F A Cup 1st Round: Northwich Victoria (0) 1 (Riley 81) Charlton Athletic (0) 0 Att: 2153
Northwich: 1 Aspden, 2 Aspin, 3 Brown, 4 Bailey, 5 Kerr, 6 Herring, 7 D'Laryea, 8 O'Connor, 9 Newby (Edwards 90+5), 10 Allan (Winter 87), 11 Elam (Riley 76)
Substitutes:13 Spencer, 15 Vaughan, 12 Riley, 14 Winter, 17 Cadwallader, 16 Edwards, 18 Richards
Charlton: 25 Randolph, 3 Youga, 18 S Sodje, 31 Omozusi, 35 Dailly, 4 Bailey, 6 Semedo (Wagstaff 85), 7 Shelvey (Burton 68), 8 Racon, 11 Sam,15 McLeod (McKenzie 68)
Substitutes: 32 Binks, 5 Llera, 12 Basey, 16 Wagstaff, 14 Spring, 9 McKenzie, 10 Burton
Ref: Webb
Wayne Riley struck nine minutes from time to earn Northwich Victoria a shock victory over League One Charlton and a place in the FA Cup second round.
Riley, 18, had been on the field for five minutes when Michael O'Connor's header put him clear and he coolly slipped the ball past Darren Randolph.
Randolph had seemingly done enough to earn the Addicks a replay with a fine save from a first-half O'Connor header.
The Vics had the first chance after six minutes when Ian Herring's long throw was flicked on by Matt Bailey, but there was no-one on hand to convert the chance.
And they wasted a golden opportunity after 26 minutes when they failed to convert a number of chances in a frantic goalmouth scramble, which was eventually halted by Randolph.
The visitors were indebted to Randolph three minutes before the interval with his brilliant reaction save from O'Connor's header.
Charlton had the first strike at goal after the break when Jonjo Shelvey fired straight at Curtis Aspden on 55 minutes.
But the second half came to life after the arrival of Riley, with the teenager making no mistake after O'Connor's good work to send the home fans wild.
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Comments
So glad I never went. Shame I watched it on the telly though.
Didn't McLeod put in a shocking challenge ?
I know - I was there. Should have had Burton starting with a 4-4-2 or even a 4-3-3 and dominate a non-league team. Gave them too much respect & never got into the game. About the lowest I think I've seen us sink to........even beating the League cup qtr final home game in our relegated Prem season.
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Standing at the Crossroads
The circus vehicle named ‘Charlton in cup football’ choked and spluttered to yet another spectacular halt on Sunday.
Underperformance in cups has been something of a growing trend in recent years, but where lower league fans once rejoiced in singing ‘Premier League, you’re having a laugh’, the humiliation is now further compounded by fans of part-time clubs accurate assessment of ‘Football League, you’re having a laugh’. Where this trend could lead to in a few years time does not bear thinking about.
As many have expressed, it was not the outcome of the tie, settled by a part-time barman, that brought such disappointment, but the manner of the defeat, whilst painfully broadcast to the viewing nation.
Lets be clear; Charlton were not out-muscled on a bog of a pitch in testing conditions. They were deservedly beaten, out-fought by a team with more desire, and in equal measure, outplayed for the bulk of the game. Given we were heralded by many as ‘the best footballing side in League One’ just weeks ago, that last observation sets off worrying concerns.
The result has magnified discontent amongst supporters, and a growing belief that all is not well amid the Charlton camp. A side that dominated others with verve and swagger in August and September, now appears drained of both confidence and spirited attitude just two months on. This was not a one-off performance, but a decline that has been steadily coming to the surface in the last ten games.
So what has gone wrong ?
The issue of a talented squad underperforming is not one that has suddenly emerged in the past few weeks, but an undercurrent that has dogged our club since our relegation from the Premiership. Where it is generally hoped that player performances improve with match fitness, bar the opening of this season, is seems an emerging trend that individual performances decline under the weight of regular football. Without the ability to hold a 3-month break between fixtures, it is hard from recent history to confidently predict that some players will quickly return to form.
The ironic thing has been that the noticeable changes that have emerged in the last few weeks have been defensive disruption in losing Elliot and Richardson, who have both performed consistently well. But it is in front of our back five where our problems appear to lie.
Strong performers at the start of the season, our midfield has gone from being the cog that set us above others, to individuals that now appear to be going through the motions. Not one individual in front of our front five has put in a noteworthy, meaningful performance in the past two months.
