Capital gain for Latics
Reporter: by Tony Bugby
Date published: 12 October 2009
Photo: Max Flego
CENTRE OF ATTENTION: Alex Marrow (centre) powers through the combined challenge of Charlton Athletic’s Frazer Richardson (left) and Nicky Bailey.
Charlton 0 Athletic 0
ATHLETIC reflected on a job well done after Saturday’s draw at Charlton, one of the early-season promotion pacesetters in Coca-Cola League One.
It may not have been pretty to watch, but it was certainly effective as Athletic executed their game plan to perfection to extend their unbeaten run to five matches.
The point was deserved for their efforts. They were rarely troubled, apart from when Addicks twice struck the crossbar.
Athletic, not for the first time this season, played a 4-5-1 formation fielding three central midfield players, while Keigan Parker and Joe Colbeck were out wide with Pawel Abbott ploughing a lone furrow up front.
The five-man blanket in midfield enabled Athletic to stifle the Addicks’ attacking thrust.
CLEAN SHEET
The defence was not unduly overworked as they kept a fourth clean sheet in five games. And, as everyone is only too aware, the only time they have conceded in this spell was ’keeper Dean Brill’s freak own goal against MK Dons.
The fit-again Jon Worthington did particularly well. Sitting in front of the back four, he blotted out the threat from Jonjo Shelvey who was in the hole behind striker Deon Burton.
It was another workmanlike display in which every player contributed, especially Kelvin Lomax and Joe Colbeck, the emergency pairing on the left-hand side after Alan Sheehan and Chris Taylor were both ruled out.
Lomax, switched from right back, did a good job as he was up against dangerous wide man Lloyd Sam.
It must have felt as though the glory days were back for both Athletic and Charlton.
In the absence of Premier League and Championship football, the spotlight was suddenly thrust on this game in League One as television cameras and a horde of national newspapermen converged on The Valley.
While the general consensus was that it was a poor game — that cannot be disputed — you have to give credit where it is due as Athletic boss Dave Penney was forced to field a patched up team.
And while the Addicks fans chanted “boring, boring Oldham” there were no complaints from the jubilant Athletic fans singing their hearts out behind the goal in the Jimmy Seed Stand.
Brill, believe it or not, had only one save to make and even then it looked as though Miguel Llera’s long-range effort in the 11th minute was off target.
Nicky Bailey and Matt Spring saw drives fizz narrowly wide in the opening half, but Athletic also had their moments.
Reuben Hazell and Dean Furman had decent attempts on goal, while there were shouts for a penalty when Colbeck went down after a challenge from right-back Frazer Richardson late in the half.
Penney though it was a spot kick, but his opposite number Phil Parkinson was convinced it wasn’t a foul.
DECISION
Hazell had the ball in the net from a free kick early in the second half but it was ruled out for a push by the defender and the decision was not disputed.
Athletic’s only effort on target in the entire game came midway through the second period when a cross-cum-shot by Abbott from wide on the left was comfortably caught by ’keeper Rob Elliott.
The Addicks dominated the final quarter of the game, with Athletic left hanging on for a point. Lomax and Brill were both booked for time-wasting as they tried to take the sting out of the hosts’ attack.
They lived dangerously in the final 20 minutes as defenders Llera and Youga both struck the frame of the goal.
Llera’s header from a free kick clipped the top of the crossbar while Youga’s spectacular overhead kick from a corner came back into play with Athletic managing to scramble the ball to safety.
Substitutes Izale McLeod, the player who cost the Addicks £1.2million, and Leon McKenzie also had their chances, but the strikers lost their bearings in front of goal as Athletic held out.
Abbott might even have snatched victory in stoppage time. The Addicks defence backed off the striker, who burst forward unchecked, but he blazed the ball over the crossbar when glory beckoned.
