Following on from the doom and gloom of our second league defeat of the season we have, again extended our lead at the top of the table. After winning the manager of the month award Chris Powell has seen his side win one and draw two of the four games in December.
However, with that month behind us we have started the year as we finished November with a 2-0 home win. Brentford have not been very consistant this season, but they did manage a draw at Sheffield Wednesday in November, one of only two games that they have failed to win at home this season (the other being Hudderesfield) and they came back from 3-0 behind to snatch a draw at home to MK Dons on Saturday.
I thought we would be tired towards the end of the game after playing with ten men less than 48 hours ago, but I didn't expect to see one of our players unable to run from mid way through the first half. Johnnie Jackson seemed knackered and dead on his feet after about twenty minutes. He managed to stay on the field until half time, but he did look like he was struggling. If it weren't were Rhoys Wiggins behind him I thing me night have been in a little bit of trouble down our left flank. He seemed more lively in the second half, but I wasn't surprised when he went off.
To be fair to him he hasn't been involved for a month and then playing 81 plus minutes and coming out again less than 48 hours later he was hardly going to feel on top of the world. Still we won and he wil be fitter for Saturday and, more inportantly, for the two games against the Sheffield teams that will have a big bearing on our season later this month.
On the subject of the Sheffield teams, United lost for the first time since they lost at Stevenage seven games ago (we went on a six game winning run aft losing there) and that left them to fall back into third and Wednesday climbed back up into second, but are five points and a massive ten goals difference, behind us.
With MK Dons eight points behind us it does look like we have some margin for error.
I'd still take second right now, and if I'm honest I don't think I'd be distraught if we managed to draw our two next league games. It would probably mean that our lead would be slightly reduced, but it would ensure that we are still top after playing the two teams currently second and third. Have said that I fancy us to get more than two points from those two games.
However, before that, we have Fulham away in the FA Cup tcoming up. Fulham have just reached full time and beaten Arsenal 2-1 at the Cottage. I have a feeling that we will come away from there feeling very disappointed. Time will tell.
In the meantime I'm going to enjoy being top of the league, where we've been since the 13th of October.
Up the Addicks!
2 comments:
Wednesday are actually 5 points and 16 goals (difference) behind us.
You're quite right Daggs. I was looking at the Sheff United row on a table that hasn't been updated yet with today's results.
Post a Comment