Saints V Charlton - Post Match Reaction.

[Bailey]

Good win against a solid side.

 

We worked hard and probably edged the game overall, although Charlton will perhaps feel as though they deserved a point.

 

Special mention to Fonte who was class as per usual and Kelv who pulled off three decent saves today.

 

It's another win, time to look to the Bristol Rovers game on Tuesday and see if we can keep the pressure on.

 

Top six finish is the aim, but it couldn't happen . . . could it?

[IamLeGod]

Eurgh ffs, Just when I thought I was out... they pull me back in

[Saints foreva]

Post from Charlton forum:

 

you ugly mug pardew, screw u. saints going nowhere this year, no pressure either after the 10 point deduction. wait till you sell lambert, llalllaanaaaa and davies sold off in the summer and see how you do next year

[alpine_saint]

 

 

WTF were you all singing ? I couldnt work it out.

[John Boy Saint]

I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon out, it was good to see us playing well but some credit must go to Charlton for turning up to play Football, which as we all know plays into our hands. Shame the referee was not at the same game and his mate running the line who looked like Paul Durkin's twin weren't much cop either, but then I really should be use to crap referee performances by now (I sometimes feel that Mulwhinneys final directive is to stop us getting to the play offs as much a possible Peter Waltons sh!t performance a few weeks ago backs that up)

 

Hard to choose MOM Jose, Kelvin, even Jon put in good stints although the one person who makes me smile is Antonio: plucked from non league footie last season shipped out to us by Reading, causes a buzz of excitement when he sets off on a run, scores on his 20th Birthday in a cup final at Wembley, scores a peach today, for want of a better term: that is really warm and nice, well done young man.

 

Well done lads keep it up.

[Tractor_Saint]

WTF were you all singing ? I couldnt work it out.

 

Seriously??? This one might be a bit clearer:

 

 

Sing along 'Going down, going down, going dowwwwnnn, going down... Pompey going down with no money in the bank' etc. etc.

[Saint_clark]

WTF were you all singing ? I couldnt work it out.

 

It was clearer in the stadium where you could sort of block out the announcer.

[Give it to Ron]

I know we say this most weeks but that ref was abysmal for both teams. He was so far away from play he was just guessing half the time.

How he missed Fonte's handball beats me - we got away with that....evens it self out over a season ;-)

[Saint Malc]

Is that 10 wins from the last 11 home league games?

 

That's terrible. I expect to win every home game ;-)

[alpine_saint]

Seriously??? This one might be a bit clearer:

 

 

Sing along 'Going down, going down, going dowwwwnnn, going down... Pompey going down with no money in the bank' etc. etc.

 

Its was the tune I couldnt work out. The other link is better.

[dubai_phil]

Just had a Deja Vu moment.....

 

 

It's the Hope that kills you.

 

 

More weeks of nerves, tenderhooks and drama to come I think. Banana skins and downs and ups, how will they shake out, which cliche can we use next will they be tears of joy or sorrow, will the JPT experience be the thing that gets us through the play-off final.

 

Hell this is worse than waiting for the next episode of Dr Who/The Pacific etc.....

 

And some of us only get it on shaky downloads as well.

 

Arrrggghhh

[ALWAYS_SFC]

Enjoyed the game today, a decent battle against a side who

were much improved since their last visit.

 

Well done Saints..

 

Win at the Gas and who knows what might happen from there.

[Saint_clark]

Attendance looked much, much higher than the official 23k as well....

[WATERSIDEIFASAINT]

Next 7 days will go a long way to deciding our fate this season.If we win both of our away games this week then I believe we will make the play offs.I can see Huddersfield dropping points to Millwall this week and possibly even Walsall as they have picked up and Huddersfield are wobbling.Likewise I can see Colchester losing at Charlton and Hartlepool away you never know as it is a potential banana skin for them and Hartlepool need the points.

 

So if we can be 5 points behind and a game in hand by this time next Saturday then I will be very hopeful.Till then I wont be as it would be typical for Saints to beat Bristol Rovers on tuesday then lose to Yeovil next Sat!!

 

So this is the most crucial week so far this season imo

[gaz]

Add the 10 points back on and we're on 70pts, 6th place which is playoffs. I think thats well above expectations this season (can o'worms open, flame suit on for those ''we should be top of the leagu, AP got lucky etc'' guys),

[brmbrm]

I know we say this most weeks but that ref was abysmal for both teams. He was so far away from play he was just guessing half the time.

How he missed Fonte's handball beats me - we got away with that....evens it self out over a season ;-)

 

Well, no, it doesn't even out over a season statistically, but he also missed the pen on JP - two handed push to the chest. Thought the lino should have got that, but he was consistently worse than the referee.

