Not our best performance all told, but we did enough and were comfortable in the end.
Blackburn had chances in the first half, with Sophie Whitehouse having to rush out of her goal to smother a 1-on-1 and make a diving save to her right to tip a goal-bound effort round the post. In between we went 1-0 up after the ball fell to Gracie Pearse from a corner and she poked it in, and our second was a tremendous free kick from Jodie Hutton.
We had several chances in the second half to really put the game to bed, including 1-on-1s for Ellie Brazil and Katie Bradley and a Mary Bashford effort from the edge of the box that came off the underside of the bar, before Kayleigh Barton finally did get our third with a nice low finish across the keeper. With the game won we switched off a bit and let Blackburn pull one back after the ball fell to one of their players in the box, but there were no real alarms and it finished 3-1.
We still need to improve our decision-making, both in the final third and further back at times, with Mel Filis and Katie Bradley guilty on a few occasions. But the back line was solid, even after Elisha N'Dow went off at the break, and our pressing game was good enough to stop Blackburn playing it out from the back. And there was a nice cameo from Gloria Siber, whose clever header set Barton away to score the third.
What sort of crowds are the women getting at the Valley this season, I çannot find the attendançes?
I attended the player to manager event at The Valley last Sunday in The Fans Bar overlooking the pitch. There was still about 20 mins left (including added time) of the Charlton women's game when a good hundred or so people had entered the bar/lounge.
I didn't see one person looking out the windows to watch the game. I looked out and it looked to me like there were a maximum of about 200 there including about 20 away fans from something like London City Lionesses.
Decent result and 3 points. Shame we missed so many chances and the opportunity to really boost the goal difference.
Interested to know if N'Dow was injured. Emma Bissell moving to right wing back left us a bit exposed down that side a couple of times in the second half. Overall though I thought we did okay, and with more clinical finishing or a better final ball we could have scored 6 or 7. Also thought Blackburn were very poor.
The coach with the tablet really needs to learn to be briefer so that the subs get on the pitch sooner.
Still not sure why Bashford always seems to be the first sub. Mel Fillis had another poor game.
Barton came on for N'Dow at half time. Seemed an odd substitution so I assume she was injured. Don't think it was announced in the stadium.
Of course you are right. I think N'Dow was unwell. She changed her shirt for no apparent reason and took some tablets with water. It was announced as the players came out.
I should have said first game changer.
Two centre halves on the bench. One used with 6 minutes to go. Barton for Fillis would have been better.
What sort of crowds are the women getting at the Valley this season, I çannot find the attendançes?
They are no longer on the match reports on the clubs website
They should be. Usually around 400 for the games. There were more for the LCL game but there is no segregation so impossible to be sure of the away crowd.
The attendance for the London City Lionesses game was announced over the tannoy - over 1000 if I remember right. Most games they haven't announced. I looked around the West Stand just before half time and reckoned about 400, although it's very hard to tell when everyone's sat in the same stand.
Hard to get many more in without promotion you’d think. Would be interesting to see how many people would go if the club did a weekend where you got a free women’s ticket if you bought a men’s ticket/have a season ticket
The attendance for the London City Lionesses game was announced over the tannoy - over 1000 if I remember right. Most games they haven't announced. I looked around the West Stand just before half time and reckoned about 400, although it's very hard to tell when everyone's sat in the same stand.
As you say the fans were all sitting in one block behind the home dug out and it was about half full, so I'd say 400.
Hard to get many more in without promotion you’d think. Would be interesting to see how many people would go if the club did a weekend where you got a free women’s ticket if you bought a men’s ticket/have a season ticket
I also reckon they may get a increase in attendance if so many of the women`s home games did not coincide with the men`s home games on a Saturday. The few women`s games I have been to this season have been when the men`s team has been away.
Yup, would put us 2 points off Birmingham, with us hosting them.
Charlton games: Bristol Away Birmingham Home Sunderland Away Newcastle Home Southampton Away
LCL games: Blackburn Home Sheffield Home Newcastle Away Southampton Away Durham Home Birmingham Away
Birmingham games: Southampton Home Charlton Away Durham Home Newcastle Away LCL Home
We'd have to win all 5 really, that puts us on 43 points. If we do that, maximum Birmingham could get is 44 points (win all games apart from losing to us) LCL can get up to 47 points, so the ideal scenario is they lose their game in hand, and lose to Birmingham, leaving them on 41 points maximum, we win every game, and Birmingham draw or lose somewhere along the way. Not impossible, but highly improbable.
Definitely have to win all 5 I think. Newcastle away is probably our best hope of them dropping points, other than the game they're playing against each other. Although Newcastle are down in 7th if they won their 2 games in hand they'd only be 3 points behind Birmingham.
