Yokel Oh No!

    Oh No!

That was my instant reaction as Sam Sodje was sent for an early bath, after what was deemed a professional foul on Ryan Mason.

Independent reports would seem to agree that the referee really didn't have any option but to send him off.

The game still had over an hour to go.

David Mooney, who was playing up front, was sacrificed in order to bring on the replacement defensive specialisms of Miguel Llera.

If we could hang on until half time, I really fancied our chances with the wind behind us in the second half.

Unfortunately, according to the commentary, Yeovil's Obika scored a goal 'from nothing' with only minutes of the first period remaining.
All goals count in equal amounts, whatever the build up play but it did seem to be a bullet from nowhere.

The rain and wind were so strong, at times I could hear it through the microphones used down there in Somerset. It really was an absolute stinker.
 I tried hard to empathise with those 1700 (plus) hardy Addicks who made the trip as I sat in the warmth, nursing a coffee with a plate of bourbons next to me!

Akpo Sodje came on for Therry Racon after the break.

The second half was all Charlton pressure. The wind was acting as the eleventh man the Addicks were missing.

 The game became a tale of two Sodjes when Akpo sent the ball into the top right hand corner, from over 30 yards out.
Game on.

Despite the Yeovil woodwork being dirtied and the home keeper Alex McCarthy having to make countless saves, Charlton just couldn't find a way through a determined Yeovil defence.

A point away from home is a good return, especially when down to 10 men.
However, I feel Parky and his team will feel that this was most definitely 2 points dropped rather than 1 point gained, when they mull over their tremendous second half performance.

We will be without one of our 'Charlton Brothers' for the visit of Bristol Rovers on Tuesday.
It is a pity as Sam Sodje's aerial threat from set pieces is becoming a potent weapon for us.

Casual Rating.
The Lacoste polo shirt is being awarded to a new hero with a familiar name, Akpo Sodje.
He had already put the ball in the Yeovil net, (after play had been stopped), before his equaliser- (surely this week to be known as an Edward Woodward memorial goal?)
More useful than a polo is a Peter Storm rain mac which is now awarded to every one of the Charlton supporters who braved the elements, reportedly 40mph winds and horizontal rain.
I salute you.
I'm awarding myself the dreaded Primark novelty slogan tee shirt for sitting in comfort while others suffered.
I'll wear it with shame tomorrow.

See you on Tuesday for more of this rollercoaster ride in League one!

It's Yeovil Away

Unfortunately I won't be heading South West tomorrow.

This was one of the 'Away Days' I was most looking forward to but circumstances changed and I guess it will be the CAFC player service for me, if I'm lucky.

So, I'm feeling a little flat while trying to get my thoughts in order about our fixture in Somerset.

After last weeks surprise hammering of Franchise, Parky will not want to rock the boat too much with regards to personnel. Only Richardson is unlikely to feature from the previous starting line up and that is through injury.

Another battling performance will be called for, against a team who will surely be seeing us as one of the 'big boys'.
If Bailey gets to play in the middle and Mooney carries on making intelligent runs to draw the defenders I'm confident of 3 points.

For those of you lucky enough to be leaving London tomorrow, here's something to help you acclimatise, along with some local casual fashion tips so you can blend in seamlessly.

Come On You Reds!

The Hand of Frog.

I've always admired Thierry Henry.

He seemed an honorable kind of player when he was frequently interviewed on MOTD, while at Arsenal.
He has an easy charm that mixes perfectly with his fantastic skills.

Unfortunately, his name will now be linked, alongside the disgraced Diego Maradona, as a World Cup handball cheater.

It was all very cruel on the Oirish. They deserved better.

So, a huge BOOOO to Thierry Henry and the French team.

I hope they lose every game in South Africa.

Spanners Doomed to Failure

Earlier this evening I popped into Asda in Charlton to pick up the usual midweek essentials.

As my basket was nearly empty, I lined up in the queue for self scanning behind a couple of bullet headed likely lads.

I listened in as they discussed the possibility of getting their box of Carling lager, (yuck), out of the store without scanning it but I really became interested when they started discussing the imminent 'away' at Charlton.

It would seem that both of my fellow shoppers were friendly Millwall supporters who knew they are unlikely to get any of the 'legitimate' tickets in the Jimmy Seed stand on December 19th.

Apparently, a cunning plan had been hatched over the Summer, when many Millwall supporters realised they would be in the same division as us for the first time since 1996.

The plan was simple beyond measure.
 Charlton Red Cards were applied for, in the hope of being eligible to purchase tickets in home sections of the ground.

The happy shoppers may have been pushing it but one of them said that 'at least 100' Millwall fans had planned ahead and used this technique.

The lager drinkers were clearly unimpressed due to hearing earlier in the day that their plan had been a complete waste of time.

They had heard that unless they could show a purchase history, from our time in the Championship, they weren't going to be allowed a ticket for the Millwall game.

This plan by Charlton Athletic is I quote, "Well out of order".
Unlucky eh?    
     Arf !

Charlton 5 (FIVE), MK Dons 1.

What a game eh?

Despite the Dons going ahead through a well taken, wind assisted lob from Aaron Wilbraham after only 10 minutes, the Addicks cruised to victory this afternoon.

The Dons were only ahead for 2 minutes.
Had they been able to hang on to their lead for longer, the final result might have been different but as soon as David Mooney scored, the Reds started to play with belief.