[markr27]

Add the 10 points back on and we're on 70pts, 6th place which is playoffs. I think thats well above expectations this season (can o'worms open, flame suit on for those ''we should be top of the leagu, AP got lucky etc'' guys),

 

Look further up, we would be 8 points off 2nd as well with a game in hand....

Ironic

[Saint Fan CaM]

Great game today - really enjoyed it. Davis and Fonte were incredible today. Seaborne scares the cr*p out of me though - his positional play is in need of improvement to be anywhere near as effective as Jaidi. I thought there were times today also when either Lallana or Puncheon were FAR too selfish with the ball - one time in particular where a simple lay-off would have put us through 3 versus goalkeeper and a dead cert 2nd goal, but the decision to pass was taken way too late for some reason and when it came it was woeful.

 

Going up to Rovers on Tuesday - really looking forward to that. Win it and play-offs are no longer a pipe dream...they become a true reality. COYS!

[IamLeGod]

Add the 10 points back on and we're on 70pts, 6th place which is playoffs. I think thats well above expectations this season (can o'worms open, flame suit on for those ''we should be top of the leagu, AP got lucky etc'' guys),

 

I Have to say I agree. I know this is a stance that seems to annoy certain posters or show a lack of ambition etc. But, if we cast our minds back 12 months when the magnitude of what lay ahead was all too apparent.

 

Relegation loomed, and the prospect of starting life in League 1 looked all too likely thanks to the clubs financial situation. Add to that the incompetent fool in charge, who wanted to stay in charge (idiot). The squad was miles below the league standard, with overpaid, disinterested players look set to leave at the first chance. And a manager little fancied to be able to build a squad and command its respect.

 

One year on, we are on sound financial footing with what seems to be a pretty good ownership/management structure. We have a Manager who is undoubted CCC quality (and in my opinion capable of Prem - I struggle to believe Dowie/Laws/Martinez are much better, if at all). We have a squad composed of players that have fast experience of CCC, or at the very least look to be able to make an impact in that league.

 

If I was offered the opportunity of being in this position this time last year I would have taken it in an instant. Would you anyone really not have?

 

Plus it sure makes for an interesting end to the season!

 

COYS!!

[REDARMY79]

For any one who was at the game today, read the first page or two of the match thread. Makes very interesting if not cringeworthy reading, same people again slagging Pards off about selection and moaning at how sh it we are playing. I love the way people who listen on the radio or a poor Saints Player link form their opinions without actually attending the match.

I am sure some of these people want us to lose so they can come on after and say how correct they were!

[SNSUN]

I still refuse to look at other teams, but I am suprised we won this one today, I thought Charlton would really give us grief. If we keep winning, we keep our hopes alive. 6 more wins? Could happen, but I just think we're going to run out of games.

 

I keep my fingers crossed, and look forward to the Oldham and Carlisle games with relish.

[View From The Top]

Attendance looked much, much higher than the official 23k as well....

 

Glad I'm not the only one that thought that!

[Saint_clark]

Glad I'm not the only one that thought that!

 

I think there must have been a mistake there.

[Toomer]

Very good win today Kelvin MOM for me pulled off at least three match winning saves.

[View From The Top]

Very good win today Kelvin MOM for me pulled off at least three match winning saves.

 

My nipper said the same walking back over the Itchen Bridge.

 

Fonte was mine. He's just pure class at this level.

[Ekelund24]

Well, no, it doesn't even out over a season statistically, but he also missed the pen on JP - two handed push to the chest. Thought the lino should have got that, but he was consistently worse than the referee.

 

Have to be honest I didn't think it was a penalty on JP, he could've easily kept playing and the contact was too light. I was in Block 4 pretty much in line with it and I was more disappointed in JP for not staying on his feet.

 

I thought KD was man of the match, three excellent saves, Fonte and Harding were close behind will some excellent defending. Seabourne and Ostembor looked dodgy at times but both made superb contributions, Ostembor made a great block near the end! Antonio excellent finish made even better by a few quid on 11/1!!

[Forester]

Sung to knees up mother brown for the last 2 games - can any one answer this?

[Bailey]

Sung to knees up mother brown for the last 2 games - can any one answer this?

 

Was wondering that myself. Sounds great, just haven't been able to work out if they're singing the original or an adapted Saints version!?

[scotty]

Great win, but as somebody pointed out on another thread regarding the playoffs, "its not the despair. I can cope with the despair. Its the hope......."

 

Very good result though and if we can win the game in hand??!!!

 

COYR

[Chez]

yet another home win, boy do we take those for granted these days, but it was hard fought and we really grinded out the win - how we wish we couldhave done that in the past. Felt we deserved the result, but Davis certainly made some crucial saves. Very pleased.

Davis 9 much more to do than usual.

Semi 5 never tackles and now he is shown up as a bottler. Pace kept Sam quiet though.

Fonte 10 Tremendous.

