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.

Walsall 1 v 1 Charlton Athletic

Saturday 10th December 2011
Football League One
Bescot Stadium, Walsall
Admission: £18.50
Programme: £3.00
Attendance: 4,537
Match Rating: 2

Today was fourth time lucky to pay a visit to the Bescot Stadium - previous attempts to visit in recent years were thwarted by the weather or a holiday - for what would finally be my first Charlton awayday of the season.

However one chooses to get to the Bescot Stadium, there will be few easier grounds to reach, situated as it is immediately adjacent to both the M6 motorway and Bescot Stadium railway station. The immediate vicinity of the stadium is therefore unsurprisingly industrial and noisy, with little to delay entry to the ground. Once inside, it is a rather typical modern lower league football ground that is fully enclosed and all-seater. Three sides of the stadium appear almost identical, single tier with about 15 rows of seating, and with plenty of obstructing pillars along the front of the stands. Away supporters are housed behind one of the goals, and behind the other is a relatively huge two-tier stand that dwarfs the other stands. The stadium has little in aesthetic appeal, but is well suited to the level of support, has an intimate feel and is presumably conducive to generating a good atmosphere - although sadly, the home fans were incredibly quiet at all times today. The 68 page programme, at the apparently standard Football League price of £3.00, was rather disappointing, with little interesting to read for a Football League programme.

It would surely not just be with my partisan Charlton hat on that I was full of confidence of witnessing an away win today. Charlton, who completely overhauled their squad over the summer after a bitterly disappointing mid-table finish last season, have set the division on fire this time around under Chris Powell, leading the table by seven points, and had won their last eight games straight (including two in the FA Cup) since their solitary defeat so far at Stevenage in mid October. It would be fair to say that this season has been fantasy football for a Charlton fan after several poor seasons. The season has been much more of a struggle for Walsall, who went into this match occupying a relegation place in seventeenth place in the 24 team league and have not won in eight league games, picking up three points in that period, although they have been unbeaten in their last four league and cup games.

On a bright but bitterly cold afternoon only just hovering above freezing point, it soon became clear that this would be no one-sided affair. Unsurprisingly, Charlton always looked to play the better football on a poor, in places bare pitch that soon cut up, but the game was surprisingly even as Walsall, whilst always looking much more limited in quality, more than contained their high-flying opponents. On 36 minutes, they did better than that, as they won a corner, which was played to Mat Sadler just outside the box. He unleashed a shot which cannoned off both a Charlton and a Walsall player before landing at the feet of an unmarked Jon Macken, who had the the easy task of turning the ball home from 10 yards. As the game entered injury time at the end of the first half, Charlton were back on level terms, when on-loan Hogan Ephraim drove in from deep before sending in a perfect cross for Frenchman Yann Kermorgant to power in a far post header.

In truth, the first half had not been particularly entertaining, but the second half was played at a much faster pace, Charlton always looking the more threatening and playing the more measured football, although Walsall held their own and also looked capable of scoring, most notably midway through the half when a shot was blocked by the keeper and the follow up shot was cleared off the line by an excellent diving header by Darel Russell. In the closing stages of the match, Charlton applied increasing pressure on the Walsall goal, culminating in a penalty being denied for a clear handball, and from the resulting corner, the ball was headed onto the post, which proved the be the final meaningful action of the match. So a point apiece, which both clubs would surely be satisfied with on reflection.

Charlton Athletic 1 v 0 Den Bosch

Tuesday 27th July 2011
Pre-season Friendly

The Valley, Charlton
Admission: £5.00
Programme: £1.50
Attendance: 3,951
Match Rating: 2

A long overdue return to The Valley this evening to see how the team I support, Charlton Athletic, is shaping up for the new season. Reading, of the Championship, were originally scheduled to be the friendly opponents this evening, however as the League Cup First Round drew the exact same fixture to be played in early August, and so FC Den Bosch, from the Netherlands, were late replacements to fulfil the fixture.

Tonight’s fixture was given a little extra edge as some silverware would be up for grabs, as a trophy, The People’s Cup, was donated by Den Bosch fans to be awarded to tonight’s winners, in recognition of similar turbulent paths both clubs have experienced over the years, both clubs being saved from extinction to a large degree by efforts of the fans.

