Charlton continued their impressive progress in the Championship with another 4 points from games against Peterborough and Millwall this week. The Addicks still sit in the bottom half of the table, but they have now gone 6 games without tasting defeat. While survival remains the main goal for Powell’s men, the fans are certainly enjoying the upturn in form that has put sizable breathing space between them and the drop zone.
Tuesday night saw one of their less convincing performances against the club propping up the rest of the division. For large portions of the game, Peterborough’s attractive style of play dominated the home side, but it was a little bit of Premier League quality that broke the deadlock. Ricardo Fuller spun his man, slamming the ball into the top corner from 25 yards, sending the Covered End into raptures. The joy was short lived, as Fuller immediately went to ground injured, but his work for the night was complete.
Yann Kermorgant had finally tasted first-team football again as a substitute against Huddersfield, but his return from injury was complete as he started on Tuesday night. He marked the occasion with one of the easiest goals he’ll have to score, sliding in to guide the ball the right side of the post from less than a yard. The fan’s favourite was given a standing ovation as he left the pitch, and his status at the club continues to grow.
Saturday saw the Addicks make the short journey across the capital to their south-east London rivals Millwall. The in-form Lions have worked their way into the playoff places, but had to settle for a point as the game finished 0-0.
Millwall dominated the game, with more shots on target and more possession, but they lacked that clinical finish that in previous weeks has seen them rise up the league. For Charlton, Hulse replaced Fuller alongside Kermorgant, and probably had Charlton’s best chance, a volley that flashed wide. On a day that saw three derbies in the capital, it’s fair to suggest that the game at the New Den wasn’t the highlight. Last time the sides met for league fixtures, they played out a thrilling 4-4 draw at the Valley, before Millwall smashed Charlton 4-0 at home, so perhaps a goalless draw was always on the cards at some point. Bragging rights between the teams will have to wait until the return fixture in March.
It seems fair to donate a large portion of this weeks piece to the player who has won the hearts of Charlton’s fans; Yann Kermorgant. Signed last season by Powell, people were only really aware of him for missing a penalty in the playoffs for Leicester. It was that penalty, and the backlash that followed, that saw him out of favour at the club. Luckily for Charlton fans, Powell had seen enough during his spell with the foxes to decide it was worth a try. After Leicester sent him on loan to Arles-Avignon, he was told on his return that he was surplus to requirements. Whilst some see his treatment by Leicester as despicable, Kermorgant has moved on, and is flourishing in Powell’s improving Charlton team.
Kermorgant’s gameplay is the main reason behind his success at Charlton. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and never gives up on any challenge, pass or run. It’s very rare that he gets through 90 minutes without some sort of bandage or scar from the game. His first goal in the Championship came against his old employers Leicester. It was the goal fans had been dreaming of in the run-up to the game, and judging by his celebration (raising a finger to his lips to ‘shh’ the Leicester fans) Yann himself may have dreamed about it to.
An unfortunate injury has seen him miss a large portion of the season, but his return to a side where he averages a goal every three games comes at a time when the Addicks are beginning to sneak their way up the league. The fact that he has been put straight into the first-team is testament to his dedication and passion, and with a contract until 2014, the fans can continue to see their French talisman light up ‘la vallée’!
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