There's a definite 'play to be here next year' feel about the Charlton line up at Bristol Rovers this afternoon. Francis comes in for Solly who is rested. Reid, who made his feelings known in a recent frank tweet, comes in for Racon.
Eccleston, who presumably won't be here next year, gets a chance to partner Benson up front with Wright-Phillips on the bench. Dean Parrett replaces Wagstaff who has a hamstring problem. Sullivan stays in goal with Worner on the bench.
Bristol Rovers won a corner after 22nd seconds reports Paul May from the Memorial Stadium. A shot was fired in and pushed away by Sullivan making a good save, leading to a second corner. The ball was cleared. Charlton weathered the initial storm, but then Sullivan sent a goal kick straight to Hoskins who claimed he was held by Fortune. Nevertheless, Charlton won the goal kick.
Semedo put in a good ball from the right, but Reid’s touch was heavy. Francis put in a cross to no one in particular.
After seven minutes Charlton scored with their first clear chance of the game, Benson delivering with a diving far post header after Eccleston floated in a cross.
Semedo was spoken to by the referee after fouling Lines. Benson cleared the free kick from the edge of the area. Doherty made an important interception to take the ball away from Hoskins at the expense of a corner kick. The move ended in a goal kick for the Addicks.
Hughes put a volley in the net on the 17th minute, but the flag had already gone up for offside. Eccleston put in a good shot after a solo run which tested Logan in the Rovers goal.
Rovers won a free kick in a promising position. Anthony’s header was well wide of the post.
The game slowed down as the heat took its toll. A breeze had picked up, but it died away. Coles received a yellow card for a challenge on Reid.
Parrett found Reid who put in a blistering strike on 29 minutes which was just inches wide of the post. Lambe came on for the Gasheads in place of the injured Hughes. Charlton defended well and a cross from Campbell went straight into the arms of Sullivan. The Addicks were keeping their shape well.
Semedo was given a yellow card for a challenge on Gavin Williams. The free kick went through the wall but wide of the post.
Francis got past Anthony and won the first corner of the game for the Addicks. Semedo’s header went on to the roof of the net. Semedo fed Benson but the striker’s shot went just over the crossbar. A Rovers attack after a quickly taken free kick was snuffed out by Francis.
Fortune put in a good tackle on the edge of the area. Three minutes were added on. Spurs loanee Lamb put in a dangerous cross, but the ball was headed over the crossbar. Semedo was caught on the right ear by Campbell and the referee had a word. The skipper wanted attention and after a delay the physio was allowed on. Logan came way out of his goal to make his views known to the referee which the latter did not appreciate. The half came to a rather bad tempered conclusion.
Half time: Gasheads 0, Addicks 1
McCracken came on for Coles after the break. Within less than a minute Reid had made use of an assist from Bessone to put the ball in the top right-hand corner of the net to make it 0-2 to the delight of the 500 or so Addicks in the crowd of 6,586.
Charlton won a corner after a shout for a penalty for handball. Reid received a booking for a tug on Anthony. Eccleston advanced but Rovers keeper Logan dealt with the situation well. Tunnicliffe then had to come to the rescue of Logan who almost let in Benson.
Reid put in a late and high challenge on Tunnicliffe, he received a second yellow and Charlton were reduced to ten men. The stretcher came on as Tunnicliffe’s right leg was strapped. The Addicks switched to a 4-5-1 formation with Benson on his own up front. Wayne Brown came on for Rovers.
Benson was caught from behind by Senda. Semedo received a second yellow card for using the elbow on player-manager Campbell and Charlton were down to nine players. Chris Powell was livid and made his thoughts known to the referee.
Bessone went down winded and the physio was allowed on to the annoyance of the Gasheads. He had to come on, leaving Charlton with eight men. Benson headed away Anthony’s long throw for a corner.
After Stewart lost possession, Rovers counter attacked and Brown scored to make it 1-2 after a solo run from Hoskins.
Francis put in a good tackle on Hoskins. Benson was replaced by Nouble and Solly also came to replace Parrett in a double substitution. A cross from Lambe came off Bessone for a Rovers corner taken by their player-manager Campbell. Sullivan saved comfortably from the header by Lines.
Lambe dived, but was not booked. Sullivan saved to deny Brown. Former Spanner Senda got in a cross, but Doherty was pushed and Charlton won a free kick.
Lambe went down and Rovers were given a free kick on the edge of the penalty area near the byline. Doherty headed clear. Anthony put in an effort but Sullivan saved. Stewart put in a good tackle. Eccleston forced a save from Logan.
Senda put in a poor shot from distance as the Addicks defended well. Fortune put in a good clearing header. Charlton applied the offside trap well to win a free kick.
Williams clearly used his arm to bring the ball under control but he put the ball in the back of the net to make it 2-2 on 86 minutes. Chris Powell and Jon Fortune were both spoken to and the manager was sent off and had to make his way to the main stand on the opposite side from the dugout.
A shot at close range from Rovers went over the crossbar. For arguing that Hoskins was offside, Fortune was booked.
Six minutes were added on. Charlton won a free kick after Eccleston was obstructed. Brown fired a shot over. Rovers won a corner in the last of the six minutes. Brown’s effort was high and wide.
As Wyn Grant predicted it was 2-2 but not in circumstances he anticipated. Scuffles broke out on the pitch after the whistle between the players as Fortune calmed things down.
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4 comments:
Seeing as most correct score predictions are at least 6 or 7 to 1, it'd be interesting to see what you return would be Wyn. With the last 4 predictions alone you'd be almost be up for the whole season. Anyone fancy reading through the 40 or so predictions?!
I think I've been lucky recently.
For the third time this season match officials have directly corrupted the outcome of a match to the detriment of Charlton, this time with the cynical influence of Bristol Rovers player manager and his play acting. R Lewis has no excuse for not dealing with the handball that led to Rovers's 2nd goal. Kyel Reid shares some of the responsibility, his dangerous lunge, moments after being booked the first time was idiotic at best and should draw a line under his prospects of a contract offer (if indeed any doubt remained).
It's a footbal cliché but teams make their own luck and that's usually bad luck when the recent run has been as witless and inept as have the last 3 months.
With Semedo's wrongly enforced absense what odds the return to the side of the credulous McCormack? On that note Happy Easter...
It was of course the same R Lewis who, as linesman, infamously failed to spot that Spurs had scored against Man U at Old Trafford in, I think it was, the 2005/2006 season. And still he is employed by the FA...
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