Seaborne 5 worrying display as Forster beat him in the air a lot and sone flick ons nearly left us exposed. 1 header in 3 is not good enough.

Harding 8 solid as always, very strong.

Lallana 7 did not touch the ball in the first half - not his fault. Decent second half with some direct running.

Hammond 8 very good display. I'd like to see him chest it down a bit more rather than weak headerd back to oponents.

Morgan 7 better than last week but not quite back to his best.

Puncheon 6 some good, some bad, thought he should have been subbed

Antonio 7 having a very very good season. Brilliant goal and in general a great out. That terrible display against Tranmere is long gone.

Lambert 9 Won almost everything in the air, giving Daily a torrid time. Best display for weeks.

 

Barnard 7 worked hard as usual which was just what we needed. A proper fox in the box.

Wotton only on for a minute or two.

[Ekelund24]

Was wondering that myself. Sounds great, just haven't been able to work out if they're singing the original or an adapted Saints version!?

 

Pretty sure it is the original version, at least that is what I sing!!

[Smirking_Saint]

Wow, i harboured some belief that we would win this today but that Brentford result has really really made my weekend !!!!!!! That and the skates being relegated !!

 

I believe now, i really believe !!

 

Please saints..........please..........don't let me down.

[St Landrew]

Just got in from sailing a few moments ago, but heard the result on the radio. Didn't hear the crowd as the wind was blowing in exactly the wrong direction. Ah well. You peeps will just have to cheer louder. Even my non-footballing friend was happy that I was happy, which was nice for a change, because most of my friends can't believe I follow football [i don't, just Saints] at all.

[austsaint]

A very hard fought and entertaining match, but we deserved the win, as we scored a cracking goal and then defended doggedly, but had chances to have scored others. The defence were superb, especially Harding and Fonte, although Seabourne and Otsemobor were also solid too. A special mention must go to Kelvin, who made three top drawer saves that kept the clean sheet and the points.

 

I must confess feeling surprised that Pardew had started with Antonio instead of Barnard, but apparently Puncheon was to be the striker playing off Lambert, or what would have made more sense, the extra midfielder in the centre with a roving brief, with Antonio playing wide. Whatever the system was, it produced the desired effect, as it was Puncheon who fed Antonio for the goal. Antonio is a much improved player since his arrival here and has shown that he is not afraid to shoot when given the opportunity. Sometimes his shooting is haphazard, but often he does have a good shot, like today, a real striker's goal.

Charlton made their changes in an attempt to get back into the game and did threaten on occasion. But although there were some heart in mouth moments, as time went by, it seemed as if it was our day.

 

I cannot remember quite so many hand-ball appeals by us, none of which were given, or so many seemigly faulty decisions by the linesmen. Nearly every time the ball went out, you expected it to be our throw and it wasn't, but happily it also seemed that the linesmen were equally random in giving us the throw when I thought it was Charlton's.

 

Another feature of the game was that Charlton's players are either a load of powder puffs, or cheating bastards, as they went down as if pole-axed whenever we went within a yard of them. I do detest this cheating and despise the teams that practise it.

 

As I was leaving the stadium at the final whistle in an attempt to clear the road works at Mount Pleasant Road, I heard a mighty cheer or two raise the roof. Apparently it was to welcome West Ham's win that relegated the Skates. Further cheering I supect for the announcement of other results in our division that went in our favour and took us closer to Huddersfield.

 

The play-offs remain a distant prospect, but we are one small step closer to them today. I wonder whether the players have that belief in them that they can win every game until the end of the season? We have beaten Charlton, Leeds, Norwich, Huddersfield, MK Dons, all of the top teams apart from Swindon. We really ought to believe that we are as good as anybody in this division bar none, provided that we have that belief in ourselves and play with maximum effort as a team.

 

Thanks Wes. Interesting report to read. These grinding 1-0 results against strong opponents are a welcome new dimension of the AP era.

[lethallee]

Don't know how people deemed it an entertaining game, it was more like volley ball with both teams guilty of hoofing !! The game was really poor quality not helped by the fact the stakes were high for both teams and the ref not allowing game to flow. Both teams were very nervous. We had to really grind out a win today which is all we can ask at this vital part of the season.

 

Ratings:

 

Davis 7 - Made 3 great saves but kicking was poor.

Ostembor 6 - Good first half but wimped few tackles in second half.

Fonte 8 - MOM. Far too good for this league.

Seaborne 6 - Not dominant in the air but done ok. More comfortable on ball than jaidi

Harding 7 - Very Solid without being spectacular.

Puncheon 6 - Played pretty well 1st half and set up goal. 2nd half poor very selfish at times when passing was better option. Prefer him to play wide.

Morgan 6 - played ok works well with Hammond.

Hammond 6 - Was more involved today and as above for morgan.

Lallana 5 - Did not notice him especially 1st half.

Antonio 6 - Not really involved but took goal well.

