Smash & Grab

Charlton Athletic 0 - Ipswich Town 1

Much like the action of any impact yesterday, this won't take long.

Ipswich arrived at The Valley and started as if they'd been drinking triple espresso's, chased down with cans of Red Bull on their journey down the A12.

Within 3 or 4 minutes, they'd already won a few corners and forced stand in 'keeper Ben Alnwick to pull off an agility testing double save.

The powerful onslaught was just too much and eventually Smith smashed home a headed goal, from yet another corner.

Ipswich had crushed any chance the Charlton support were going to manage the 3:07pm round of applause, commemorating 21 years since the return to The Valley.
Most people had their heads in their hands, amazed at the one way traffic we'd witnessed.

Had we all nipped off to the pub at that point, we'd have missed very little.

While not exactly parking the bus, Ipswich didn't really force too many chances of note going forward- though they certainly had the best of the first half.

Other than Dale Stephens audacious overhead cross field pass, there was little to get excited about from a Charlton view.

The second half belonged to Charlton but as is becoming a bit of a worry, the ball just wouldn't run when in a dangerous position.

It looked like it was going to be one of those days.

We couldn't blame the officials, our players lack of effort, Ipswich's negative tactics or the state of the pitch as I thought the referee had a fairly good game, (playing advantage when needed), our team huffed and puffed without cease, Ipswich played a 'typical' away team way and the pitch was fine.

Suddenly, for me, the main chance we had all afternoon was snatched away by a terrible decision.

For the entire game, the referee had made a point of letting play continue to see if there was any advantage, before halting the action for a free kick.

Then, in added on time, there was the one time we needed him to do just that and he had other ideas.

With Stewart speeding onto a 1:1 with the Ipswich 'keeper, without a defender in sight, our hapless referee decided he needed to blow his whistle for a Charlton free kick, back in the centre circle.

A massive let off for the Tractor Boys.

Of course, Stewart may have sent the ball over the stands but we'll never know will we?

A game we were about to lose due to our inept finishing suddenly became a game where we had been 'robbed' of a point!

It's the football supporter logic.

Luckily, a few pints of local Hop Stuff at Greenwich after the game was enough to make me revert to the calmer person I'd been before.

Well done to Ipswich.
Captain BirdsEye  Mick McCarthy played his cards just right and we can't really complain at the result.