It has been quite a hectic summer for Charlton, with no fewer than 13 new signings made, with the same number leaving the club. Indeed, tonight’s starting line-up – which presumably will closely resemble the starting line-up for when then league season starts – features seven players who have been signed up in this close season. Den Bosch currently play in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of football in the Netherlands, where they have played since 2005 when they were relegated from the top flight. Last season they finished eighth and so qualified for the end of season promotion play-offs, but were knocked out in the second round. They have already played two other English sides this summer, drawing 2-2 with Hartlepool on neutral territory in the Netherlands before losing 1-3 at home to Ipswich Town..

Unfortunately, this was a typical friendly game, certainly throughout the first half, with lots of short passing and a very low tempo with very little urgency. The game was quite balanced though, with both sides fashioning some reasonable chances, mostly from long-range though, and it was little surprise that the scoreline was goalless at half-time.

The second half was slightly more entertaining, and Charlton had much more possession and chances, hitting the woodwork three times and sandwiched in the middle was the game’s only goal on 76 minutes, but what a terrific goal it was. Johnnie Jackson played a long ball down the touchline, which Bradley Wright-Phillips took towards goal, and with the Den Bosch keeper coming out to close the angle down, Wright-Phillips lobbed him perfectly to find the net via the inside of the far post. That goal proved sufficient for Charlton to lift the cup, with Den Bosch barely threatening for the rest of the game. So, a low-key friendly evening where the entertainment was extremely limited, although amongst the plus points were Danny Green, Paul Hayes and Dale Stephens in particularly catching the eye amongst Charlton’s new signings. Credit also to the Den Bosch fans, who had a small but very vocal following of 136, and credit to them for raising money to give to a local Charlton charity. 

Bristol Rovers 2 v 2 Charlton Athletic

Saturday 23rd April 2011
Football League One
The Memorial Stadium, Bristol
Admission: £18.50
Programme: £3.00
Attendance: 6,586
Match Rating: 4

My second game of the Easter weekend was a match that I had pencilled in as a Charlton awayday at the start of the season but which, in truth, had I not purchased my coach tickets a couple of months ago when Charlton were challenging for a play-off berth, I would probably would have given this game a miss, given the total implosion of Charlton's season. However, a first visit to a Football League stadium, on yet another gloriously sunny and warm day, meant I still headed down the M4 in optimistic mood for a good day out, regardless of how my team would fare.

After a very pleasant couple of hours wandering around the interesting city of Bristol and taking in the impressive structure of the Clifton Suspension Bridge, I then embarked on a 45 minute, almost three mile walk north from the city centre to the Memorial Stadium. Regular buses also ply the route for those less inclined to take on the long walk. The Memorial Stadium has a very unique feel to it as a football stadium, which is perhaps not surprising, as it was designed as a home for rugby, not football. A peculiar feature of the ground is that each of the stands would seem more at home at venues of different sports. A relatively narrow stand on one length of the pitch has the look of a traditional rugby stand, with seating perched high up and with terracing beneath it and stretching either side along the length of the pitch, one third of which is sometimes made available to away aupporters, although not today. Their home was behind one of the goals, in a couple of temporary marquee looking stands with tarpaulin cover, stands that would look more at home at a showjumping event than a football match. Along the other length is a building that looks more akin to a modern cricket pavilion, a pleasantly designed structure with corporate boxes along the top, five rows of seating in the middle and terracing along the bottom, To one side of the stand is another temporary stand almost identical to the ones housing the away supporters - bizarrely, the family enclosure is located in this stand, adjacent to the away fans. On the other side of the main stand is a more permanent looking structure with terracing, and behind the other goal is the only structure that looks like a football stand, a fairly small bank of covered terracing. It's worth buying tickets in advance where possible for a match at the Memorial Stadium, as ticket prices rise by £2.00 on the day of the game. The 64 page programme was a really good effort, one of the best I have encountered this season at any level, although quite bizarrely the front cover has a landscape design. Contained inside is an abundance of information of interest whatever one's allegiance or passion, and helpfully even includes up to date penpics of the home players for the benefit of the away support. Even the quantity of advertisements is kept to a tolerable level.

It's fair to say there was much more at stake for Bristol Rovers than Charlton Athletic today.Having occupied a relegation position for most of the season, Rovers found themselves in 22nd place after back to back defeats, but were only one and two points adrift of the two teams immediately above the relegation zone. After starting the season with promise and expectation to rise out of the third tier of football, a slight dip in form around the turn of the year was consolidated into a complete freefall when former manager Phil Parkinson was sacked, to be replaced by club legend, but rookie manager, Chris Powell. Inititally, four straight victories made this look a masterstroke, however since then, Charlton had won just once in fifteen matches, during which was a run taking just one point from eight games, to transform Charlton from a team that was sniffing around the play-offs to one stuck in mid-table obscurity and consigned to another season in the third tier of English football. When the two teams met in south-east London earlier in the season, the points were shared in a 1-1 draw.

