Michael Appleton’s new look Charlton faced a tough challenge with visitors Peterborough sitting in second and in very good form. Changes were made to accommodate new signing Tyreeq Backinson in the starting lineup, as well as Conor Coventry and Lewis Fiorini on the bench. Also, an unexpected change in formation, to a 3-4-3, which Appleton said in his pre-match comments, the players were keen to implement after working on it for a few days in the run up.
Unfortunately, the changes didn’t work. Charlton persisted without threatening throughout the first half. Peterborough were solid and threatening, finding their opening after 28 minutes through Mason-Clark.
The second half was much better from Charlton, with Louis Watson and Daniel Kanu replacing each Campbell respectively. And it wasn’t long before Charlton were back in it. On 49 minutes Alfie May found the back of the net, finishing from a yard out, with both Kanu and Backinson in the middle of things forcing Peterborough to scramble. The momentum was now with the home side in a match that quickly became an end-to-end affair. But it was Peterborough that found the breakthrough on the counter attack, with Mason-Clark again finding the back of the net, getting ahead of a tiring and out-of-position Tennai Watson and shooting though a George Dobson challenge to slot past Ashley Maynard-Brewer. Charlton should have done better.
New signings, Conor Coventry and Lewis Fiorini, came on and provided a new impetus. Unfortunately, though there were chances, we didn’t have enough to find the equaliser. All new signings were put through their paces and showed clear reasons to be hopeful for the second half of the season, even if it wasn’t enough to match a superior Peterborough side today.
Charlton 1 Peterborough 2
Over to you.
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Comments
Encouraging signs from Bakinson and Coventry. Thomas, Ness and Kanu did well.
The new midfielders looked good too
Two things: 1) Tennai was blowing out his arse because he’d had to sprint back. 2) Nobody dropped into his space to cover his run upfront.
He’s not perfect by any means, but you can’t pin that goal on him.
Posh deserved to win imo. Before and after our equaliser they missed, somehow, some very good chances and AMB made a good save.
Again, we lost that because of Appleton. I can't wait to see the back of the useless twonk.
You're a lemon, you're a lemon.
Mickey Apples
You're a lemon, you're a lemon.
No way Michael Appleton ever gets us promoted.
Ness is getting some good marks but, while better than he has been this season, I felt he was shaky and gave away a good chance in the first half which he did at least recover from. Edun definitely better as a wing back. Kanu worked his socks off. May is quality. Tennai Watson did okay til he tired near the end. Louis Watson...I have no idea what Appleton's issue with him is, we are so much better with him in the team.
On the positive side, Bakinson got stuck in, passed it well and got forward and Coventry looks a class above based on his late cameo.
In terms of threat, we have had a disturbing vision of life without CBT.
Anyway, that first half was sickeningly bad, even for a team who seem to put in loads of bad first half performances.
If that is addressed in this window - which it feels a little like it might be - then I do feel like we will start winning lots more.