Nicky Bailey could have had 3 or 4 goals today. It was his 20th minute race into the box to head the ball over the line that finished off a sublime piece of skill from Lloyd Sam.
At 2-1 to Charlton, the Dons never looked out of it and the swirling wind was making any pass longer than 5 metres rather a lottery as to where it would finish up.

Perhaps the turning point of the game was after the whistle had blown for half time.
Paul Ince went yack yacking to the ref, complaining about some unknown injustice, (an unawarded penalty?) and really seemed to lose his cool.
His own players saw it, the Charlton players saw it so they knew he was rattled and more importantly, the referee subsequently gave the Dons very few decisions that he really didn't have to.

In the second period, MK Dons defended as if they had their famous concrete cows as a rear guard.
They were appalling!
Without a word of a lie, they were lucky to keep Charlton to scoring only 5. A score of double figures would have been spectacular but not particularly flattering.

Lloyd Sam set off the party atmosphere when he tucked away Charlton's third. Despite the lime green boots, he managed to shimmy his way past the static defenders before finding the far corner of the goal.

Goal four settled the nerves of even the most pessimistic Charlton supporters.

I knew that Sam Sodje was going to score as Crispy flagged it with another of his famous predictions.
"Straight onto Sodje's head" he proclaimed prior to the ball swinging in from the corner.
As Sodje thundered his powerful header into the net, we laughed as well as cheered.

Goal five was Deon Burton's last contribution before being substituted. He took his chance well and deserved a rest after running tirelessly all afternoon.

The final minutes of the game were played out with Basey on for the injured Richardson, McKenzie on for Burton and Akpo Sodje on in place of the impressive David Mooney.
There were more goals available but rather late in the day, the Dons keeper seemed to start having a rather charmed life.

We didn't care.

For the first time in a very long time, we completely hammered a team who had arrived at the Valley as favourites.
Our slump had sent a spiral of despair around Charlton suppporters. The win today was just the response that was needed.

My only regret is that our best and most enjoyed result of the season so far, has come against a team that many football supporters refuse to acknowledge as even existing!

Casual Rating
The Lacoste polo shirt is being awarded jointly to Phil Parkinson and every Charlton player who pulled on the shirt today.
It was completely gloom town in SE7 this last week. The management and players deserve every credit for pulling the rabbit out of the hat, just at the right moment.
The Primark novelty slogan tee shirt is awarded to former Charlton target Jason Puncheon for his appalling challenge in injury time.
It wasn't needed and smacked of red mist because his team was losing.
 It did however, set off a highly enjoyable girly handbags fight, likened by Crispy to the Hugh Grant and Colin Firth slapfest in the Bridget Jones movie!
A special mention must go to the MK Dons support. It was clear that this was one of their 'big' games and they more than tripled their usual traveling numbers.
Even at 5-1 down, they stayed loyal to their team and mostly didn't take the opportunity to climb onto an early train home.

Sodje, and you.

With only a few hours until kick off against Franchise, it would seem that our general apathy up front might be about to receive a kick up the bum.

Sam Sodje is just my kind of Charlton player. He is Greenwich raised and what he lacks in natural ability he more than makes up for in grit, determination and genuine pride in the shirt.

The kit man is now going to have to start ironing on extra initials due to Sam's brother, Akpo, arriving on loan this morning.

Good luck Akpo and welcome, (as long as you share your brother's qualities).

Franchise

It's home to Franchise FC tomorrow.

I've always been quite scathing of the situation up there in Buckinghamshire.

I have no problem with the good people of Milton Keynes wanting to have their own football team but riding on the coat tails of Wimbledon FC, (and taking over their league status), really struck me as wrong.

If I'm honest, I'd never really delved any deeper than that. It was fairly black and white as far as I was concerned and I felt I was 'right on' enough to know my position was on the 'correct' side, supporting the honest football supporter and football in general.

I'd say that I still feel MK Dons in their current state, should not have been allowed by the F.A. but after reading New York Addick's excellent piece, I found myself questioning my own position.

It's not quite so black and white after all.

Supporting a club like the Dons must be strange.
There's no history and no precedent for anything at all.
How refreshing to be able to completely bypass all those dull and boring cocks on 'Your Views', who precede their ill informed and badly written missives with how many years they have been following the club. If anyone dares disagree with them, they automatically revert to the position of  "where were you when the Valley needed weeding?" etc etc.
It's all very tiresome and not really necessary.

MK Dons fans can decide who their rivals are. They didn't have tooled up firms indulging in away match scuffles in the 70's and 80's. There won't have been high octane needle matches, now lost in the mists of time to inform their judgement. Much of their support will have been at every game since their inception. They can pick a rival that means something, rather than a geographical lumping together or the fact that someone dislikes you, so let's all dislike them.

A 'new' club in a 'new' stadium gives everyone a chance to climb on board at the same time.
Apparently, they have done wonders in the local community and are well thought of by local schools and voluntary groups.

All this faint praise doesn't mean I don't want to beat the Dons of course.
We need to regroup and get some points on the board after a torrid week.

We need to stick one to them, if only for being sold a pup in the form of Izale McLeod.
Of course, we can't blame them for Pardew managing to outbid absolutely no one else to table a ludicrous amount for McLeod's 'services'. However, it would feel good to know that we've actually got something out of them.
(I'm still to be completely convinced by Hatman Llera).

The Dons are flying at the moment.
We are stuttering.

I hope, after our very disappointing road trips, home advantage may change our fortunes.

As 'Northern Pete' used  to scream into the mic, let's "GET BEHIND THE ADDICKS!"