Michael Appleton’s first game in charge proved a tricky visit to top-of-the-league Stevenage, with Alfie May out under concussion protocols and Nathan Assimwe suffering a knock. Stevenage started brightly and were first to every ball ahead of a hesitant Charlton side. Stevenage went up 1-0 on the break through a characteristic lapse in concentration at the back. George Dobson dived in, trying to plug the gaps; Lloyd Jones was wrong footed; and Harry Isted decided not to move. Charlton went into the break down one without a shot on target and barely a threat up top.
Second half was better from Charlton, but not great. It wasn’t until the final twenty five or so minutes when the Addicks came alive. A fine cameo from Chuks Aneke proved helpful, as he terrorised their back line and more than matched them physically. After numerous shouts, at least two in each half, Charlton were awarded a penalty when substitute Tedic was hacked down. Corey Blackett-Taylor stepped up to take it. I almost couldn’t watch. He confidently put the ball in the back of the net to draw us level.
The officiating was nothing less than awful, with Stevenage pulling the referee’s strings consistently. Conversely (perhaps relatedly), the travelling Addicks’ support were in fine voice all game and, it could be argued, proved the difference when pressurising the referee to make the right call for the penalty.
Stevenage 1 Charlton 1
Over to you.
Comments
Stevenage not just a physical side. They’ve also mastered the dark arts of the game and when you get a soft ref like that, it works really well for them.
However bad the officials were, we need to make sure that's not influencing results, if you score 2 goals and he doesn't give a penalty today you complain about how you should have won by more goals, not finally getting a penalty to salvage a draw.
Ultimately we have to be relatively happy with that in the end, but scraping a draw out of Stevenage is a poor place to be, history wise. It was less than 5 years ago we were demolishing them 8-0 in some no mark cup
1st half we were shocking. Having said that we should have had a penalty.
2nd half at least we showed some fight and eventually got a penalty to earn a well deserved draw.
We are still faced with the same old problem that we need to score a minimum of 2 goals in order to win a game.
Our defence at times looks league 2 standard and this will be Appleton's biggest challenge in improving us as a team.
Finally I try never to criticise Ref's as I think things even themselves out over time.
But this prick today is just about as bat a ref as I've seen.
Anyway onwards and upwards.
hopfully tennai Watson is close to fitness, he should be better at RB- but the choice at CB is impossible to pick! Edun needs to buck his ideas up too
hopefully camara and Fraser back soon?
my go to would be;
AMB
watson Ness. Hector. Edun
Dobson
CBT. C Campbel
Fraser/Camara
May Leaburn
Let's face it. Does not matter who manages this shower, mid table 3rd division football is us!
Just really hope the injuries to Abankwah and Taylor aren't too bad.
Lastly, so happy for Chuks. Great to see him back out there, and he made himself am absolute nuisance.
Yes we looked better in the second half when we decided to push players forwards, but conversely Stevenage really should have put the game to bed on the counter more than once before we got back into the game.
Really not sure what our game plan was first half, and I know we need to be more disciplined across the side but we can’t be that unadventurous and either not press sides up the pitch or sit in a low block and try and counter quickly.
I know Stevenage don’t necessarily flood players forwards either, but we just played into their game.
Cant wait to Fraser or Camera come back so we can at least move then all through the thirds quicker.
One clean sheet in seven games.
He said it’s paying off with how strongly we finished the game. Thinks we could’ve gone for another 10-15 minutes.
Anyway...new manager, lots of new players. It's a start.