Charlton 2 (Wright-Phillips 50, Wagstaff 55) Notts County 4 (Judge 16, Forte 18,35,40).
Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.
A horror story of a first half condemned Charlton to a second successive home defeat, their spirited recovery after the break useful only in staving off complete humiliation. So solid and organised defensively throughout a triumphant season, they uncharacteristically fell apart as Notts County moved effortlessly into a four-goal lead, from which, despite a morale-restoring fightback, there was to be no return.
Thunderstruck gaffer Chris Powell cut briskly through the “ifs, buts and maybes” in his post-game analysis of the disaster, declaring that the first period capitulation “will live long in my memory as manager of this football club because it’s something rare in the game.” Containing his obvious anger, he confirmed that “stern words were a gimme at half-time- it wasn’t as if I was going to offer them a cup of tea. That’s not going to happen, not at all. The phrase “pretty poor” is an understatement.”
The self-destruction which stripped Powell of his usual sang-froid was started, it must be admitted, by a fine 16th minute strike. Wide midfielder Alan Judge posed no immediate threat when he turned sharply on to a loose ball outside the penalty area. Swiftly sizing up his options, however, the former Blackburn Rovers academy graduate plumped for a fine right-footed shot inside the left post, leaving Ben Hamer helpless to intervene. His devastating opener stirred recent memories of Anthony Wordsworth’s equally impressive goal for Colchester in midweek. Both unchallenged, different foot, different corner, same sickening effect on Charlton.
Two minutes later, Judge broke clear down the left, with right back Chris Solly lured out of position, to cross hard and low into the six-yard box, where Southampton loanee Jonathan Forte untidily scrambled home the Magpies’ second. Far and away the best defence in League One had been breached twice already. They were in for further shocks before facing their manager, without so much as a cuppa guaranteed.
Some order appeared to have been restored until Hamer and Matt Taylor indecisively converged on a hopeful ball forward, with Forte in optimistic pursuit. Taylor might have bashed it clear, Hamer should have shown more determination in taking charge of the awkward situation; defensive communciation was non-existent as Forte, without pausing to look into the gift horse’s mouth, resolved their Chuckle Brothers’ “to you…to me” dilemma by toe-ending into an empty net. The Addicks were careering heedlessly down the road to oblivion. Five minutes before the interval they pushed the pedal to the floor.
Creative playmaker Jeff Hughes had been at the heart of County’s smooth play, with an astute repertoire of short and long passing. Drifting into space on the right, his tailored cross left unmarked Forte the simple task of completing his hat-trick with a close range header. As he made purposefully for the dressing room, Powell clearly wasn’t intent on putting the kettle on.
Nothing had been seen of the Addicks during their first half implosion, apart from Johnnie Jackson’s point-blank overhead effort at keeper Stuart Nelson and a booking for Yann Kermorgant’s deliberate handling of Scott Wagstaff’s cross.They could hardly fail to improve on a woeful display, though 13th minute substitute Wagstaff’s badly ballooned shot from Dale Stephens’ careful cutback didn’t encourage immediate hope.
An early breakthrough was essential and Nelson’s wildly unnecessary slice for a left wing corner began the process. Stephens’ inswinging delivery was tipped out to the right touchline by Nelson, where it was retrieved by Michael Morrison, who set up Wagstaff’s instant cross. Wright-Phillips’ legitimate aerial challenge on the suddenly jumpy keeper kept the ball alive for the prolific scorer to claim his 19th goal of the season with an acrobatic overhead shot.
After another defensive mix-up, this one an impromptu bout of chest-tennis between Hamer and Morrison, was luckily resolved, a second goal hinted at a recovery of heroic proportions. Always an effective crosser of a ball, Wright-Phillips produced a right-wing beauty for a diving Wagstaff to bravely nod past Nelson at the near post, pausing only for a brief exchange of opinions with the irritated keeper before fleeing the scene.
Before the hour, Wright-Phillips broke momentarily clear on to Jackson’s flick but was hauled down by Damion Stewart in the penalty area. Referee Malone stood firm against desperate home appeals, as he did later when Kermorgant’s bicycle kick cannoned off a Magpie’s claw. A third goal would, of course, have made the situation interesting but Powell was having none of any referee-baiting. He knew that his side’s downfall was self-inflicted and not remotely a consequence of official incompetence.
