Charlton Athletic 2 v 0 Stevenage

Saturday 25th February 2012
Football League One
The Valley, Charlton
Admission: £5.00
Programme: £3.00
Attendance: 26,546
Match Rating: 4

An all too rare return visit to the Valley - indeed, my first Saturday afternoon visit since I allowed my season ticket to lapse after Charlton's relegation from the Championship three seasons ago, inspired by yet another imaginative offer  by the club of reducing all ticket prices to just £5.00.

Description of The Valley can be found during a previous visit here, and I took the opportunity to choose a seat in what is usually the most expensive part of the stadium, in the Upper Tier of the West Stand, virtually on the half way line. In my opinion, Charlton have always produced good, interesting programmes, and so today's 60 page issue proved.

Even as a naturally sceptical fan of Charlton, promotion to the Championship is looking increasingly likely, as they still find themselves well clear of the chasing pack - indeed, they have been on top of the table constantly since mid September. Going into this game, Charlton were seven points clear of second placed Sheffield United, and twelve points clear of third placed Sheffield Wednesday. There has been a relative blip recently. Although unbeaten so far in eight league games in 2012, they have "only" picked up three draws - against three lesser teams in Bury, Tranmere Rovers and Rochdale - in their last four games. Stevenage have been the real surprise package this season, inside the play-offs and currently in sixth place, a position they have occupied since Boxing Day. Since I last watched Stevenage just over a month ago, when they caused an upset by beating Reading at the Madejski Stadium in the FA Cup Third Round - a competition they are still in, after drawing 0-0 with Tottenham Hotspur in the Fifth Round last weekend - they have lost their manager Graham Westley. When the two teams met at Broadhall Way earlier in the season, Stevenage inflicted the first of just two defeats all season on Charlton with a 1-0 victory.

With the game less than 1,000 short of a sell-out, the first half was a rather dull affair, with Stevenage always looking to break up play and disrupt Charlton's play, whereas Charlton seemed to surprisingly lack ideas. Both sides had half chances, but a goalless scoreline at half time was of little surprise.

Within four minutes of the restart however and the deadlock was broken, and in fine style too. A long throw in into the box was headed out of the box, falling at the feet of centre back Michael Morrison, who controlled the ball before unleashing a 20 yard rocket into the top corner. The game completely changed from this point, as Charlton dominated the rest of the match and Stevenage had the air of a team aiming for damage limitation. They had numerous golden chances to score, most notably top scorer Bradley Wright-Phillips, who had not scored in his last eleven games but he could easily have had a hat-trick today. In the end he had to settle for the one goal, scored in the 64th minute, when he raced wide to the edge of the box, beat the defender to the ball and his cross-shot was turned in by Ronnie Henry on the goalline, although Wright-Phillips' shot was going in anyway.

Everton 2 v 0 Blackpool

Saturday 18th February 2012
FA Cup Fifth Round
Goodison Park, Liverpool
Admission: £25.00
Programme: £3.00
Attendance: 38,447
Match Rating: 4

After a happily very rare Saturday without a game last weekend thanks to the big freeze, today I took advantage of the excellent "Great Escape" ticket from the train company London Midland, which meant a trip from London to Liverpool and back would cost just £9.90, as well as reduced ticket prices for an attractive looking FA Cup tie at a ground that I have been wanting to visit for many a year.

There are a couple of options for reaching Goodison Park by public transport. A soccerbus operates from Sandhills rail station, however wishing to avoid the crush that would inevitably accompany the buses particularly after the game, I opted instead to alight at Kirkdale rail station, which is about a fifteen minute walk from Goodison Park. The ground is certainly something of a throwback to former times, an all too rare and refreshing change from the many modern identikit top flight stadia. Closely packed to neighbouring terrace streets, the main stand is of a double decker variety, with a large "top balcony" perched about a two tier stand - it is impressive in terms of its size, has character but is somewhat tired and dated. I selected a ticket in the top balcony, and whilst it offered an excellent "birds-eye" view, and on entering the stand one can look out over Stanley Park and Anfield in the distance, the wooden seats were uncomfortable, legroom was minimal and a large pillar obstructed my view. On the opposite side and behind the goal to the left of the main stand are two tier stands joined together, again with many obstructing pillars, but again they have character which made them quite endearing. Behind the remaining goal is the one modern stand in the ground, a large single tier affair. The programme was fairly average for a Premier League club, unspectacular but with a decent amount of interesting reading material and a pleasingly low proportion of adverts.