Lambert 6 - Didn't win much in air but the poor distribution big factor. Not many chances unlucky with header though.

 

Barnard 6 - Didnt see too much of the ball but he is good team player. He provides an outlet and streches opposition defence well. Team much better when he plays imo.

[itchen_dan]

Was wondering that myself. Sounds great, just haven't been able to work out if they're singing the original or an adapted Saints version!?

 

Definately the original version! Gets quite catchy after a few rounds of it

[JibMcdo]

Goal was all about Lambert's presence. Two men mark him on a goal kick, managed to get some sort of flick on and because he's double marked we have a three on two situation. He brings so much more to the team then goals, and that's why he can't be rested. He can have plenty of rest once the playoffs are mathematically impossible.

[Griffo]

Its was the tune I couldnt work out. The other link is better.

 

I thought you were in the Itchen North block 1 for the Pompey game so surely you would have heard it then?

[supersonic]

if we beat rovers on tuesday then we're 5 points off the play-offs with 5 to play, and a

game in hand, win that and we could be only 2 points away from the play offs with 3/4 games to play.

 

theoretically we could enter the play offs against oldham, but i'd take us making it against southend.

[LVSaint]

I've done three games on my trip - win - win - win! I probably shouldn't leave now should I...

Can't wait to come back! sniff.. COYRs

[Kingsbridge Saint]

Bristol Rovers suddenly becomes an even more important game....WOW! Imagine if we win that.. 5 points... 5 to go?

 

Unfortunately it won't work out that way, as even if we win Huddersfield have a shoo in the same night at home to Walsall. So if we manage to win at Rovers, and to be fair, that would be a hell of a result on its own, we would still in all likelihood be 8 points behind Huddersfield with a game in hand, but with one less match to make up the gap. Sorry to be a realist. The play offs are still a mile off, but todays result was great.

[Crab Lungs]

Post from Charlton forum:

 

Now, I've always disliked them after I met a few of their arrogant fans at a service station a few years back. Always hoped they'd **** up and will always remember their delusional outlook on football and their own club.

 

Definitely in the same league of arrogance/delusion as Skates fans and almost equally detestable for me. Glad we beat them.

[for_heaven's_Saint]

if we beat rovers on tuesday then we're 5 points off the play-offs with 5 to play, and a

game in hand, win that and we could be only 2 points away from the play offs with 3/4 games to play.

 

theoretically we could enter the play offs against oldham, but i'd take us making it against southend.

 

Everyone else has a game on Tuesday too I'm afraid. Including Huddersfield at home to Walsall.

[Big Ron fan]

Good game and we deserved to win. Thought we had the far better of it and looking at the stats it shows how much better we were technically. We had 56% possesion, had 15 shots to their 5 of which 1 was on target, they had more corners.

 

On a great run of games and consistently at the 2 points a game ratio which is impressive. Think based over the last 8 games we are 2nd in form, i would imagine rampaging Millwall are 1st. Some great results going our way too. Win our game in hand and have 5 games to make up 5 points. It is going to be close, but you never know. I am sure if we had say 8 games left to play we would of made it for sure.

 

How does this tie in with everyone saying that Kelvin made 3 great saves?

[sidthesquid]

That was a big, big win yesterday. Charlton are a good team (as good as any I've seen this season) and they were well up for it. We really had to fight hard all the way & by and large we were up to the challenge. The good thing is we could play at half-pace & turn over Orient, but we were able to find another gear against a top team. An overall good performance, but our spine was our strength - Davis, Fonte, Hammond, Lambert - joint men of the match.

[sidthesquid]

How does this tie in with everyone saying that Kelvin made 3 great saves?

 

Lies, damned lies & statistics...

[saint_bert]

Post from Charlton forum:

I

 

 

There was a little gob sh!te outside shouting Pompey still better then you etc. Quickly scarpered when a few turned round to repeat it!

 

Morons. Love singing Pardew songs to them. They hate him!!

[SuperSAINT]

Davis 7 - Made 3 great saves but kicking was poor.

 

You're a hard man to please, Lee!

 

Sounded like a patchy game, but I'm really pleased we held on yesterday. Charlton have won a lot of points from coming back from being a goal down this season. We keep on picking up points without playing all that well which is pretty damned important, but we're going to have to improve to pick up anything on tuesday.

 

It's been along time since we made up a maximum 3 point gain on 6th position too. If we win against Bristol Rovers, the pressure is going to be seriously on Colchester & Huddersfield.

[SaintRobbie]

This one goes down as a 'Job done' in my book. 6 more 'Jobs done' and we will be in a playoff place... but it's a tall order.

 

Well done AP and the lads nonetheless... go for it!

[Charlie Wayman]

I've given up on being entertained. A perfect day for all who believe only the result matters. We should be building for next year not fighting for scraps under the table.