Charlton moved up to third, but for the bulk it was a very frustrating evening. We totally dominated the first 30 minutes, Narridge hardly touched the ball. Yet throughout that period we seemed to be stuck in third gear. Everything is neat, pretty and efficient, but it lacks that oomph, the desire to really say we're going to try and hurt you. Only one who looked likely to try and break the gameline was Varney, who on two or three times got the ball wide left in the box, and cut in with intent. Last fifteen mins of the first half, Narridge worked their way back in to it, through more a case of starting to look more frail defensively than them upping the anti. Just before half time Weaver pulled off a top draw point blank save.
Second half was largely much the same, we looked the better side by far without doing any real damage, Narridge never really threatened but increased their possession halfway through. Looked like they were very happy to play for a draw. Varney tired and replaced with McLeod. That's what changed the game. Mcleod showed pace and strength, a ball chipped over his right shoulder into the box saw him running out of room towards the byline when the Narridge defender made a needless foul. Convinced it was a pen, and a stupid and unecessary challenge to make. Second one Mcleod's confidence was up, cut in from the left between two defenders and got tripped. Dubious in my book, either outside or very clever on his part, but i'd feel a bit aggrieved if i was on the other side. Reid finished with comfortably with both, both struck well to the keepers left.
Overall, both full backs were solid doing little wrong, but nothing shining either. Weaver was there when it mattered. Fortune and Bougy done OK, kept a clean sheet, but didn't win enough arial ball for me and i'm still to be convinced.
In midfield, Samedo and ZZ were largely neat and tidy, Reid is developing a habit of doing one great ball / one poor ball in a 50/50 ratio. All our creativity comes through him, but i equally think he has an impact on us playing at a more laboured tempo. Sam was lively, without fully punishing them, but was encouraging none the less. Up top Varney looked good. Busy, quick and looking to be direct with the ball. Got fed a few times in the first half down the left channel by Reid and looked dangerous. Ilewumo does the unglamourous job, works hard but possibly could of won a few more flick ons and never seemed to be dangerously positioned in the box.
Ref Monty had a very good game for the bulk of it. Iet it flow but pulled up when need to be. Towards the end of the game seemed to lose his control a bit when Narridge were getting frustrated. not fully convinced on the second pen.
Narridge - big disappointment for me. Very poor team who appeared to have little attacking intent and seemed to be playing for a draw. Excellent travelling support, around 2000. Not the most vocal we'll get, but great numbers for a midweek with clearly a struggling side.
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Comments
I didn't see anything Mills did to provoke such a clear targetting, did anyone ?
So pleased the guy got sent off !
Agree that we almost seem to be too "neat and tidy" at times and need to be a bit more incisive in and around the box - and bleedin shoot some more!!!
The second was borderline on the edge of the box, but we'll take that.
Fuggin hate that lary yellow colour too.
My MOM was Sam. I thought he was a threat throughout the game and really went for it. It was nice to see a big-hearted performance by a winger rather than then short-change crap we have had from the likes of Thomas.
As for Mcleod, well his pace up against some tired legs absolutely frightened Narrige to death and turned the game decisively in our favour.
As for Danny Mills, his was a rugged performance, typical of him. He is one serious wind up merchant and probably did catch Huckerby with his elbow, although Iwelumo got flattened with an elbow before the pens, so Narridge were dishing it out as well. He appeared to be remonstrating with the ref not to book Huckerby when he got fouled by him. I like him for his way. Imagine Thatcher and him as our full backs. The only worry is which one is going to get sent of first.
One final thought crossed my mind as the Narridge fans drifted away after the second pen. Its was a long way back to Norwich after a watching a crap performance by their team. I can testify that it definitely is a long way back to Norwich (I got back at 1.00am). You notice it much less though when you've won!!!!
Up the Addicks.
Hopefully Bing, the deserved applause he got when being subbed will give his confidence a boost.
Varney and Iweleleleeumo looked good.
I like Sam, he tries to make things happen and works hard but I wish his crossing was better.
I though ZZ had a quiet game and I wasn't sure where he was playing. 2nd half he seemed to drop a bit deeper but first half he was getting in the box and wasn't building the play. The ball seemed to be passed around him.
