Belatedly Joining In The Celebrations

I’m afraid first celebrations then painting and decorating (plus a drive back to Lyon from Givry) prevented any match report from me. But just in case there is any doubt, like every other Addick I was just bloody delighted (again). We went toe-to-toe with the team leading the league and didn’t allow them to play, leaving them looking like they had an off-day, and created a fair number of opportunities through good play of our own, taking two of them. The possession stats were, in this context, entirely irrelevant.

Nobody is in any doubt we merited the win on the day – and to their credit I’ve not seen any dissenting voice from a Plymouth fan or official. Plymouth manager Ryan Lowe’s assessment, according to the BBC, was that: “It wasn't for the lack of trying, we didn't have that cutting edge at the top end of the pitch. The turnovers were too quick and we knew what they would try to do and try to counter on us, and there was a bit of sloppy play on our behalf by individuals. But it's football, they're human beings and sometimes they're going to make mistakes. We weren't quite at our best while Charlton were." I’d only take issue with the idea that we were at our best; that is surely yet to come.

Within the well-deserved plaudits perhaps a note of perspective. On Saturday we scored at just the right times (glossing over the fact that one off someone’s backside in the 95th minute would have been fine), which gave the game the shape it adopted. At half-time for sure we had been the better side but there were concerns: first, we hadn’t scored; second, Plymouth would probably come out better in the second half; and third, they did have opportunities in a game of few clear-cut chances. We know the best teams win when not playing well and it wouldn’t have been a big surprise had Plymouth upped the tempo after the break and nicked the first goal, after which it would have been a real struggle to get something out of the game despite having played so well.

Instead, as the game was entering its final third, we scored the massively important first goal, curtesy of both an assured finish by Purrington but also poor defending. Three Plymouth defenders ended up jumping for the cross against one of us - and all missed it; and although Purrington did well to keep the ball down and hit it true, their keeper let it in under his body. Now in the first half we had got away with a couple of errors in defence, in the second I think just one. First, Pearce moved up, apparently to play offside, only for someone to his right not going with him, leaving the space in behind. It was exploited and only a fine save by MacGillivray kept the scoresheet blank. Second, Famewo, despite having a storming game overall, was caught out once which nearly cost us. Third, Jaiyesimi – also outstanding, especially in the first half – was running on empty and saw the ball played behind him to their guy, who was able to drill in a low cross that very nearly resulted in a goal (fortunately it didn’t get a touch from one of theirs and then Purrington was able to avoid putting it into his own net).

That goal understandably galvanised us, especially as it came just minutes after Pearce had been forced to leave the pitch injured, creating doubts about whether a defence containing a midfielder and a full-back in the central area would be able to cope, without Pearce’s leadership. We did look edgy at the back for a while and if the goal had not come then it is quite possible Plymouth would have grabbed the initiative.

Even so, as the clock ticked down we were facing the prospect of a final 10 minutes or so of really backs-to-the-wall stuff. A number of players had given their all (Davison and DJ were the ones taken off but it was a close call for others whose legs were giving out). Plymouth’s height advantage might have told from a set piece. Instead, just as we were girding our loins for the challenge, Lee goes and plays one of the balls of the season to pick out Washington in space. And he resembled Mendonca as he waited for their keeper to make a move then played it over him and into the net. It was an excellent finish. We get the lift again at just the right time, air taken out of their tyres (to the extent that we could easily have scored another couple).

I suppose the point is that yes, we undoubtedly deserved the win but also we got the breaks. That’s not going to happen every week. We have good reason to have faith in the resolve of this team now, given the way they fought for a point against Rotherham after going behind. But we can’t expect now to just breeze past opposition of lesser quality than Sunderland, Rotherham and Plymouth. The approach to the games of late has been spot-on and that simply has to be replicated if we are to extend the run and continue to climb the table.

Now for sure that’s not going to stop us noting that, although the gap to sixth is still nine points (and yes, Sunderland and MK Dons have played fewer), there are now ‘only’ six teams standing between us and a play-off spot. Successive away games against teams battling for their lives at the bottom up next, then a well-deserved break (not before, please).