Today's match would be between two teams in good recent form. As has become fairly typical in recent seasons - and even less surprising given the lack of investment in the first team last summer - Everton had a slow start to the season, stuck firmly in or just below mid table all season, but are unbeaten in their last six games, winning three of those, and have only lost twice in their last thirteen games and find themselves in tenth place in the Premier League. To reach this stage, they overcame non-league Tamworth 2-0 and then Premier League Fulham 2-1, both games at Goodison Park.Having been relegated from the Premier League last season - coming much, much close than most had predicted to surviving, Blackpool are gathering pace nicely for a return to the top flight. Having been outside the play-off places almost all season, they entered them at the beginning of this month and are now in fourth place in the Championship, having been unbeaten in their last seven games, winning five of those games. To reach this stage, Blackpool comfortably saw off neighbours Fleetwood in round three, and then Sheffield Wednesday after a replay. A glance at the team sheets showed where the priorities lie for each manager. David Moyes selected pretty much a full strength team for Everton from the players he had available, whilst Ian Holloway chose to make seven changes from the Blackpool side that had beaten Doncaster in the league in midweek.

The game certainly had an explosive start, as the home side went in front with less than a minute on the clock.Magaye Gueye swung a cross into the box, which Marouane Felliani controlled before layng the ball off to Royston Drenthe, who fired in a powerful, controlled shot just out of the reach of the keeper and into the net. Just five minutes later and it looked like a tough task for Blackpool had already become mission impossible, when Drenthe's corner was flicked on and landed at the feet of Denis Stracqualursi a few yards out, who fired home at the second attempt. One feared this might have killed the game, with the higher ranked side at home two goals to the good with just six minutes on the clock, however nothing could be further from the truth. Whilst rarely threatening to score, Blackpool played some good football, whilst Everton continued to play with plenty of attacking endeavour.

In the second half, Blackpool continued to give a good account of themselves, again rarely looking like scoring , although Everton missed golden chance after golden chance to extend their lead. In the final stages, it was Blackpool though who came agonisingly close to scoring on three occasions.Lomana Tresor Lua Lua had a powerful shot tipped onto the post by Tim Howard, Kevin Phillips saw a wonderful free kick hit the corner of crossbar and post, and in added on time at the end of the game, Blackpool were awarded a soft looking penalty for a push, but Phillips put his shot well over the bar. So a deserved victory for the home side, with it always pleasing to see the club taking an FA Cup tie the more seriously rewarded with progression.

Video Highlights at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0ESFJE7shA

Chesterfield P v P Charlton Athletic

Saturday 11th February 2012

Football League One

B2Net Stadium, Chesterfield

Admission: £18.00

Today was a rare occasion when the weather beat me. Having already purchased a ticket for Charlton's first ever trip to Chesterfield's new ground, continued freezing temperatures all week always put this game in doubt, and although the pitch passed an inspection at Friday lunchtime, temperatures fell to around -8c in northern Derbyshire on the Friday night. Considering that, even with a frost cover, there was little likelihood in this game surviving, I decided not to make my way up to Chesterfield, and indeed, this proved the correct call as the game was duly called off at a 10am, pitch inspection.

