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.

Charlton 3 Peterboro 2

The first half of this match was like watching a match pre Sir Chris, with aimless hoofing and squandered possession being the order of the day. I was still surprised to hear the booing as the whistle went for half time though. As short lived and half hearted as the discontent was, it served as a reminder that while the love affair with the manager continues unabated, the desire to see better performance levels remains just as key to supporters.

It would be unfair to lay the blame for the abject first half performance totally at the players door though.  Peterboro took the fight to Charlton in an injury disrupted first half, pressing all over the pitch, and could easily have gone in at the break two or three goals to the good, rather than just the one that actually separated the teams. It was down to a half time team talk, and the introduction of Abbott for the subdued Wagstaff that saw Charlton's fortunes  transformed in the second half.

Abbott has never really won the hearts and minds of Charlton supporters, but his performance yesterday will have gone some way to changing peoples perception of him. It was an intelligent display, and really brought the best out of Eccleston in particular. For me, he was man of the match, closely followed by Semedo, who even took time out from defending the back line to clip Tomlin round the ear, out of sight of the replacement referee, but in full view of an enraged Peterboro bench.

What this game showed though, was the team's new found strength instilled by Sir Chris, and the age old weaknesses, which need to be addressed if Charlton are to challenge until the end of the season. As immense as Doherty in particular was at the heart of the defence, both he and Dailly were vulnerable to the pace of the Peterboro front line. The glaring weakness though was in the middle of the park. Whether it is McCormack or Racon, and Sir Chris currently seems to favour the former, the reality is that neither really hits the spot.

But, played four, won four is a stat that cannot be argued with, and the top of the third division gets ever tighter. With results elsewhere going the way of the top six, Huddersfield and Oldham fighting out a draw being the only exception, Charlton hold station in fifth, and those games in hand become ever more crucial.