Phew, and the worst thing is that I've had to endure the whole evening completely sober! Got home at midnight, the first beer went down very quickly
I have to say, Donny were by far the better team tonight, McCann got his tactics completely right, their attackers were constantly finding space. The intensity of their pressing got to us as well, plus to me I think some of the players were slightly overwhelmed by the occasion. Sarr had a bit of a mare - no idea why he was asked to take a penalty as he can't have been in a good place mentally - Bielik was too casual at times, Aribo and Taylor were ineffective, Morgan was anonymous before being taken off etc
Pratley was my MoM, as we desperately needed his experience and cynicism out there, we needed someone to play ugly football, to harry and block. He capped it with a goal
Dijksteel was decent too, correctly when Solly came on, he stayed on the pitch. Bowyer has a tough choice for Wembley, as it's not just about picking the best technical footballers, but those to match up to the opposition, and who can cope with the pressure.
"how we get there I don't know" Drained after that. We were pants; terrible ref and Donny loads better than us. BUT we won the penalty shoot out. (Phew) Thought Lyle and Naby were both below par and at times our inexperience showed. Aribo was excellent for most of the game as was Cullen and Bielek, but we had too many gaps in defence. Parker worked hard again but nothing came of it. Pratley was really good once he came on. I think he did a lot to break up Donny's attacks and we looked better. He also scored that curcial goal just after they'd taken a 2 goal lead. My nails are bitten down to the quick, but should grow back enough for next Sunday.
Well that was some return for me after a couple of years. As others have said we were not good at all, the early goal seemed to cause many of them to not know what to do. I'm not going to pick out players individually but there were a couple who crumbled under the pressure. I think the thing that got us through was the work rate of Taylor, Parker, Bielik and Williams when he came on.
Happy, exhausted, hoarse, pounding head, unable to sleep and we get to do it all over again in just over a week. COYR.
Also, my tactic of not watching our pens worked just as it did in 98.
It was an odd game watching it on TV. We started well but as soon as they scored we went into a shell. It was like we were playing not to lose - and that doesn’t normally work. They looked tight, so many bad passes, but then they’d create some really good chances.
The ref didn’t have a good game, three possible penalties, none given. The second one looked so obvious I don’t know how he could not give it. The other two, the handball probably could have been given as he moved his hand to the ball. The first with Taylor could have gone either way. I was convinced he was going to give them a penalty at some point just to rub it in.
When Sarr stepped up for the penalty, I was sure he’d miss, although I thought he’d be blasting it over the bar. What their payer was doing, I don’t know, but it was a huge relief to see it go wide.
I thought we were superb for the first 90 seconds, and then Rowe's goal gave them life. When Pratley is your best player (his best performances for Cafc) you know the team are below Par. So many erratic performances But the spirit and heart was there and somehow we came back from the dead at 3-1 to take it to ET and Pens. I said I thought we were only 60/40, favourites at KO and the underdogs came within a whisker to win it at the death.
Great to see the players enjoy the moment and I had a good chat with Rhoys Wiggins who I sat next too, high up in A block lower west. A surreal evening where we lost but we won !
Watching the other playoff matches, I had wondered how teams who were near the top of the division could play so badly. Until tonight!
It's the pressure which can affect players, especially when you are the favourites. Donny had nothing to lose, and had that freedom which we didn't. It was only when it went to penalties that the pressure mounted on them, massively helped by taking the kicks in front of the Covered End!
Ideal start with the early goal but, as ever, gradually take the foot off the throat and let Doncaster, aided by the Man In Blue, back into it.
Cullen was our best player for me followed by Aribo and I have to say that Pratley also rose to the occasion when he came on. Not just the obvious with the match saving goal but his play generally. They all gave it everything they had which is all I ask really but, without naming names, in my view at least a couple were a bit overawed by the occasion and perhaps the large crowd.
On the other hand Doncaster were never going to lie down and deserve credit for that. Had the match not been so critically poised I would probably have applauded Coppinger when he got substituted. He first played at The Valley for Exeter in that cup tie the original JJ scored his two overhead kicks. Amazing durability to still be playing so well after so long.
Enough of Doncaster though. Somehow despite throwing it away we 'found a way' in the end.
Roll on Wembley. Just hope I manage to get a ticket.
Poor performance but what a win! Sat behind Bowyer and he wasn’t a happy bunny about the refereeing. He and Jacko had a few choice words with the fourth official. Great atmosphere, got a brilliant video of the crowd on the pitch. Unreal night but hey, we got there in the end.
Poor performance but what a win! Sat behind Bowyer and he wasn’t a happy bunny about the refereeing. He and Jacko had a few choice words with the fourth official. Great atmosphere, got a brilliant video of the crowd on the pitch. Unreal night but hey, we got there in the end.
We we're absolute toilet at points and I was 100% sure we'd gimped it as soon as that goal went in on 88 mins. Takes some bottle to fight back into it under the circumstances though. Please don't put me through that again next Sunday.