Danny Mills is nasty but he's our nasty. Gave as good as he got. You don't get the attacking ability of Yassin but you get a lot of bite. Magic and Fortune both looked better individually and as a pair than anything we've seen so far this season and Chris Powell was Chris Powell.
I thought Norwich were a decent side who when they wanted to played some good football but they settled for a draw very early and as we have seen all season we can score late in games.
"And now you're gonna believe us....."
Disagree there, thought he played some very clever balls and was always in control at the back last night his pace meant he had them in the pocket for most of the match. Although he did have a couple rash clearances i think he is head and shoulders above our other C.backs
Where was Gibbs?
Sorry, it's going stale now.....
;o)
Imagine if he had and missed.
Different if we'd already been 3-0 up with 2 mins on the clock.
If Izzy had taken it and missed, it would have given Norwich great belief they could still get something from the match - and might have then snatched a last gasp goal themselves.
1-1 wouldn't have looked very clever.
I thought we played some superb football especially in the first twenty minutes or so. It's very difficult to raise your attacking tempo in the final third, when the opposition put so may men behind the ball. The midfield three whilst not perfect for the 90, as there were a few wastefull and slow balls, reminded me of the trio that served us so well in the Premiership before it went tits up, (Kish, Smertin and murphy)
The only main thing driving me mental last night was the constant panic shown by the crowd. Naarwich only managed to get near our box a couple of times in the first half and all around me were screaming and shitting themselves. I accept that we haven't exactly been rock solid so far, but this stuff filters down to the players. I don't think it's any coincidence that Magic, Fortune and others, seem to be much more relaxed in the second half away from the Covered End.
Thought Sam was outstanding, his final ball in the first half was sometimes wastefull, but he wasn't alone there and as stated before when there are so many yellow shirts in front of you it's hard to be incisive. In the second half he seemed to be all over the park and they couldn't get near him. My MOM and a well deserved standing ovation.
Varney looked sharp and I was pleased that he isn't afraid to have a crack at goal, but obviously him and Iwelumo need to get an understanding of each others positioning if they are to form a potent strike force.
Huckerby, Dublin and Docherty deserved all they got. Huckerby was trying to wind up Mills in the first half and got short changed. It carried on in the second and from where I was it looked like Mills caught one in the face. Niggles continued until that Huckerby lunge, so it was only a matter of time before Mills sought retrobution, which I am sure was the intention of a poor Naarwich side from minute one.
Dublin's flying fore arm smash on Big Chris should have brought a penalty and at the very least a yellow card, but it was ignored, so again after a bit of a niggle with Mills, Dublin cuffed him across the head, what did he expect was going to happen??? And it's not exactly the first time old Dion's done that.
Docherty was lucky he's nothing but a lumbering no talent cart horse, because if Sam hadn't escaped that lunge, we would now be discussing the possible end of a promising career. Reckless and brutal and deserved a red for intent. The penalty against him was justice in my book.
Good to see Mcloed ripping them apart when he came on and it bodes well for the future, maybe it could have been sooner as we had started to lump balls up to Iwelumo as ideas understandably began to run out near the end.
Now the Ref, I thought he was awful, especially at the end. He started well enough, but lost it completely as things got hotter, not helped of course by his inept colleagues on the sidelines. How they mssed that Dublin challenge in the box, I don't know. If he had booked Huckerby early on and possibly Mills when they squared up in the first half, then it might not have escalated to where it did.
Docherty was allowed to get away with every foul in the book and after that lunge he didn't even get spoken to. Our first pen was soft, but I am convinced it was given as a result of them missing Dublin's challenge. The second was well outside the box and not even debatable in my book. Mills should not have been able to talk the Ref out of giving a red card. If the Ref thought the tackle deserved it, then he should have got it, rightly or wrongly. There were also some spectacularly bad decisions on the direction of throw ins, especially in the second half.
Sorry Monty, but you're not ready for the Premiership yet.
He seems to be really nervous at the start of games. Maybe he's so keen to keep his place. In the second half he was much more assured.
I agree about ZZ, it was his worst performance of the season by his standards. I wonder whether he was affected by missing an open goal in the first half? (Or the second half according to an extremely sloppy report today in the Mirror!!)
I thought that we were about 70% of what we could achieve once the understanding/confidence really gels. This is good news.