Derby County vs Charlton AthleticSaturday 18th February 2023 - 3pm Kick-OffReferee: Paul HowardIntroductionCharlton returned to winning ways on Tuesday night, when they visited a new Stadium for the first time in our long history. Jes Rak-Sakyi proved to be the difference between the two sides, leaving Forest Green unable to handle the tricky winger for much of the evening, the on loan signing would prove to be wingman on Valentine's night, setting up Corey Blackett-Taylor to score the sole goal of the evening - This Saturday we make the trip to Derybshire, our Play-Off hopes hang as finely as a strand of hair... On a bald mans head!!
Our opponents will no doubt perform at the levels we'll need to think about reaching, if we dont want next season to be as wasteful as these last few!!
The OppositionName: Derby County (5th) | Manager: Paul WarneGround: Pride ParkPrevious League Result: Derby County 1-1 Lincoln City.We travel to Pride Park this coming Saturday looking to become just the third side to escape from a venue all three points this season
Under Paul Warne the Rams have lost just once at home... a 1-2 defeat at the hands of a Port Vale, two sides not used to facing off against each other from across the Peak District - After a sluggish start to life in League One, our opponents have found their footing, early form saw Derby in and around mid-table, making many wonder if this to be another side that would struggle with the grit and determination we see from many teams at this level.
Well it appears the answer is... Probably not
The Rams only find themselves in the Play-Offs by four points, but sit just three behind an Ipswich Town side which have stuttered of late, they along with Wycombe and Barnsley have games in hand on those above them, so whilst the likes of Ashley Maynard-Brewer still have hopes of reaching the Play-Offs, recording three points @ Pride Park on Saturday are vital to those incredibily distant hopes - You have to go back nine games to find a last Charlton victory in those parts, goals from Andy Hunt and Martin Pringle pulling us out of the Premiership drop zone in February 1999.
Charlton Team NewsTuesday night saw the introduction of Michael Hector for the first time, the Jamaican International became V962, as we slowly approach the 1000th player to pull on the red shirt of Charlton Athletic - Of course the deadline signing only appeared for the final ten minutes, making his first competitive appearance since November 2021, meaning that we shouldnt expect to see him starting any time soon. However his calmness alongside Ryan Inniss and Lucas Ness helped us record the win at Forest Green, and could be vital in a similar role going forward for us, as we look to finish as high up the table before another season gets consigned to the history books.
Elsewhere, and Miles Leaburn has been the notable absentee of late, he's missed the last two games with a hip injury... Neither Macauley Bonne nor Chuks Aneke have impressed in his stead, so you'd hope that the promising youngster is back available this coming Saturday. Although if he is, you'd expect it to be from the bench, what with having his minutes restricted slightly since Dean Holden joined.
Maynard-Brewer
Clare - Inniss - Ness - Penney
Kilkenny - Dobson - Fraser
Rak-Sakyi - Bonne - Blackett-Taylor
Substitutes Bench: Wollacott - Hector - Sessegnon - Morgan - Payne - Campbell - Aneke
Comments
Come on lads, give me a nice birthday present.
Derby 0 Charlton 1 (not Bonne) and mid-table mediocrity is still on the cards for this season.
0-2 and the double completed over The Rams is the way I see it, we do seem to up our game against the better sides, hopefully FGR is a distant memory, and some sense of pride returns...🤞
Great, I can concentrate on the upcoming AFL season instead.
Think we may draw this...1-1 Bonne (Thatll piss some people off
Having said that, Derby have lost and drawn their last two so this could go one of two ways. They could want to put that right or the pressure of their position could be having an effect.
I will say that the more our wide players are in the game, the more chance we have,
3-0 to The Rams
... after the fourth official had put up the board saying 3 minutes to be added with no further hold ups due to injuries or substitutions.
When questioned after the match where the additional time had come from the ref said "well, it's a minimum amount of additional time and it's my discretion how much time is to be played. Also the Charlton 'keeper sneezed before taking a goal kick and stopped to blow his nose so I added five minutes extra for that and, well, Derby took longer than expected to score, didn't they?"