Re-asserting their grip, bang-in-form County efficiently saw out modest pressure on their way to consolidating a play-off spot. Beaten but thankful not to be routed, it remains to be seen whether these back-to-back losses prove to be the start of a tailspin for Charlton. Neither the league title nor automatic promotion are certain but their lead at the top is still healthy. The going is suddenly tough. We’re about to find out how tough. And if the Addicks are tough enough to get going again.
Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Morrison, Taylor, Wiggins, Haynes (Wagstaff 13), Hollands, Stephens, Jackson, Kermorgant, Wright-Phillips. Not used: Sullivan, Cort, Russell, Clarke.
Notts County: Nelson, Freeman, Chilvers, Stewart, Sheehan, Judge (Burgess 82), J. Hughes, Mahon, Bishop, Harley (Bencherif 60), Forte (Demontagnac 82). Not used: Burch, Edwards.
Without doubt one of the most biased, ungracious match reports I have ever read in my life! Chris Powell’s post-match TV interview was bad enough but this really takes the biscuit!
So, Mr Nolan, Charlton had “a horror story of a first half”, they “uncharacteristically fell apart”, it was a “capitulation” and “the phrase ‘pretty poor’ is an understatement.” Indeed, they “self-destructed” and “careered “heedlessly down the road to oblivion” during their “first half implosion”.
I take it then, that Notts County are to be given no credit whatsoever for their 4-0 half-time lead? They didn’t play well or do anything to deserve their annihilation of the opposition? No, in fact they fell into their lead “effortlessly”, whilst Charlton handed them four goals on a plate, according to your report.
How nice it would have been if you had shown the good grace of some of the Charlton fans, who told us that they hadn’t seen such a fine display of passing football from an opposing team since their premiership days. Instead – like your grumpy manager – you had to put the whole thing down to Charlton’s shortcomings. A shocking report.
Notts Co fan.
You talk rubbish.
The report is very fair. Rob says that County played well. Is, “Creative playmaker Jeff Hughes had been at the heart of County’s smooth play, with an astute repertoire of short and long passing” not laudatory??
If a Charlton fan who has seen Charlton play every time this season says they were poor, can you not accept that they were??
The reason Rob uses the words you object to about Charlton’s abysmal effort on Saturday is that he has seen every game and knows that so far this season we’ve been having sides like yours for breakfast.
If you think goal number 3 was not handed to you on a plate, I suggest you look at the highlights again. That will be on a bloopers of the year programme, no problem.
The fact that you think you played so well is proof — if any were needed — that Charlton were, indeed, crap.
You are the one speaking rubbish my bad-loser of a friend.
Only a blinkered, biased Charlton fan would consider that travesty of a report to be anywhere near fair. Compare it, if you will, with the independent reports from news sites all over the internet, that give due credit to Notts, e.g. “Charlton were crushed by Notts County” (Sportlinglife.com) instead of blaming it all on Charlton’s “implosion” and “self-destruction”.
You say – somewhat perversely – that the fact I thought Notts played so well (only me? No – your fans I spoke to thought it, so did reporters on TV and radio and in the papers) is proof that Charlton were crap. Eh? Have you considered that it was the fact Notts played so well that MADE Charlton play crap? No – of course you haven’t – because it was all Charlton’s fault in your eyes. Notts just walked out on the pitch and Charlton gifted them four goals without Notts players having to break sweat.
Yes goal no. 3 was a helped by a mix-up between defender and goalie but Forte still gets some credit for making up the ground on them and deftly prodding the ball home. The other three goals were very well crafted and nicely finished moves.
Face facts – the best team on the day won. It wasn’t handed to us on a plate, we outplayed you and deservedly won through our own skill and effort. Why is it so hard to simply admit it, as we did when you outplayed us at Meadow Lane? We made no excuses, why must you? It’s just pathetic mate, to be honest.
Oi, Notts County fan, lighten up and sit on your brains. By the way, where was Lee Hughes on Saturday? Helping the police with their enquiries?
I’ll rise to the bait.
I am not saying that Notts County didn’t play well. They did.
But Charlton allowed them to, and that was what was abysmal about them.
Just look at the table. If you were allowed to stroll around the pitch and be gifted 25 percent of your goals each week perhaps you would be at the top.
But you aren’t.
Anf if Charlton allowed sides to play against them like you did, we would not be top.
But we are.
Hope you get to the play-offs as your recent run of form has been making me some wedge at the bookies.