Saturday 31 December 2011

Year ends on sour note

The year ended on a sour note for Charlton as the 10 man Addicks lost 1-0 away to Leyton Orient.
Charlton made a lively start at the Matchroom Stadium, Brisbane Road reports Paul May.   The returning Jackson started in place of Ephraim who is unwell.    The O’s seemed to be using a diamond system with David Mooney at the top.

But then disaster struck with Hamer being shown a red card for coming out of his area and handling the ball.  Wagstaff had to make way for John Sullivan in the 7th minute.   Lee Cook floated his free kick in and the header from Jimmy Smith was not far wide.   Charlton switched to a 4-3-2 with a narrow three in midfield.

The frantic pace of the match continued.    Charlton won the first corner of the game after 15 minutes.    Orient were able to clear.

Orient won their first corner.   Wiggins defended well from the corner.   Orient put in a shot from distance which went just over.   Mooney tried to turn provider for Lisbie but the ball went into the arms of Sullivan.

A shot was charged down by Hollands.   Lisbie put in a good ball but Dawson couldn’t control it.   Former Charlton midfielder Spring put in a left foot strike which took a deflection off Taylor to sail over the head of Sullivan to put the O’s ahead on 26 minutes.

Dawson turned provider for Smith who put it wide of the far post.   Charlton were chasing the game.

Sullivan failed to come for the ball and caused all sorts of problem.   Taylor had to rescue the situation at the expense of a corner from which the ball had to be cleared off the line.  The O’s won another corner and the ball had to put over the bar.    The next corner was cleared into touch.  The O’s kept up the pressure.    Eventually Charlton won a goal kick.

Wiggins put in a good tackle on Lisbie.   The O’s conceded a corner under pressure from Wiggins.    Orient broke from Jackson’s corner.  

Lisbie went down in the area and appealed for a penalty but the referee was well up with play.  Charlton won a free kick 35 yards out.   Jackson’s effort was accurate but lacked sufficient power to trouble Butcher in the Orient goal.

Three minutes were added on.   Spring put in a good cross, but Smith was caught offside as he put the ball in the bottom corner.

Half time: O’s 1 Addicks 0

Charlton started brightly.   Solly defended well as Mooney threatened.    A shot went in from the corner but Wiggins blocked well on the line. 

Smith put in a shot that was deflected for a corner.   Jackson made a good defensive header.   Wiggins put in an opportunistic shot that went over the bar.

Russell advanced well and put in a decent ball in but Orient were able to defend it.

Charlton won a corner, but Jackson’s effort was defended.   Morrison was shown a yellow card for a foul while the assistant referee collided with Orient skipper Dawson.  Bradley Wright-Phillips, who had not been at his best, was taken off and replaced by Bradley Pritchard.

Mooney got round Taylor but Solly intercepted well to deny a goal scoring opportunity to Lisbie.   Mooney had a free shot on goal having got round the defender but, what a surprise, he put it wide.

Mooney shot but Sullivan made a good save by tipping the ball round the post to give the O’s their seventh corner of the game.   Mooney fired wide but the flag was up anyway.   The 3103 Orient fans in the crowd of 5097 became excited nevertheless.

The nearly 2000 Addickted launched into a rousing chorus of Valley Floyd Road.    Mooney was taken off and took his time. 

Orient won another corner which led to a second.   The Addicks were able to break.   Butcher punched away from Wiggins.   The ball took a deflection off Wiggins for the O’s tenth corner of the game, but it was unproductive.

Dean Cox came on for Orient in place of Cook.   Johnnie Jackson was taken off and replaced by Hayes.   Wiggins got the better of Smith but Solly put the ball well over the crossbar.   An effort from Wiggins was cleared off the line.

Three minutes were added on.    A shot from Cox was blocked by Taylor at the expense of a corner.  Solly worked well on the right but Morrison’s effort was poor.

Charlton experienced their second defeat of the season.   I thought that the quality of our passing was not always good and that we gave up possession too easily.   Our lead has been cut to four points.   We now need to pick ourselves up for Monday's game against Brentford.

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