Most other non-league games also fell victim to the artic conditions, including all games in Kent. I finally managed to find two games that had passed inspections, at Whitehawk and Newhaven, and so off I set out for Brighton to catch Whitehawk's game. Unfortunately I arrived at the station to find all trains delayed and little definite sign of one arriving any time soon, I decided to write today off in football terms and watch the Manchester United - Liverpool game on television instead

West Bromwich Albion 1 v 2 Swansea City

Saturday 4th February 2012
Premier League
The Hawthorns, West Bromwich

Admission: £25.00
Programme: £3.00
Attendance: 24,274
Match Rating: 3

On a day when the belated big freeze put paid to the vast majority of local non-league football - and even many games in the lower divisions of the Football League, it was rather fortunate that I had already planned to make a rare visit to a Premier League ground, where undersoil heating would mean that freezing weather would be little threat to the game unless the surrounding roads would be too treacherous. Today would also be the first opportunity for me to see with my own eyes the remarkable transformation in Swansea City's fortunes, having spent many an afternoon watching Swansea in the nineties as they struggled in the lower leagues in the ramshackle (but, for me, much missed) Vetch Field.

The Hawthorns, which has the surprising distinction of being the highest ground above sea level in the English Premier and Football Leagues, is located a few minutes walk from the railway station of the same name. Having been completely rebuilt since the early nineties, it is now a stadium that, while is small by Premier League standard, has been very well designed, fully enclosed, offers excellent, unobstructed views throughout and does not suffer from the identikit look. The East Stand, the most recent major development of the ground, is the tallest stand and the only stand to consist of two tiers. Set slightly lower is the "home" end, and lower still and of equal height are the West Stand (where I was sat today) and the stand behind the other goal, half of which houses the away fans. A nice touch is the placement of a large throstle, retained from the pre-development stand, on the wall above seating in one corner of the ground. The programme was truly superb, one of the best I have encountered at any level, and excellent value at £3.00. Imaginatively designed, a minimum of adverts and plenty of interesting reading material, it certainly helped while away the time on the long journey back down south after the game.

A glance at the Premier League table pointed to a game between two evenly matched teams, with Swansea just one place and one point better off than West Bromwich Albion, in fourteenth place. West Brom's recent form has not been good, picking up just one win from their last six games. The Hawthorns is also proving to be something of a bogey ground for the home side, having picked up just one point from their last five league games at home, stretching back to mid November. Not unusually for a promoted side, Swansea have been very strong at home this season - losing just once (to Manchester United) in twelve games - but have struggled on their travels. They had only won one and drawn three of their eleven games away from home - that win coming in January, on their most recent visit to the West Midlands, at Aston Villa. When the two sides met at the Liberty Stadium back in September, Swansea coasted to a 3-0 win.

On a bitterly cold afternoon with heavy sleet showers, the first half was quite a dull affair. Swansea displayed the brand of football they have become known for - lots of short passes, keeping possession and very, very rarely going for a long punt upfield, not even from goal kicks, but it was West Brom who could consider themselves the most unlucky not to open the scoring in the first half. They were denied a penalty when Swansea's Ashley Williams' apparent handball was not punished, and they had two shots cleared off the line in quick succession just before half time.

As half-time arrived, the increasingly heavy snowfall was beginning to lay on the pitch, requiring brushing away from the critical areas during the interval. On 54 minutes, against the run of play it must be said, it was the home side who took the lead when a Graham Dorrans corner was flicked on by Jonas Olsson, landing at the feet of Marc Antoine Fortune at the corner of the 6 yard box, and he took a moment to compose himself before firing into the net. The home fans celebrations did not last long. Appropriately on such a snowy, wintry afternoon, it was a case of the Iceman cometh, as the game soon turned on its head. Within a minute of going behind, the Icelander Gylfi Sigurdsson levelled the scores when he passed the ball into the net following a low cross by Neil Taylor after a fine run down the flank. Just four minutes later and Swansea were suddenly in the lead, when Sigurdsson surged forward before whipping in a cross, which top scorer Danny Graham cooly poked home. After that sudden burst of activity, the game settled back into its previous pattern, with Swansea playing some impressive football while yet again it was West Brom who fashioned the best chances, none better than when Peter Odemwingie blazed high and wide when unmarked just eight yards out. In the closing minutes, West Brom threw everything at Swansea, including keeper Ben Foster, and although an equaliser looked a possibility during this frantic period, Swansea held on for a deserved victory, lifting them ten points clear of the relegation zone.