Fine margins as the commentator said. Taylor nearly scores to make it 3-0 and then donny score a shite goal. Annoyed by that but we still were the top team by miles. No doubt we'll get the job done at the Valley on Friday. We better bloody make the final because I've already taken the day off work
Would have brought Williams on for Parker to at least keep some attacking shape to us.
I'd have been happy with a draw before the game so should be delighted with a win, but that late goal is just really really annoying. At least it might stop any complacency on Friday
A few twitchy moments but overall in full control, although both Lyle and Joe said they felt Donny had the better of the early exchanges. A rocking Valley should see us through, but I don't think anyone should count chickens yet (unless of course you own some and need to check whether they are all there everyday!!). If we can play like we did in the last few home games then we make the final, but lets hope that complacency is not allowed to rear its ugly head, and that will be down to LB and JJ.
Great performance while we had 2 up front. Predictably poor with 1 up front. I hate how we go into 'shit mode' when we're winning - it means only one team is likely to score. BUT, the good outweighed the bad and we will surely finish the job!
Yeah thought Pratley was brought on too early. Morgan wasn't as brilliant today as he has been but Pratley really slows momentum. Felt the same about the Pearce substitution. But it seemed Parker was struggling and it was basically bring on Pearce or a midfielder. The early substitution of Morgan kind of forced Bowyer's hand (given we don't have a striker on the bench). So we invited them on to us for half an hour and they got one back.
Still, good result. Very good result. Never really had to get out of third gear. We are capable of much better but we did the job away from home. Friday night will be rocking.
Hope Parker hasn't picked up anything serious. He's not the best footballer on the planet but provides a very good foil for Taylor and had a goal wrongfully chalked off.
Re Parker’s “goal”. I have to disagree, he clearly pulled their guy back.
In the pub having finished my bottle of Prosecco. Slightly tipsy (surprise!) and need to calm down before wending my way home. The pub handed round a quiz with pics of past and present Brighton, Liverpool, Citee, and Wolves players. Could I give a toss? Lee Bowyer’s Red and White Army
Decent result. We look so much better than the last two or three seasons. We've improved massively under Bowyer. And our fans sound amazing, too!
That said, I was relieved we kept the lead in the end. We must be careful as it's only a one-goal lead as you see from the recent CL semi-finals that anything can happen! I'll have to get up at 2.45am to watch the home leg match and fingers crossed it'll be worth it.
As the away side you have to be happy with a 1st leg lead. A shame to concede late after being comfortable but this team seems to have far more steel in them than previous years and no lack if quality either. If we play to our strengths and without fear on Friday we should be ok.
Lots of talk about the flukey Donny goal but ours could be considered the same: the keeper accidentally keeping the ball in play for the first and a very poor effort from the same keeper for the second.
But I'm not complaining. Scrappy second haf as we seemed to be content with the lead we had, yet we still had chances even sitting back. I really couldn't see Donny scoring despite them havong more of the ball. I was wrong!
After last week's ridiculous European results I wouldn't have bought a flight ticket even if we'd wom 3-0. At 2-1 I'll be taking a tentative look at Skyscanner!
Enjoyable afternoon and crowd's support generally excellent. We rarely played at our best but some lovely skill at times from Aribo and Cullen. Taylor was literally wrestled to the ground several times by their defender but ref gave nothing. Think I saw him pull Marquis' ponytail in frustration! Parker really put himself about.
Sat back too deep towards the end and while their goal was flukey, it was coming.
Thought the Pratley sub came a touch early, but Bowyer seems very conscious of not burning out Albie, and the way he played first half we can expect to see him start at the Valley and in the final if we get there. Pratley did well when he came on though.
As with every other time we’ve played it, we looked far less effective with one up front. Is Reeco injured? I’d have him on the bench if he isn’t.
Overall though we were the better side and just one deflected cross away from a perfect away leg.
Never in doubt, controlled the game for most of the time. Shame about the freak goal at the end but that’ll make Friday so much better, I want to see a cup tie not a kick about.
Sod that. 5-0 kick-about with no chance of an injury before Wembley any day of the week.