So, despite the league placings, the neutral would have fancied Bristol Rovers to claim a vital three points, and although they made the early running, it was the visitors who took the lead on 7 minutes when a completely unmarked Paul Benson powerfully headed home.after a perfectly judged cross by Nathan Eccleston, on loan from Liverpool. Both sides carved out reasonable chances during the rest of the first half, and Bristol Rovers had a goal ruled out for offside, but it was Charlton who took a slender lead into the half-time break. A home defeat would be disastrous for Bristol Rovers in their perilous position, but Charlton doubled their lead within a minute of the restart thanks to a superb goal by Kyel Reid, with a direct run towards goal before unleashing a vicious, swerving shot which gave the keeper no chance. So, Charlton were unexpectedly cruising towards a comfortable away victory, but just as it looked like the home team were running short of ideas, several referee decisions tipped the match in their favour, Goalscorer Reid was dismissed for a second yellow card, although in truth, it could easily have been a straight red with a late tackle which caused the Rovers player James Tunnicliffe to be stretchered off and taken to hospital, and just a few minutes after that, Jose Semedo followed Reid down the tunnel, also for a second yellow card. With over half an hour to play, it would be a tall order for Charlton to hold on to their lead, and indeed, suddenly Bristol Rovers were full of energy and appetite that seemed to be lacking previously. On 67 minutes, the home side halved the deficit when Wayne Brown slotted home after the ball ran to him following a blocked shot. It really was becoming a back to the walls effort for Charlton now, hoofing the ball clear at every opportunity as Bristol Rovers tried to break them down, missing some fantastic chances, although Eccleston almost claimed a third for the visitors on the break when a long run from the half way line was thwarted as he tried to cut inside 10 yards out. Five minutes from time and Bristol Rovers finally equalised, when Gavin Williams controlled the ball with his arm before rifling home. How the officials did not see as clear a handball as they come is a mystery, and Charlton's manager Chris Powell was sent to the stands for pointing this out too vociferously. Rovers really should have claimed all three points with some bad misses in the closing minutes, but 2-2 was the final score. It is difficult to know who would be happier with this result - Bristol Rovers, getting a point after being two goals down, or Charlton, for claiming a point after playing for more than half an hour with just nine men. In reality though, Rovers really needed to win this game and the cost of not claiming all three points will become clear in a fortnight's time, whereas results are somewhat irrelevant for Charlton now.

Colchester United 3 v 3 Charlton Athletic

Saturday 1st January 2011
Football League One
Community Stadium, Colchester
Admission: £19.00
Programme: £3.00
Attendance: 6112
Match Rating: 5

For my first game of 2011, I chose to head to north Essex to follow Charlton, to visit a new stadium which hopefully would have nothing in common with Colchester United's previous home, Layer Road. I will always mourn the loss of old, traditional grounds, certainly when they are replaced by identikit stadia, a category which the new Community Stadium certainly falls into, but standing in the visitors section of Layer Road was always a thoroughly unpleasant, claustrophobic experience.

With the Community Stadium having been built out of town, the football club lays on double decker buses from near the railway station to the stadium, for a cost of £1.50 return and is certainly an excellent and efficient service in both directions. The stadium has certainly been built in an open and remote location, adjacent to the A12 dual carriageway, with a somewhat bleak feel to it. I made my way into the North Stand of the stadium to take my place in the "Away end", and there's no denying that the stadium is impressive, whilst sensibly being built with a relatively small capacity considering the low attendances that Colchester attract - ensuring the stadium retains a close-knit and not empty feel to it. Three stands are almost identical in size, being single tiers with steep steps of seating ensuring excellent and close and unobstructed views of the action. The main (west) stand is slightly larger than the other three, incorporating corporate boxes. A feature of all of the stands - which are all independent of each other - is the partially transparent rooves to allow more daylight into the stands and onto the pitch. So, whilst this stadium has no real character or uniqueness, it is a very comfortable place to watch football. The 84 page programme was decent, with plenty to read and attractive on the eye.

