My brief Charlton report

I've never been one for going out on New Years's Eve and this year is no exception. So while my other half has been watching something on TV I've managed to catch up with Saturday's match on iFollow and decided to jot down a few notes. Thing is, will there be anyone around to read it?

It's been said by many already but that was a terrific performance from the Reds - first half at least. I suppose it't too much to ask players to keep up that kind of pace for ninety minutes so the only option is to blow the opposition away with four or five goals by half time. We failed to do that but, my God, wasn't it good to watch! I can't remember seeing so many pirouettes by Barnsley players to get free of their man, and slick passing movements where the other team couldn't get near us. It was great to watch and there were traces of it in the second half as well. We even heard a few bars of the "Brazil" song following that move where Mowatt got upended by Solly for his first booking. It was a lovely flowing move down the West Stand side and the only way they could stop us was by fouling. But, then again, that went on throughout the match.

Charlton didn't know what had hit them as we raced into a two-goal lead inside fifteen minutes. Both were exceptional finishes but the build up to both was exquisite. There looked to be little on as Woodrow only just kept the ball in near the Kop end flag but he cut back a perfect ball which was just behind Thiam. I suppose we momentarily groaned at that point but Mama expertly guided it back to the unmarked Potts who crashed in an unstoppable shot to the keeper's right. While this was one of those jump up in the air kind of goals the second one topped it.

I knew it was a quick move but I timed it from the iFollow footage. Adam Davies caught a cross cleanly and rather than dilly dally with it he launched a quick throw out to Potts on the right. Brad made ground rapidly coming inside his opponent before arrowing a perfect ball all along the ground to Thiam. A couple of quick touches, a feint inside and then he hit the most sublime rising shot imaginable to beat the keeper in his top left corner. It was fantastic and, from Davies's throw out to the ball bulging the net was all of SIXTEEN seconds! Wow, and wow again!

The first half was full of incident, not least those two involving our centre halves. I think Pinnock was a touch fortunate, given Mr Bond's non-performance with the whistle, to not pick up an early red card for bringing down Grant who was rushing towards goal. They did plenty of cheating throughout the match but I don't think the Charlton man did anything wrong that time. Without Ethan it could have been a very different game because he was immense, again. Then there was the head juggling from Liam Lindsay. He managed to turn 180 degrees with the ball bouncing on his head, wrong footing his opponent in the process. It was a remarkable bit of defending.

The second half was a slightly less frenetic affair although we should never have given them a sniff of a point having, as usual, squandered too many chances. Mike Bahre's miss was a glaring one, put through on goal with only the keeper to beat at his near post. He couldn't blame the narrow angle but, instead of clipping it over him, or sliding it past him, he seemed to panic a bit and the keeper made a smothering save. Bahre was hurt in the process but not too badly. Remarkably he had a second chance to score in the same incident when the ball somehow ballooned up into the air and he got a nonchalant head to it which just crept past the post. That aside though he played superbly and, game by game, is turning into a vital cog in our promotion machine. He was my man of the match, and got the supporters' vote as well.

There was controversy when Lindsay jumped with Grant and the two came together, shoulder to arm at worst. But, naturally, Grant went down holding his face and stayed down until the physio had revived him by massaging his leg. What??? And then of course their goal - never a foul, and certainly not worth a booking. The blonde-topped Taylor conned the referee very well (not for the first time) and Pinnilos was incensed to pick up a card for it. Then the otherwise admirable Woodrow also got booked for trying to tell the ref he had not paced out the ten yards properly. In fact he had got the ten yards just right so Cauley was very much in the wrong for that one. It was the only thing he did wrong though, playing superbly once more without his partner Moore.

We were all shocked when seven minutes extra went up and it was even worse when it stretched to almost ten, but that was fair seeing as the Pinnilos incident, when he was badly fouled by Solly, took up three minutes. In truth though there was never all that much pressure on us, unlike many other matches we've seen where you just KNOW the equaliser, or winner, is coming. Not this time. Three more brilliant points for the Reds.

 

If that’s the brief one, maybe think about a précis of the full version

 

Or maybe think about going out now and again

 

Much appreciated, PoR, especially as I couldn't get to the match.

Happy New Year to you, and to all on the BBS.

 

Same to you

 

Nah, I won’t bother

 

Sorry, I don’t do short! It’s always been my problem, if problem it is. Once the words start flowing it’s hard to reign them in. Believe it or not I left a lot out. I didn’t want to over-do it

 

I forgot to mention that carbon copy rasping shot from Mama that just cleared the bar. It was hit with as much power as the one that went in but was fractionally too high.

Makes you wonder how he fluffed that penalty in the cup tie shoot out when he can hit a ball as hard as that. If he put the same power into a penalty the netting would probably fly off it's moorings!

 

Here's my brief report for comparison.

We won.

 

Succinct but lacks a bit of colour.

You don’t have to read it, obviously.

 

I did read yours and I enjoyed it, very well put together.

 

Big fan of your briefs POR

 

Thanks and Happy New Year

 

Nice of you to say so. Happy new year!