Saturday 11 February 2023

Cod Army catch three points

It was four wins out of five for Charlton and four out of five league losses for Fleetwood and the visitors came out on top at The Valley this afternoon with a 2-1 win.  It was a tough watch for those there. Charlton were left with defensive worries for their midweek outing to Nailsworth after Inniss added to his red card collection (three this season) and other defenders were injured.

Charlton remain 12th, although there are four teams on 37 points.

Miles Leaburn was out with a slight knock for the game against Fleetwood, but Chuks Aneke featured on the bench.

Charlton started brightly, pinning Fleetwood back.   Dobson had to defend well to block a cross as the visitors advanced.

Fleetwood's experienced left back Andrew went down injured and had to be substituted by Rooney who is usually a right back.

Fraser put in a good cross, but Fleetwood cleared well.  

Charlton were keeping the ball well, but needed to get more bodies into the final third.   Fleetwood were dropping quite deep.   Patterson defended well against Blackett-Taylor and got the ball back to his keeper.

Charlton were looking strong on their left and won a corner, but it was unproductive.   A Charlton free kick was defended by Stockley with a header.   Fleetwood changed their formation after substitute Rooney got a yellow card.   He moved to right wing-back as the visitors went to a back three.

Stockley put the ball over the bar into the Covered End on 22 minutes after receiving a good cross with pace from Rooney.   A Stockley header then went wide.

A good cross came in from Blackett-Taylor, but it was ultimately unproductive.  

Fleetwood go ahead

Rooney had a free hit and beat Maynard-Brewer diving to his left to make it 0-1 on 27 minutes.    The keeper had little chance, although he did get quite close.   No one closed the ball down allowing Rooney time and space.   There was no reaction from the midfield.   Steve Brown said that we were out of shape for the goal.  Maynard-Brewer would be disappointed.   Curbs said he should taken it.  He was a young goalie on a learning curve.

Charlton were playing as they did early in the season with a lot of possession but no runs in behind.   (59-41 first half). They were a little bit fragile and cautious.

Fleetwood then played some good football and Charlton struggled to get the ball and out of their own half.  Kilkenny tried to push forward.   The crowd was flat.

Dobson managed to put in a shot on target after an opening on the right involving Clare and Rak-Sakyi.

Five minutes were added on.   Charlton had a chance, but Fraser's effort went over the bar after good defending.  The corner was taken short and eventually ended in a goal kick.

Rak-Sakyi scored a brilliant individual goal with his left foot after a good ball inside by Clare.  Rak-Sakyi drifted inside his marker and jinked from right to left.   Rak-Sakyi took the ball under control well and had a split second look at the goal.   He salvaged quite a poor first half.

Steve Brown said it was a really disappointing first half from us, it only got better in the last five minutes.  We weren't performing well.

Curbs that most of the passes were going backward and square.   We saw hardly any forward passes.  Rak-Sakyi just slipped inside his full back.

Steve Brown said that Bonne needed to get into the game.  Fraser needed to get into space a bit more.  Curbs said that Bonne was not messing up the centre halves, that was the difference between him and Miles.  Leaburn managed to send the centre halves one way and then go the other.

HT: Addicks 1, Cod Army 1

Penney had to receive treatment after a challenge from Robertson.  

Maynard-Brewer had to palm away a shot from Patterson.   It was a free header from the corner and Fleetwood took the lead back through Holgate who had acres of space.   It was one off the training ground.

Fleetwood took Mendes Gomes off and reorganised their defence.

It was scrappy from Charlton.  Fraser advanced, but made the wrong decision in the final third. 

Fraser put in a good ball to Blackett-Taylor, but he was fairly challenged and the move ended in a goal kick.   Maynard-Brewer gathered a shot from Marriott.

Clare needed some treatment for an impact injury.  He had to go off - he had start the half brightly.  Sessegnon came on in his place.

Charlton had some good momentum in a move, but there was no end product.   Penney received a yellow card.

Fleetwood made another two changes with Stockley coming off.    Aneke came on as Charlton switched to 4-4-2.  

Aneke put in a shot on target.  

Aneke and Inniss went down after Rak-Sakyi put the ball over from his right foot following a free kick. There was blood on Innis's head and hand.   He had to change his shirt.

Aneke got past two but didn't have the finishing touch.  There was not enough power to trouble Lynch in the Fleetwood goal.

Inniss gave away a free kick just outside the box with a reckless challenge.   The referee took advice and gave a red card.  Whether it was a clear goal scoring opportunity was open to question and the fans chanted 'You're not fit to referee.'   Campbell came on for the injured Penney.

The free kick took a huge deflection off the wall and Bonne got it away for a Fleetwood corner.  Maynard-Brewer defended well, but had to receive treatment for a potential concussion.

Twelve minutes were added on.   Maynard-Brewer had to make a save after Ness defended well. 

Hayes shot but Ness cleared off the line for Charlton.   

Charlton had not done enough to get an equaliser.  

The pundits: 'flat as a pancake'

Steve Brown said that Fleetwood weren't a fantastic side, but they did enough.   Curbs said we couldn't break them down in the first half.   Steve Brown said we never get going, it was very one dimensional at times, devoid of imagination.   We were no threat today, we looked tame.  We had a whole week to prepare and we had come out as flat as a pancake.  

Curbs said we had played the safety ball.  Their second goal was a poor goal to concede.   Bonne had found it difficult, he was making no headway, we weren't managing to go and support him.   We've had two centre halves go.   Steve Brown said that Hector and Thomas hadn't played any football.

The pundits suggested there could be an appeal against the red card.

Steve Brown said that Aneke backed in well and was strong.  He always caused defensive problems.  He didn't get a good connection on the shot.  He gives us a dimension we don't otherwise have.















1 comment:

  1. With the injuries to Clare and Penney and the ban coming for Inniss our new slimmed down squad is really going to come into it's own.

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