Charlton 2 - 2 Scunthorpe

So, after my bragging that we had won two games convincingly, we went on to draw a game that we probably deserved to lose.

I know that conceding a late goal (injury time) to lose a lead gives the impression that a draw has been snatched from the jaws of victory, but in truth we didn't dominate this game and at 2-0 we effectively sat back waiting for the game to finish for us to pack up and go home with the three points we had already won.

It's interesting that Powell seems to be happy to defend the approach of sitting back and allowing the team to attack us for great periods of the game when we are in front. In his defence we had only conceded one league goal in three games, so he could be forgiven for thinking that we could close the game out for the last twenty minutes with a 2-0 lead.

Changing Hayes for Euell was not, necessarily, a mistake, but taking off BWP for a centre half late on in the game is the sort of thing you do against Man Utd, not Scunthorpe. I know we need to be realistic, and accept that we are not going to win the division at a canter and, indeed, may well be chasing 6th place by May, but I would have thought that we could have pushed on for a third goal to kill the game off.

Anyway, it is what it is. We were not the best side by far on the day, and had we been two goals down with twenty minutes to go I wouldn't have thought it at all possible for us to get back into the game.

I will just add my backing to the general displeasure with the short corner with three minutes to go. Bearing in mind how long it took us to lose the ball it would probably have been back in our half just as quickly if we'd crossed for a shot and lost the ball immediately.

Other thoughts on the game, Danny Green is fantastic at crossing the ball - I've not seen anything like it since we last entertained Beckham at The Valley. I'm not saying Green in the next Beckham, but his crossing is the best since we last saw the format England Captain.

Paul Hayes had a bit of a stinker. To be fair to him he has admitted as much on his Twitter. In the first couple of games he has looked a real asset. His running and his ball hold up play have been impressive. He can also pick out a pass and will, no doubt, prove to be worth his place in the side, but he missed a chance on Saturday, despite keeping the ball down and hitting the target, he should really have done better. His biggest fumble, however, was when he was clear away and dribbled the ball rather than kicking it and chasing it and the defender took the ball off his toes before he could get a shot off. He is clearly not an out and out striker, but to be fair we knew that when we signed him.

I also felt the midfield looked tired on Saturday. It's ok keeping a winning side, but when the games come a bit thick and fast it might be better to rest the odd players rather than have them tire out. Towards the end on Saturday we seemed to have conceded the midfield completely.

On the whole ten points from the first four games is a fantastic return, but we are, clearly, not going to dominate this division at a canter which was what we being suggested before Saturday.

Up the Addicks!