Charlton lost this evening while never looking in any danger of defeat.
It was just one of those odd games that will statistically occur once in a while.
We won on Saturday against Bournemouth without really 'beating' them. This evening Colchester took all three points and must be wondering how on earth they managed it.
Colchester struck the first blow within the first 5 minutes.
Hamer looked to be a little far off his line but nobody could deny that Wordsworth hit a fantastic long range shot.
Hamer barely moved.
From that moment on, Colchester did little other than try to contain the rampaging Addicks.
Jackson was unfortunate when his own rasping distance shot merely scraped the crossbar, rather than billowing the net.
Chance after chance came and went.
BWP was guilty of missing some good chances but we could tell it was going to be "one of those days" when Kermorgant looked to be about to pull the trigger and equalise, only to fall flat on his face and the chance was gone.
At just 1-0 down, there wasn't a person inside the Valley who didn't believe Charlton were going to finally put a chance away, and get something out of the game.
Unfortunately, once it became 2-0 with around 75 minutes on the clock, the game was up.
Ben Hamer may wish he hadn't come back from his injury quite so fast. This game will not be one he will look back on with fondness.
Hamer can argue he could do little about the first goal, though his positioning was poor.
The second goal was completely down to him making a horlicks of it.
All season long we have been saying he's going to get caught "one day" due to the extra time he takes to clear a ball, when an onrushing forward is approaching.
Tonight was when Ben's luck finally ran out.
He's had some very near misses lately but tonight his clearance smacked into Gillespie and looped back into his unguarded net.
Game Over.
I've never felt less bothered about a proper league game defeat in my life.
We are still top of the league and hopefully, cruising towards promotion.
Well done to Colchester.
Tonight will go down as a famous victory for United but those of us who were present, will know they won while also being second best.
I'm sure their own support would also agree with my assessment.
They'll care not one jot about their performance as they head back up the A12 carrying the 3 points, just as we didn't care on Saturday after robbing Bournemouth.
I'm assuming Chris Powell now has something pretty tasty planned for Notts County this weekend.
A Casual Rating
Chris Solly has come on in leaps and bounds this season.
He is now becoming the darling of the support and with good reason.
He's earned himself tonights Lacoste polo for being my Man of the Match.
Ben Hamer really needs to pop into Primark on the way to training tomorrow morning, to pick himself out a novelty slogan t-shirt.
We all make mistakes. Hopefully Ben will learn from his clanger this evening and work on speeding up his clearances.
Ref Watch.
There were a few penalty appeals that were rather flamboyantly waved away but in general, the referee and his team of linos did ok.
We didn't lose because of the officials that's for sure.
4 comments:
About right just one of those (very cold)days.
Like you I'm not fussed about a defeat.
If there are a few more in the next couple of games then we may start looking over our shoulders but one game isn't going to break our season
thought Charlton looked limp in attack an lacked tempo. Colchester got in your faces an defended manfully. Powell was out thought tactically as John Ward changed things an Powell took until 75th minute before introducing pace on the flank. Having paceless wingers played straight into Colchester's hands an showed a lack of homework. Hardly a famous win as it is just another league one game for us. After last years refereeing shocker i'd like to think Colchester deserved a bit of luck against you lot. Always get a shocking decision or two against us Haha. Still the best team in League 1 by a long shot. On another day it'd been a thrashing as nothing went for BWP an the midfield were not given a second on the ball meaning you relied on Kermorgant too often. Wordsworth was released by Charlton at 15 too! Worth a few bob I reckon now, was his 11th goal from midfield this season
I'd agree with most of that.
Charlton were fairly limp, despite making enough chances to win 4 games.
Our manager is still learning his craft.
He's only been a manager for a year and I'd agree his use of substitutions is an area to be worked on.
Obviously he wasn't to know there was about to be a freak goal but a change was needed long before the 2-0 scoreline.
As for it just being 'another league one game', I don't believe you.
Admittedly, the taxi your support arrived in ;-) would indicate there was hardly a rush of people wanting to come to London from Essex but surely being the *only* team to win at the Valley in a league game since last April, the *only* team to beat Charlton by more than a single jammy deflected goal this season, and the only team to have managed to poke the runaway leaders in the eye in 2012 must stand out among your other away days when you look back on this season?
From a Charlton perspective, it was a poor game in front of our worst crowd of the season.
From your perspective surely it was a magnificent away victory, against the team at the top of the league?
Added to the 3 points, you got to enjoy the most perfect of long shot goals and had a belly laugh at a goalkeeping calamity directly in front of your support!
I'd say that's worthy of a memorable game, whoever the opposition are.
Regards for the rest of the season.
M
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