For the home side, this was their first game since December 11th thanks to the snowy and icy conditions, but are quite handily placed in the league, just outside the promotion play-off positions in seventh place. Charlton were finally able to get some action on Wednesday at Brighton, and currently sit in third place in the league.

The match turned out to be a rip-roaring affair, which had just about everything. The break from playing action seemed to have done Colchester good, as they started the match with attacking, incisive football, with Charlton's defenders looking rather calamitous at times. It seemed like it would only be a matter of time before the home side took the lead, which they duly did on 16 minutes through Matt Heath's stooping powerful header from a corner. Within a couple of minutes, Charlton were level thanks to a penalty from Johnnie Jackson after a silly handball offence by Andy Bond. Just six minutes later and Colchester went back in front when Bond redeemed himself with a finely stuck shot from the 12 yards. Colchester were full value for their lead, but a potentially game changing moment came five minutes before the interval, when Paul Benson's powerful header was kept out by David Perkins' hand on the goal line - resulting in a penalty and a red card for the Colchester defender. Jackson converted his second penalty of the game by placing the ball low to the keeper's left - the opposite side to which he scored his first. So the two side went in level at 2-2, a scoreline Charlton would have surely been happy with, so poorly had they been playing. The second half was a much more even affair - as would have been expected with the previously superior team now a man short - but once again Colchester went into the lead on 64 minutes, when Anthony Wordsworth struck home through a body of players. After having a goal disallowed for offside, Paul Benson levelled matters for Charlton on 76 minutes with a wonderfully acrobatic finish. Benson thought he'd given Charlton the lead for the first time on 83 minutes when he nodded home a fine cross by Kyel Reid, however the goal was remarkably chalked off for an alleged push on the defender. Things got worse for Benson with a couple of minutes left, when he was sent off for a block tackle after the referee consulted with his linesman. Whilst I may be biased, it looked another poor decision. There was still time for Colchester to almost win it, but Matt Heath could only head straight at the keeper. So, the points were shared, a result that will probably satisfy both sides - Colchester after playing for 50 minutes with ten men, and Charlton after playing quite poorly.
 

Southend United 0 v 1 Charlton Athletic

Tuesday 9th November 2010
Johnstone’s Paint Trophy Southern Area Quarter Final
Roots Hall, Southend-on-Sea

Admission: £8.00

Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 4373
Match Rating: 2

There were several factors which motivated me into making the trip along the south Essex coast to Southend-on-Sea for this game. Charlton were playing and are currently in a run of good form, Southend had reduced ticket prices to a very sensible price of just £8.00 for adults for this Johnstone's Paint Trophy Southern Area Quarter Final, with regulations now in place to ensure that the majority of each team would comprise of first team players. I was also motivated to visit Roots Hall once more whilst I still could, an old-fashioned stadium that is very much living on borrowed time, with the club hoping to relocate to a new stadium in the near future and with Sainsbury's eager to take over the land to build a superstore on it. Having paid a deposit for the land and recently provided loans to Southend United to stave off administration, it is reasonable to imagine that Sainsbury’s do not consider the football club to be a charity and will become increasingly impatient to take over Roots Hall as soon as possible.

Roots Hall is located less than a ten minute walk from Prittlewell train station, and whilst it is rather small, close-knit and old-fashioned, it is all the better for it. Away fans are housed behind a goal in the north end of the stadium, and offers seating bolted on to what used to be terracing. Behind the other goal is the most modern stand in the ground, two tiered and I would imagine the top tier would offer excellent views of the action, being directly above the bottom tier and therefore very close to the pitch but with an elevated view. Along both lengths are old-fashioned stands. Obstructing pillars are present in every stand. The programme was adequate, obviously a reduced version of the normal publication with the cost reduced by a third from the normal price.

Charlton would certainly have been considered favourites going into this game, not only playing in a division above Southend, but also Charlton have hit some good form recently, winning three of their last four games since their humiliating 0-4 home defeat to Brighton, and have not conceded goal in their last three games, and are handily placed in 5th place in League 1. Southend, on the other hand, have only won one of their last five games, and find themselves in 16th place in League 2.