PWR. Pretty poor performance but who cares. Over the two legs including extra time I thought a draw was a fair result. Could easily have been four pens in the game itself, two for each team, but wasn’t to be. Luckily we held our nerve and got through. Thought Bowyer went too defensive again and played into their hands. However credit to Doncaster. They came and made a right game of it so fair play to them. Can’t get to Wembley but hope you all have a great day out and Bowyer and his boys get the promotion they so deserve.
Comments
Really got away with that, we simply cannot play like that if we want to beat Sunderland.
Donny were the better side on the night but f@@k it we’re on our way to Wembley!!
I have to say, Donny were by far the better team tonight, McCann got his tactics completely right, their attackers were constantly finding space. The intensity of their pressing got to us as well, plus to me I think some of the players were slightly overwhelmed by the occasion. Sarr had a bit of a mare - no idea why he was asked to take a penalty as he can't have been in a good place mentally - Bielik was too casual at times, Aribo and Taylor were ineffective, Morgan was anonymous before being taken off etc
Pratley was my MoM, as we desperately needed his experience and cynicism out there, we needed someone to play ugly football, to harry and block. He capped it with a goal
Dijksteel was decent too, correctly when Solly came on, he stayed on the pitch. Bowyer has a tough choice for Wembley, as it's not just about picking the best technical footballers, but those to match up to the opposition, and who can cope with the pressure.
That was mental
Just arrived back at tonbridge
Up at 4.45 for work oh joy
But oh what a night
By the end of the match I felt drunk, but I'd only had one pint. Of Fosters.
What a rollercoaster.
3-1 down I expected it to be over and the usual charlton result on nights like these. Thank feck we got the 2nd.
When they missed the 2nd pen I didn't celebrate for quite some time as for some reason I was expecting us to have to score to win. Doh.
Buzzing.
Drained after that. We were pants; terrible ref and Donny loads better than us. BUT we won the penalty shoot out. (Phew)
Thought Lyle and Naby were both below par and at times our inexperience showed. Aribo was excellent for most of the game as was Cullen and Bielek, but we had too many gaps in defence. Parker worked hard again but nothing came of it. Pratley was really good once he came on. I think he did a lot to break up Donny's attacks and we looked better. He also scored that curcial goal just after they'd taken a 2 goal lead.
My nails are bitten down to the quick, but should grow back enough for next Sunday.
Happy, exhausted, hoarse, pounding head, unable to sleep and we get to do it all over again in just over a week. COYR.
Also, my tactic of not watching our pens worked just as it did in 98.
COYR
The ref didn’t have a good game, three possible penalties, none given. The second one looked so obvious I don’t know how he could not give it. The other two, the handball probably could have been given as he moved his hand to the ball. The first with Taylor could have gone either way. I was convinced he was going to give them a penalty at some point just to rub it in.
When Sarr stepped up for the penalty, I was sure he’d miss, although I thought he’d be blasting it over the bar. What their payer was doing, I don’t know, but it was a huge relief to see it go wide.
On to Wemberlee.
When Pratley is your best player (his best performances for Cafc) you know the team are below Par. So many erratic performances But the spirit and heart was there and somehow we came back from the dead at 3-1 to take it to ET and Pens.
I said I thought we were only 60/40, favourites at KO and the underdogs came within a whisker to win it at the death.
Great to see the players enjoy the moment and I had a good chat with Rhoys Wiggins who I sat next too, high up in A block lower west. A surreal evening where we lost but we won !
Going to go back to the player marks thread and give Dillon another point
It's the pressure which can affect players, especially when you are the favourites. Donny had nothing to lose, and had that freedom which we didn't. It was only when it went to penalties that the pressure mounted on them, massively helped by taking the kicks in front of the Covered End!
Ideal start with the early goal but, as ever, gradually take the foot off the throat and let Doncaster, aided by the Man In Blue, back into it.
Cullen was our best player for me followed by Aribo and I have to say that Pratley also rose to the occasion when he came on. Not just the obvious with the match saving goal but his play generally. They all gave it everything they had which is all I ask really but, without naming names, in my view at least a couple were a bit overawed by the occasion and perhaps the large crowd.
On the other hand Doncaster were never going to lie down and deserve credit for that. Had the match not been so critically poised I would probably have applauded Coppinger when he got substituted. He first played at The Valley for Exeter in that cup tie the original JJ scored his two overhead kicks. Amazing durability to still be playing so well after so long.
Enough of Doncaster though. Somehow despite throwing it away we 'found a way' in the end.
Roll on Wembley. Just hope I manage to get a ticket.
COYR
We we're absolute toilet at points and I was 100% sure we'd gimped it as soon as that goal went in on 88 mins. Takes some bottle to fight back into it under the circumstances though. Please don't put me through that again next Sunday.
Absolute scenes at the end.
Absolutely knackered. Only Charlton could do it that way. Awful performance but who cares.
First 12 mins seemed like a lifetime.
Fuck I've missed it.
Happy for all the fans who have been up and down the land following the side this year and past few seasons. Get up there.