Final act is familiar tale of woe

oh no: Athletic goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan and captain Sean Gregan can’t believe itr after a shot from Miguel Llera slips between his hands and legs and into the net.

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Athletic 0, Charlton 2

Latics pay the price for individual mistakes

INDIVIDUAL errors again proved costly as a week of change ended in all-too familiar fashion.

The two goals which won the game for promotion-chasing Charlton Athletic both came about as a result of mistakes from the home side.

The first saw Paul Black skinned too easily out wide on the right wing, Lloyd Sam squaring and captain Nicky Bailey smashing home from barely a couple of yards out.

The second won’t have on-loan goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan checking out the highlights, centre-back Miguel Llera’s half-hit free-kick slipping between his hands and legs before trickling in.

It was the sort of madcap goal that Boundary Park has borne witness to on more than a few occasions this season.

And Charlton very nearly capitalised on a third calamity when Jim Goodwin’s backpass to Flahavan fell well short of the ’keeper, Bailey stepping round before somehow contriving to fire wide of an open goal in front of his side’s 1,302 travelling fans.

Athletic’s chances? There weren’t too many.

Dale Stephens produced the best effort, striking his shot with plenty of power six minutes from time only to have it tipped athletically round the far post by Charlton custodian Darren Randolph.

By that stage, the game was up.

On an afternoon in which caretaker boss Martin Gray was hoping to assert his credentials for the full-time job with a positive display, Athletic didn’t really prosper as an attacking force.

The biggest cheer from the home fans came in the unusual window of the half-time draw — where Roger Palmer, a guest of the club, stepped out onto the field to huge acclaim.

On a day when Athletic failed to find the net for a 24th time in all competitions this season, there was a man who had managed to rack up 141 in the league.

A beaming Palmer and a rendition of the old “Ooh” chant brought smiles and recollections of better times past to many a fan.

Gray, in charge of the team following the sacking of Dave Penney on Thursday afternoon, made three changes to the starting line-up which lost 3-0 at Yeovil.

Alex Marrow and Kieran Lee were absent from the team, with Chris Taylor restored along with Deane Smalley.

Reuben Hazell also came back after a hip problem to line up alongside player of the season Sean Gregan, replacing Hasney Aljofree who has now left the club.

Athletic started the brighter of the two teams, Smalley almost working a clever one-two with Pawel Abbott before being crowded out and Danny Whitaker going for a shot which was blocked rather than taking the better option of slipping in Taylor on his outside.

Charlton worked their way into the contest gradually and after Bailey had Flahavan struggling with a 30-yarder which went a couple of yards over, the midfielder registered the opening goal from close range.

With Millwall and Swindon drawing 1-1, a false rumour swept around the Charlton fans that Leeds were losing at home to Bristol Rovers — a set of results which would have seen Phil Parkinson’s men slip into Coca-Cola League One’s second promotion spot.

Palmer’s unexpected appearance aside, little else of note happened until just after half-time, Eaves replacing Pawel Abbott at the start of the second period.

Three minutes in, Goodwin hacked down striker Dave Mooney as he manoeuvred forward and up stepped Llera — a late replacement in the team for Sam Sodje, who was injured in the pre-match warm-up — to produce possibly one of the worst-ever free-kicks that has ended up finding the net.

Whitaker struck a decent effort a few yards wide as Athletic tried to test Charlton’s back line.

The news that Bristol Rovers had, this time, taken the lead against Leeds filtered through and the visitors were once again in line for second place.

Bailey’s open-goal miss was next, soon followed by news that Millwall were leading Swindon and that Leeds had gone in front.

Play-offs it was for Charlton, who visibly relaxed as the game petered out with Athletic enjoying plenty of possession without troubling Randolph too much.


Errors summed up our season — Gray

CARETAKER boss Martin Gray was not too unhappy with his team’s performance in defeat to play-off contenders Charlton.

A ninth home league reverse of the season followed a familiar pattern as Athletic failed to create many clear-cut opportunities while remaining fairly solid throughout — save for mistakes that led to the two goals for the visitors.

The result wasn’t what Gray was hoping for in terms of enhancing his chances of landing the manager’s job full-time, but the former right-hand man to Dave Penney felt his side gave a decent account of themselves on the season’s last day.

“You go out to win every game and the performance was reasonably good,” said Gray.

“The mistakes we made summed up the season. I think they had two shots which came from our two mistakes and didn’t really create much after that.

“When we have won this season we have done it playing some good, attractive football.

“When we have been beaten, it has been through our own mistakes which have cost us games.”

One of the errors which resulted in a goal came from Athletic goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan, who let a weak free-kick by Miguel Llera squirm through his grasp in the second half.

“He is very disappointed,” said Gray of the on-loan Crystal Palace ’keeper.

“He has been great since he came in.

“He has had a ‘blob’ but you look at all the good things he has done. He has settled us down and it was just a mistake that came at the wrong time.”

Gray, who sits down to determine his own future at the club today, explained his reasoning behind fielding three youngsters in Tom Eaves, Ryan Brooke and Kirk Millar as substitutes in the second half.

“I think it is important at this stage of the season to give the young boys — the future of the football club — the opportunity to go out there and let them know what the occasion is all about,” he added.

“Then one day they can strive to get their themselves.

“Every club in the bottom half of the table finds things financially very difficult.

“Competing with Charlton, Leeds and Huddersfield is something you can’t do.

“So youth is the way forward and the policy that Tony Philliskirk and Mick Priest have set up has been fantastic. Long may it continue.”