On a chilly, for the most part dry evening, the match turned out to be a rather disappointing affair, with precious few real goal scoring opportunities at either end. Charlton were certainly the better side in the first half, with Southend for the most part unable to get a real grip on the game, and on 28 minutes, Therry Racon scored what turned out to be the winning goal for Charlton with a wonderful goal that was out of keeping with the game. Making a tackle to prevent a Southend counter attack, Racon gained possession of the ball, moved forward a few paces before curling a lovely low shot past the keeper from 25 yards, with the aid of a deflection. In the second half, Southend were a far better team as they kept possession better and created some reasonable chances, forcing Charlton into ever more desperate clearances. Charlton also had half chances to extend their lead, but in the end, they held out for a win they just about deserved, despite Southend's improved second half performance.

Carlisle United 3 v 4 Charlton Athletic

Saturday 23rd October 2010
Football League One
Brunton Park, Carlisle
Admission: £19.00 (Away Fans)
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 5,624
Match Rating: 5

It has long been a desire of mine to visit Brunton Park, the most northerly Football League stadium in England, and just two weeks after visiting the southern and westernmost stadium at Plymouth Argyle, today I made it a reality. And as a Charlton fan...I couldn't have chosen a better day to make the long trip north!

Once again taking advantage of cheap train tickets by booking almost three months in advance, I was whisked from London Euston to Carlisle in three and a quarter hours, and as I usually like to do, I arrived several hours ahead of kick-off, allowing me ample time to visit Carlisle Castle and Cathedral, as well as the pleasant city centre, before embarking on the 20 minute walk to Brunton Park. The stadium is certainly of the old-fashioned variety, which is becoming an ever more pleasing experience in times of an ever increasing number of soulless identikit stadia in the Football League. Away fans are housed in a small end section of the one modern stand which has been constructed and which runs along one length of the pitch, which certainly offers excellent, unobstructed views and good legroom. A quirk of this stand is that it is not in sync with the pitch, with a fair part of the stand situated beyond the touchline - caused by an aborted plan to relocate the pitch in years gone by. Behind one of the goals is a shallow open terrace which also caters for visiting supporters when there is a large following - that's rarely likely to happen when Charlton visit, nor most other southern clubs. Behind the other goals is a covered terrace with a rather unusual roof, containing three triangles. Along the remaining length of the pitch is a fairly small main, old-fashioned seated stand, with additional stands attached either side, and with terracing beneath these three stands running the length of the pitch. A further unusual aspect of the ground are the floodlights, with individual scattered lights attached to the frame of pylons. The programme produced was an interesting concept. This season, Carlisle United have decided to produce a much slimmed down version at 20 pages, printed to a lower quality than is expected at Football League clubs, however only £1 is charged for it. The programme still contains all the essential information for the matchday in question, but without information that all but the committed home fans would be interested in, such as news of the other club's teams or community work. It will be very interesting to hear how successful this innovation is, whether fans respond positively to paying less for their much slimmed-down programme and whether other clubs follow Carlisle's lead.

Both teams had lost the previous weekend, Carlisle at Exeter, whereas Charlton were somewhat humiliated in being beaten 0-4 at home against league leaders Brighton, falling down to 14th in the process, although only three points away from the final play-off spot, which was occupied by Carlisle.

Inside the first minute, Carlisle really should have taken the lead, when Rob Elliott could only pat out a fairly tame long-distance shot, but Craig Curran could only blaze over the bar. Carlisle continued to slightly shade an even opening to the game, although what struck me was how remarkably quiet the Carlisle support was, which came as a major surprise. Charlton opened the scoring on 22 minutes, when Johnnie Jackson slid in at the far post after an excellent low cross by Scott Wagstaff. Charlton extended their lead to two on 38 minutes through Joe Anyinsah, on his return to Carlisle having left Brunton Park in the summer, with a good flicked finish following a corner. Carlisle looked a very average team in the first half, but would surely come out a revitalised team after the break, and Charlton fans are somewhat accustomed to throwing away games from good positions, particularly on their travels to the north of the country. The away fans were sent in fantasy land two minutes into the second half though, when Paul Benson was given all the time in the world to pick his spot in the bottom corner. Three points were surely Charlton's now, and Carlisle did little to suggest they would get back into the game, until they got a goal back on 58 minutes through Mike Grella with a simple far-post finish, and just three minutes later, Craig Curran pulled another goal back with a header from close range. The game had completely turned on its head by now, with wave after wave of Carlisle attacks with increasingly desperate defending from Charlton. It was only a matter of time before Carlisle completed a remarkable comeback, which they duly did on 77 minutes when a deflected cross hit the post and the rebound was bundled in by Gary Madine. Both sides seemed to settle the point after this, as Carlisle's pressure relented. However, deep into added on time, Charlton won a corner in an extremely rare second-half attack, and Paul Benson amazingly thundered home Simon Francis' corner  for his second of the game and ensure all three points would be heading back down the M6 to London. An incredible finish to a thrilling game to spare Charlton the ignominy of surrendering a three goal lead.