I said I would be happy with a 0-1 win, so 1-2 is almost as good. I thought the team played well and was in control most of the game, until the last 15 minutes or so. They got a lucky deflection, but so did we. I am still confident and will be happy for a 1-0 win on Friday, but would prefer more goals from us. I hope those that needed the match day thread was able to keep up with the game.
Away goals don’t count double so they only need to nick a 1-0 win to take to extra time. However I expect us to take the game to them and try to put them out of sight with a goal.
Pretty scrappy overall - having watched two amazing Champions League matches in the week, League One is like a different sport quality wise.
Great performance while we had 2 up front. Predictably poor with 1 up front. I hate how we go into 'shit mode' when we're winning - it means only one team is likely to score. BUT, the good outweighed the bad and we will surely finish the job!
Yeah thought Pratley was brought on too early. Morgan wasn't as brilliant today as he has been but Pratley really slows momentum. Felt the same about the Pearce substitution. But it seemed Parker was struggling and it was basically bring on Pearce or a midfielder. The early substitution of Morgan kind of forced Bowyer's hand (given we don't have a striker on the bench). So we invited them on to us for half an hour and they got one back.
Still, good result. Very good result. Never really had to get out of third gear. We are capable of much better but we did the job away from home. Friday night will be rocking.
Hope Parker hasn't picked up anything serious. He's not the best footballer on the planet but provides a very good foil for Taylor and had a goal wrongfully chalked off.
Re Parker’s “goal”. I have to disagree, he clearly pulled their guy back.
Thought their player did as much, if not more, pulling as Parker did!
But yeah one of those that is always going to go against the attacker.
Decent result. We look so much better than the last two or three seasons. We've improved massively under Bowyer. And our fans sound amazing, too!
That said, I was relieved we kept the lead in the end. We must be careful as it's only a one-goal lead as you see from the recent CL semi-finals that anything can happen! I'll have to get up at 2.45am to watch the home leg match and fingers crossed it'll be worth it.
@jessieaddick if we make it to Wembley, can you get over here? I’m pretty sure there’ll be no shortage of people willing to put you up so you’d only need to get your flight together.
This was a play off semi final not a team waiting to have its belly tickled. Superb result and with the lack of another striker, I understand Bowyers thinking. Game on.
Sat in the beefeater garden with a couple of pints. I am knackered, feel like I just played 90 minutes myself.
Should have won that 3 or 4 nil, wouldn't be Charlton if we didn't make it slightly harder for ourselves. I'll watch the game tomorrow again but the Parker foul looked harsh and Cullen should of had a pen or been booked for diving.
Pratley did well when he came on, Pearce is scary trying to play it out from the back.
Good thing this form of communication is all written because my voice is shot. First and foremost probably the best away atmosphere I’ve ever been in. We didn’t stop singing from kick off to full time. Absolute scenes getting 2 goals in quick succession and hats off to everyone who could, answer Bowyer’s call to come up and cheer the team on.
As for for the game. They started well and I was initially surprised to see us set up with a back 5, but in Bowyer I trust and imagine it threw them a bit. Just before we scored they had a couple of chances, the free kick hitting the bar. However, from the moment we scored I thought we were superb. Appreciate a lot of people are questioning so many defensive substitutions, but for me Bowyer got it spot on. We played like a very good Italian team in the second half, akin to snuffing oxygen out of a fire. I don’t really think Donny had many other ideas other than going direct. Fair play to them for getting a goal back, but that was a massive deflection and it happens. Anyone else but Cullen heading that ball and we’d have had our third, as he just wasn’t tall enough to generate the required power. Aribo’s cross going agonisingly over Taylor’s head was frustrating as well, but I have every faith Bowyer will respond accordingly and know how to focus the team for the home tie.
I can’t see us setting up like that at home and I actually think we need to go for it like we did Rochdale. Completely different opponent of course and although Donny are obviously a good team and have done well to finish 6th, I think we can take it up a gear on Friday.
Ref was poor. Booking Bauer and not their two for similar type fouls in the second half was annoying.
