Charlton 1 Exeter 3

There is a reason why we are in the third division, and unfortunately Charlton chose today to either remind; or for the newcomers, introduce, some 10,000 fans to the fact that we are really not very good. For the rest of us season ticket holders and regular walkups, it was business as normal really, and after riding some quite outrageous luck against Peterborough, and in particular Colchester, there was an inevitability in the results against Hartlepool, and Exeter. A balancing out if you will.

The result makes this seem far more one sided than it actually was. We hit the bar twice through Abbott and Doherty, and the post once. There was also one outrageous save made by the Exeter goalie Stabilo Boss, in his lime green, as opposed to shocking pink incarnation. I also have to assume that he got away with carrying the ball outside the area not once, but twice, on the basis that the East Stand lino was blinded by the light as Manfred Mann would say.

If luck had been with us, we would have won this match, but we can't really complain given some of our get out of jail antics of the last few weeks. In a nutshell, we made the same defensive errors we always make, and whereas we get away with it sometimes, today we didn't, and got punished for it. If the forwards can say they had a bad day at the office, then Doherty, and to a lesser extent Elliot, can count themselves lucky if they aren't put on a final written warning. All three goals were down to defensive error, and only Jenkinson can claim to have had anything resembling a decent game amongst the back line.

Having a tenor for a fiver, reduced season ticket prices, and a big screen, are all fine and dandy, but how many Charlton fans would gladly give all that up for a properly functioning team? I am holding out hope that the club are waiting to make loan signings in a timeframe such that they can be involved in any play off action we might be lucky enough to be in. If everyone I talk to sees the need for a central defender, and a playmaker in central midfield, then the club will absolutely know it. Let's hope that as part of the master plan to woo supporters back, the board remember to make the most important investment of all; in the team.