Tough
result to take. On another day we could have won, if we’d taken the lead in the
second half, or taken a point. But nobody would say we were robbed. We know the
list of absentees and the gaps that were being filled; Addicks may have turned
up with their dancing shoes on but if we’d brought boots we had a fair chance
of getting a game. Even had the thought that Bowyer or Jackson might have been able
to do a job for us even now (and just imagine the impact on the crowd!). As it
was we tried to patch up, to make do, and to win the game. It was a good
effort, but on the day not enough against a rather ordinary but ultimately
efficient Sheffield Wednesday side.
Both
halves – and the game – turned on key moments within a minute or so at either
end. Having had much the better of the opening 15 mins, Wednesday had taken the
lead, all too easily. From an earlier corner their guy had been free to head
the ball into the net, only to be ruled offside, and when a pretty routine ball
came in from the left their guy was first to it ahead of Sarr to head home. It
was a goal that they didn’t have to work that hard to score.
That
wasn’t the turning point. Instead about 10 minutes later Wednesday missed an
absolute sitter. Another ball in was won by them and Philipps made a good save,
only for the ball to run loose to their guy, a few yards out and with the goal
at his mercy. There was one of ours on the line but he somehow he managed to
put it over the bar. Some let-off. And pretty much from that we got the ball
wide left and Doughty pushed it past his marker and won the race, squared it,
and with the help of a deflection and the post Bonne managed to convert.
Somehow from being a whisker away from two down we were level.
That
was pretty much the first half. We did have a free kick just outside the area,
with the lively Oztumer brought down. But what looked like a training ground
routine ended with a rather lame shot wide. At the other end Wednesday had a one-on-one
well blocked by Philipps and generally threatened without creating many
chances.
At
the break I remember thinking that if I was the Wednesday manager I’d be pretty
furious with my team. They were stronger, more cohesive, had the better chances,
but weren’t ahead. Charlton get some credit for that as there was no shortage
of hard work, but aside from Oztumer the creativity to fashion opportunities seemed
to be missing.
Perhaps
they did get a rollocking during the break as Wednesday started the second half
seemingly in determined fashion, making one substitution. Only a superb save
from Philipps, leaping to his right to turn around a shot, kept us level. But
we were still in the game, by now Vennings was on for Morgan, and there was
cause for optimism as Leko seemed to have the beating of his man. As the clock
ticked down you had the feeling that if we could nick one from somewhere, to
have something to hold on to, we could win the game.
Wasn’t
to be as we had the second and what proved decisive set of events in short
succession. This time all eyes were on the referee. From a set piece Addicks
were up in arms as Lockyer seemed to be wrestled to the ground. Looked like one
of those that are sometimes given, sometimes not. This ref was unmoved. And
shortly after he was called on again to make a decision as their guy went
across the box and went to ground. A neutral might say he was tripped by Oztumer,
quite frankly it was too far away to be confident whether it was a foul and
whether it was inside the box. The referee took an age but eventually gave the
penalty, which was dispatched.
A
possibly tiring Oztumer was soon replaced by Davison but through the final 10
minutes or so we huffed and puffed but failed to make their keeper work.
Wednesday were by now more intent on holding what they had, but did manage to
rub salt into the wounds with a third well into stoppage time. To say we were
stretched was an understatement and with numbers to spare it was crossed from
the left and an unmarked guy headed home. It was their second goal that decided
the game, that just gave a scoreline that flattered Wednesday.
We
knew it was going to be tough, for obvious reasons. And we’ve lost another
because we’ve again not kept a clean sheet. But there are no real conclusions
to be drawn, the squad is too threadbare at the moment – learnt after the game
that Purrington came down sick and Morgan was unwell - and nobody’s going to
either complaining or worrying yet.
Player
Ratings:
Philipps: 9/10. No chance with any of the goals and
Wednesday would have been out of sight but for his saves.
Matthews: 7/10. No
complaints, didn’t see a lot going forward but it wasn’t the sort of game for
anything cavalier.
Doughty: 7/10. Slotted in it seems as a late
replacement for Purrington, his piece of invention was responsible for our goal.
Lockyer: 7/10. Effective, calm. Only downside is that
we’re not keeping clean sheets.
Sarr: 6/10. Perhaps harsh but he was beaten too
easily to the ball for their first goal.
Oshilaja: 6/10. Put in a shift but can’t remember him
doing much of note, aside from a decent shot over the bar.
Pratley: 7/10.
Not an easy game for him as we were lacking drive in a decimated
midfield.
Morgan: 6/10.
Can’t remember moments of note but seems he wasn’t 100% and substituted
early in the second half.
Oztumer: 8/10. Everything positive from us came
through him. Sure, he’ll get knocked off the ball and not everything comes off.
But he looks to make things happen, obliging Wednesday to take him out too often.
Leko: 7/10. Especially in the second half seemed to
have the potential to win the game for us. Just didn’t quite happen.
Bonne: 7/10. Took his goal well enough and on
another day that would be enough. But found it tough in the physical contest
against their centre-backs.
Subs: Vennings (6/10 – looked lively at times, not
an easy game to get into); Davison (6/10 – only on for the last 10 minutes or
so).