Felt Purrington did okay against their winger who caused him problems. Bauer marked that twat Marquis well. Donny go very direct and we’ve beaten better teams at home than them this season. We need to be on our game again on Friday
Baffled at the end by some Donny fans leaving before full time. They’d just pulled a goal back and could’ve been in the ascendancy. That’s what I’m most pleased about. The team over the last few years would’ve probably gone on to concede an equaliser, not Bowyer’s. The way we kept that ball in the corner at the end showed the mentality, showed what we’re all about. We get everyone behind that team now on Friday, they’ve earned our support and let’s see us get to Wembley
Disappointed we conceded that late goal, when we looked in almost total control, but it means we have to turn up on Friday. I think at two nil we might have attempted to coast through the second leg.
Pratley got lots of tackles in this time at least, but he really isn't the right man for our shape - far too slow and negative. Even if he plays ok - as he did today - he isn't so good for the team imo - he may get a tackle in, but the ball's coming back five seconds later.
The worst substitution was going 1 up front though
To be fair, we don’t have a reserve striker. I do agree, possibly for the first time ever with you, that we are much better with 2 up front, even if one of them is Parker
Comments
I'd have been happy with a draw before the game so should be delighted with a win, but that late goal is just really really annoying. At least it might stop any complacency on Friday
well done the team and the fans
That said, I was relieved we kept the lead in the end. We must be careful as it's only a one-goal lead as you see from the recent CL semi-finals that anything can happen! I'll have to get up at 2.45am to watch the home leg match and fingers crossed it'll be worth it.
Sat back too deep towards the end and while their goal was flukey, it was coming.
Keeps us all on our toes for Friday.
Now just to get out of this gridlocked car park!!
That aside, agree about Marquis. You can take the boy out of Smallwall...
As with every other time we’ve played it, we looked far less effective with one up front. Is Reeco injured? I’d have him on the bench if he isn’t.
Overall though we were the better side and just one deflected cross away from a perfect away leg.
MOTM Joe Now-You-See-It-Now-You-Don’t Aribo.
Pretty scrappy overall - having watched two amazing Champions League matches in the week, League One is like a different sport quality wise.
Would've taken that all day before the game.
But yeah one of those that is always going to go against the attacker.
Superb result and with the lack of another striker, I understand Bowyers thinking.
Game on.
Should have won that 3 or 4 nil, wouldn't be Charlton if we didn't make it slightly harder for ourselves. I'll watch the game tomorrow again but the Parker foul looked harsh and Cullen should of had a pen or been booked for diving.
Pratley did well when he came on, Pearce is scary trying to play it out from the back.
Views from Matty Blair who got the assist for Doncaster's goal
As for for the game. They started well and I was initially surprised to see us set up with a back 5, but in Bowyer I trust and imagine it threw them a bit. Just before we scored they had a couple of chances, the free kick hitting the bar. However, from the moment we scored I thought we were superb. Appreciate a lot of people are questioning so many defensive substitutions, but for me Bowyer got it spot on. We played like a very good Italian team in the second half, akin to snuffing oxygen out of a fire. I don’t really think Donny had many other ideas other than going direct. Fair play to them for getting a goal back, but that was a massive deflection and it happens. Anyone else but Cullen heading that ball and we’d have had our third, as he just wasn’t tall enough to generate the required power. Aribo’s cross going agonisingly over Taylor’s head was frustrating as well, but I have every faith Bowyer will respond accordingly and know how to focus the team for the home tie.
I can’t see us setting up like that at home and I actually think we need to go for it like we did Rochdale. Completely different opponent of course and although Donny are obviously a good team and have done well to finish 6th, I think we can take it up a gear on Friday.
Ref was poor. Booking Bauer and not their two for similar type fouls in the second half was annoying.
Felt Purrington did okay against their winger who caused him problems. Bauer marked that twat Marquis well. Donny go very direct and we’ve beaten better teams at home than them this season. We need to be on our game again on Friday
Baffled at the end by some Donny fans leaving before full time. They’d just pulled a goal back and could’ve been in the ascendancy. That’s what I’m most pleased about. The team over the last few years would’ve probably gone on to concede an equaliser, not Bowyer’s. The way we kept that ball in the corner at the end showed the mentality, showed what we’re all about. We get everyone behind that team now on Friday, they’ve earned our support and let’s see us get to Wembley