Video highlights of this game can be viewed by clicking here

Plymouth Argyle 2 v 2 Charlton Athletic

Saturday 9th October 2010
Football League One
Home Park, Plymouth
Admission: £20.00 (Away Fans)
Programme: £3.00
Attendance: 7,738
Match Rating: 4

 

For my first match of the season supporting Charlton Athletic on their travels, I headed down to the most southerly and westerly Football League club in England - Plymouth Argyle. It turned out to be a good choice on my part, with a pleasant trip down, an attractive seafront area to spend a couple of hours in ahead of the game, and a rip-roaring game that could have gone either way.

I planned to attend this game a couple of months previously and took advantage of cheap advance train tickets. This strategy could have backfired as Plymouth could have asked the Football League to postpone this fixture having three players away on international duty. However, their precarious financial situation persuaded them to play the game rather than risk a lower attendance midweek in deepest mid winter. The section of the train journey between Exeter and Newton Abbott was particularly pleasant, as the train passes right next to the sea for about 20 minutes around Dawlish, quite a spectacular experience to see waves crashing underneath the train as it passes by.

Home Park is located about a 20 minute walk from Plymouth train station, although as I arrived in Plymouth a few hours ahead of kick off, I headed in the opposite direction and into town, also about a 20 minute walk - which it has to be said is not pleasing on the eye, and then to the Plymouth Hoe and seafront area, which is a much nicer area to spend time in - even on a day that was misty and windy.After enjoying a pub lunch in the old town of Plymouth, I walked back to and past the train station, and through Central Park, where all manner of sports games take place, to Home Park. One continuous, single tier structure spans around three sides of the stadium, with away fans housed behind one of the goals, and the legroom and views - with no obstructing pillars - are excellent, as one would expect of a structure built in the last decade. The only side not to have been redeveloped in the last decade houses the old-fashioned main stand, which would appear to be the worst area to watch the action from, set some way back from the pitch (with an unused terrace area in front) and with plenty of obstructing pillars to get in the way.But it is always good and makes for an increasingly pleasant surprise to see old-fashioned grandstands still in place in the Football League. The programme would best be described as average - 68 pages containing everything you would expect from a Football League programme but without much remarkable apart from a curious comic book style font.

Going into this game, with ten games played so far, nine places - although just three points - separated the two teams.Curiously, Plymouth's home and Charlton's away records were identical - won one, drew one and lost three. Both teams have suffered from inconsistency and today's game promised to be a close affair. As for the game itself, Plymouth got off to a dream start, when an unmarked Bradley Wright-Phillips had all the time in the world to place his shot through a crowd of players from 6 yards out after the ball had skimmed off a Charlton defender's head from a long throw in. Plymouth were certainly the stronger the side for most of the first half, and it came as something of a surprise when Charlton got back on level terms on 34 minutes with a real route one goal - the Charlton keeper, Rob Elliott punted the ball upfield, and Paul Benson latched on to the ball and toe-poked it past the keeper, going in off the post. Plymouth might have considered themselves slightly unlucky to not have been leading at half time, but Charlton went on to completely dominate the second half with wave after wave of attacks, wingers Lee Martin and Kyel Reid particularly impressing, and Plymouth having to resort to increasingly illegal and dirty fouls. As so often happens in football, Charlton were made to pay for not taking one of their chances when Plymouth went back in front on 81 minutes. There was a clear foul on a Charlton player in the build-up to the goal which the referee somehow missed, but that shouldn't detract from a wonderful powerful drive across the keeper from 25 yards out by Yannick Bolasie. Unsurprisingly this seemed to knock the stuffing out of Charlton, however just as the fourth official was signalling how much injury time there was to play, Charlton scored their second equaliser, when Gary Doherty headed across goal and Paul Benson turned the ball in from 6 yards out for his second of the game. There the scoring ended with a mixture of feelings in both dressing rooms - Plymouth will surely be disappointed at only gaining a point when they led going into injury time, yet they really were battered in the second half and Charlton could justifiably also be disappointed at only taking a point back to south-east London.

Brief video highlights of this game can be viewed by clicking here