Bailey as a left midfielder was a successful experiment when he was recording goals and attacking his full-back, but both these factions have appeared to dry up, and he know appears a square in a round hole, and growingly ill at ease with it in the process. A side needs more from a captain.
The style and grace that Racon exuded at the start of the season also appears to have evapourated. He now appears a ‘bits and bobs’ player in the Semedo mould, but without the tenaciousness.
Sam appears to have reverted back to the inconsistency and lack of end product that ha dogged his Charlton career, and that we thought he had overcome following an impressive start to this campaign.
That midfield system worked fantastic when the players played with confidence and opposition allowed us to play. Neither are happening now, and attacking-wise we appear devoid of ideas.
Up front, the balance has been wrong all season. Our original pairing of Burton with Shelvey as the ‘split striker’ worked well when Burton was a man-possessed, covering the ground and leaping for two people, with good service from wide areas, while Shelvey was busy inter-changing with the midfield. But this lad is not a striker, and if he is not felt good enough to be playing centre midfield then he should not be playing. Similarly, Burton cannot perform his role to the best of his ability whilst carrying a knock, and his hernia operation should have happened weeks ago.
Chris Dickson was sent on loan to a rival because he did not fit into the above system, we were told. The minute his car hit the M4, we revered back to two strikers, which he does fit into. I am convinced Dickson is not the messiah some make him out to be, but I am equally convinced that from all the strikers on our books, he is the one most likely to hit the net, and the other imperfections in his game could be easily masked in a striking pair. The decision to send him, and not recall him, is increasingly looking like a personal rather than professional one. No evidence of a whispered poor attitude appears to have emerged from either Bristol or previously Gillingham.
Instead of Dickson, Parkinson favoured McLeod, and for one reason or another, it just hasn’t worked out for this lad at Charlton. His movement is good, but his link play is as equally suspect as Dickson, and his striking ability appears well masked. He is yet another player you know who needs a move and will probably impress elsewhere. But it is becoming abundantly clear that it isn’t going to happen here, and his stupid, reckless elbow on Sunday was a thuggish act that you have to be a much better player than Izale McLeod to get away with in the eyes of the supporters. Leon McKenzie now appears our final striking hope, but given his injury record the hope should be highlighted as there is little conviction behind it.
So what should we do ?
The say the next game can’t come quick enough after a poor performance, but I’m concerned that the next two games are coming too quick for us to meaningfully take stock of where we are, and attempt the road to correction.
Has the manager screwed things up, or have the players failed their manager ? I’m sure there is a bit of both in the mix, but the over-riding feeling for me is that once the whistle is blown, some players are not playing to the fullness of their ability, and a manager can shout, scream, cajole, cuddle and rollock to the cows come home, the player has got to want it.
Parkinson though has to take a good look at the attacking elements of his squad. He can’t be blamed for many things, but he can be blamed for forming a squad that has so little balance on the left-hand side, and with so little effective, striking forwards.
Our season is now standing at crossroads and will go two ways off the back of this dismal run:
Last season Leeds were unconvincing and were knocked out the FA Cup in December by non-league Histon. Since then they have found their formula and gone from strength to strength.
Eleven years ago, Millwall started League One strongly after their relegation from the Championship. They were then knocked out the FA Cup by non-league Woking, and began sliding down the table, before the club fell into administration. Eleven years on, they remain in League One.
Which way are we going to go ?
Only the fullness of time will prove whether this was an embarrassing blip, or a necessary wake up call. It would be wrong to dismiss the disappointment of Sunday’s result, but it will equally be wrong to overplay it. All sides lose their way at some stage of a season, and it is the reaction that really proves their worth.
The right response, and attitude that was evident to bring us from a goal behind to beat Leyton Orient is what is required now. Despite our squad being unbalanced, it does contain a number of individuals who should be outperforming at this level, and it is down to them and the manager to find the attitude and system that makes this happen.
Supporters are likely to be less forgiving than we have seen in the past if further deterioration emerges.
That team should've run ring around them and McLeod should've been sent off for an elbow as soon as the whistle went for the start of the second half. It wasn't a fluke win either, they were by far the better team.
That must have been a horrible journey back for those who went.
http://forum.charltonlife.com/discussion/30163/charlton-v-northwich-match-thread
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TRYING TO PLAY OFFSIDE YOU DISGRACEFUL PLAYER"
I got the club coach back as well which made the journey home even more enjoyable...
I guess they understood after 90 minutes of Charlton Cup football!