Definitely have to win all 5 I think. Newcastle away is probably our best hope of them dropping points, other than the game they're playing against each other. Although Newcastle are down in 7th if they won their 2 games in hand they'd only be 3 points behind Birmingham.
Durham also have a chance to take points off both, they're still right behind us
16 Mar: Bristol City, away, 2pm. At Ashton Gate. £12.25 adult, £10.25 over-65, £10.25 under-22, £7 under-19, £5 under-12. Tickets from here. 23 Mar: Birmingham, home, 2pm. At the Valley. £10 adult, £7 over-65, £6 under-25, £5 under-18. 30 Mar: Sunderland away, 2pm. At Eppleton Colliery welfare ground. Not on sale yet. Tickets from here. 6 Apr: international week. England play Belgium at Ashton Gate on 4/4 and away on 8/4. Both sold out for England fans. 13 Apr: week off 20 Apr: Newcastle United, home, 2pm. At the Valley. £10 adult, £7 over-65, £6 under-25, £5 under-18.
Sunderland tickets aren't on sale yet, but from their website I suspect they'll be £12 adults, £6 under-16, probably available online in the days before the game but also available at the gate on the day.
Comments
Blackburn had chances in the first half, with Sophie Whitehouse having to rush out of her goal to smother a 1-on-1 and make a diving save to her right to tip a goal-bound effort round the post. In between we went 1-0 up after the ball fell to Gracie Pearse from a corner and she poked it in, and our second was a tremendous free kick from Jodie Hutton.
We had several chances in the second half to really put the game to bed, including 1-on-1s for Ellie Brazil and Katie Bradley and a Mary Bashford effort from the edge of the box that came off the underside of the bar, before Kayleigh Barton finally did get our third with a nice low finish across the keeper. With the game won we switched off a bit and let Blackburn pull one back after the ball fell to one of their players in the box, but there were no real alarms and it finished 3-1.
We still need to improve our decision-making, both in the final third and further back at times, with Mel Filis and Katie Bradley guilty on a few occasions. But the back line was solid, even after Elisha N'Dow went off at the break, and our pressing game was good enough to stop Blackburn playing it out from the back. And there was a nice cameo from Gloria Siber, whose clever header set Barton away to score the third.
Bristol City away next Sunday.
Still not sure why Bashford always seems to be the first sub. Mel Fillis had another poor game.
There was still about 20 mins left (including added time) of the Charlton women's game when a good hundred or so people had entered the bar/lounge.
I didn't see one person looking out the windows to watch the game.
I looked out and it looked to me like there were a maximum of about 200 there including about 20 away fans from something like London City Lionesses.
Interested to know if N'Dow was injured. Emma Bissell moving to right wing back left us a bit exposed down that side a couple of times in the second half. Overall though I thought we did okay, and with more clinical finishing or a better final ball we could have scored 6 or 7. Also thought Blackburn were very poor.
I should have said first game changer.
Two centre halves on the bench. One used with 6 minutes to go. Barton for Fillis would have been better.
Charlton games:
Bristol Away
Birmingham Home
Sunderland Away
Newcastle Home
Southampton Away
LCL games:
Blackburn Home
Sheffield Home
Newcastle Away
Southampton Away
Durham Home
Birmingham Away
Birmingham games:
Southampton Home
Charlton Away
Durham Home
Newcastle Away
LCL Home
We'd have to win all 5 really, that puts us on 43 points. If we do that, maximum Birmingham could get is 44 points (win all games apart from losing to us) LCL can get up to 47 points, so the ideal scenario is they lose their game in hand, and lose to Birmingham, leaving them on 41 points maximum, we win every game, and Birmingham draw or lose somewhere along the way. Not impossible, but highly improbable.
Blackburn did have a couple of chances in the first half, but from about 30 mins onwards I didn't feel there was much danger.
That first half was t-shirt weather too, which made for a lovely afternoon watch.
23 Mar: Birmingham, home, 2pm. At the Valley. £10 adult, £7 over-65, £6 under-25, £5 under-18.
30 Mar: Sunderland away, 2pm. At Eppleton Colliery welfare ground. Not on sale yet. Tickets from here.
6 Apr: international week. England play Belgium at Ashton Gate on 4/4 and away on 8/4. Both sold out for England fans.
13 Apr: week off
20 Apr: Newcastle United, home, 2pm. At the Valley. £10 adult, £7 over-65, £6 under-25, £5 under-18.
Sunderland tickets aren't on sale yet, but from their website I suspect they'll be £12 adults, £6 under-16, probably available online in the days before the game but also available at the gate on the day.
Suspect Jess Gray will want a move.