested in favour of Jason Pearce who himself did little wrong in the defeat, you'd expect Naby to return to the team in the usual shake up - Ben Purrington was one of two absentees on Friday along with Igor Vetokele; you'd hope that the former can certainly return and so add balance back to the Defence!!
Phillips
Solly | Bauer | Pearce | Sarr
Aribo | Cullen | Pratley
Morgan
Taylor | Parker
Substitutes Bench: Maxwell | Stevenson | Lapslie | Reeves | Williams | Bielik | Fosu
All that matters now is ensuring that we enter the Play-Offs with a bit of form so its important that we dont lose any of the next three and so damage confidence ahead of what'll be at least two big Semi-Final games - Scunthorpe though will be coming to the Valley battling for every point so wont just lay back and let us walk over them; Andy Dawson has just one point from his three games in charge though so this is equally a chance to put another run together!!
Comments
So a win is paramount.
3.1 Charlton Lyle and Igor both scoring.
On Ben Purrington’s health…
“It’s going to be tight (for Ben to play on Monday), we hope (he will). He woke up this morning with a sickness bug so he obviously couldn’t play. We sent him home, so we’re hoping he recovers in time for Monday.”
On if Lewis Page will play…
“If not (Ben) then Pagey will definitely be in. We’ve got no choice, obviously Solly is now suspended and if Ben ain’t well then we’ve only got Lewis left so we’ll look to bring him in.”
On Igor Vetokele’s health…
“It was always going to be a risk playing him Saturday (Plymouth), Tuesday (Wycombe), Saturday (Luton) like we did last week and unfortunately his hamstring has not recovered in time.
"I don't know if he'll be ready for Monday. We'll see how he goes in training on Saturday and Sunday, weigh it up and see where we are then."
https://www.cafc.co.uk/news/view/5cbc2a042e6b7/bowyer-on-purringtons-health-and-fitness-of-page-and-vetokele
Like Friday's game, perhaps coincidentally, Solly played most of the game at left back in what was a shambolic defensive display. We have improved out of sight since then.
We are 99% sure of a play off place, the Iron are desperate to avoid relegation, this game will come down to the proverbial 'who wants it more' ? Hopes of a top two finish for us are now dashed, I wouldn't blame Bowyer if he told his players to take it a bit easy in preparation for the play offs.
Draw .. CAFC 1 v Scunthorpe United 1
A 3-0 will send out a ge to other teams deluded into thinking they have a chance I the playoffs.
Finish 4th and 2nd leg of the playoffs are at the valley .
Finish 5th and we have a Thursday or Friday night game away.
To the game itself.....
Been told by Golfie Jnr that Scunny are another one of our bogey teams. After my exuberance of going for a 3-0 win at Oxford (Yes, you can all blame me) I'm now reverting to type & going for a 2-1 defeat......along with defeats in our last 2 games also.
Nothing is simple where CAFC is concerned.
Anyone who was at the Scunny game earlier in the season will have no problem knowing what I am taking about. Just how we went in at halftime having not put the game out of sight was a mystery I won’t forget in a hurry......we absolutely tore them to pieces, playing some of the best stuff we have all season, yet went in 3-1 down, they hardly got a sniff but somehow we contrived to let in 3.......they couldn’t believe their luck......3 attempts on goal and 3 goals scored.
The second half was more even but even then we were still the better side......how the score line ended up 5-3 is one of those football mysteries that occur once in a while.
It needs putting to rights.....I want revenge with a capital R!
Comfortable home win 1-0.
If it isn't, I can see us losing Taylor to a £1m offer, none of the players out of contract re-signing except in desperation if they can't get a better gig elsewhere, Bowyer walking because Roland doesn't send a proper contract offer (see the latest VoTV), and us being nowhere near the top six next year.
So, no pressure then.