A quick turn around sees Charlton arrive on Tuesday night, they are having a nightmare of a season onto their fourth manager of the season, lots of anger at the way the club is being run by their Belgian owners or should that be not being run and now bottom of the league after losing 3-0 at Fulham yesterday and are now six points from safety. Athletic have lost 17 out of their 32 games this season and have let in 59 including the three we put past them at the Valley earlier in the season. Have sympathies with their support about the shambles their club is at the moment very similar struggle to those of the Lashers at the end of the M55. But three points are up for grabs and expect North End to take them although this game will not be as easy as it seems. Charlton have used many players this season however I see that Ba played yesterday having seen him play down there have to say he's the worst player I have ever seen play professional football. New boss Jose Riga has brought in several players including ex Wolves player Roger Johnson although he was on the bench yesterday. They have the quaintly named Rod Fanni in their squad which sounds like a good porn star name which could possibly used by Adam Johnson allegedly. Given Gallagher is requiring an operation three games in a week may be too much for him although fully expect him to play this one as Charlton seemed to be inept at defending set pieces yesterday. Otherwise would stick to the side that won the last two matches with a formation that suits the ever impressive Adam Reach. As I said might be a harder game than anticipated but North End are now starting to show that the Championship is a league in which they can prosper.
The object at the start of the season was to avoid relegation, so 50 points was the target to have 48 points on 23/2/2016 is basically mission accomplished with 13 games to spare, we are 22 points clear of the bottom three are now beginning to become detached. One of those three Charlton being our latest victims in a 2-1 home win, although we won we were far from good there were flashes of good play but most of it last night was dire, a first half of defensive uncertainty, hammering the ball skywards at all opportunities, and seemingly thinking that we should pass the ball to the team in the red shirts which we did with ease. However a victory was achieved and now we are only six points from the play offs and sit ninth in the table, no stars just a team that has played for eachother and overachieved, long may it last. Charlton started the better and an early Johnson header forced Lindegard into a comfortable save, however he was happy to grasp a Gudmundsson shot at the second attempt. Browne headed over for the home side following a rare fluent passing move down the left hand side. The giant Makienot caused the home side problems in the first half winning virtually every header and finding plenty of space when the ball was at his feet. However his side were let down by a woeful final ball with most centres into the box overhit. Little of note happened for long periods until North End got their first corner of the game, Gallagher took and Garner glanced home from about 12 yards. The lead did not last young following some dreadful defending by Wright who gave away to Gudmundsson who fired home from 20 yards to give the visitors a deserved equaliser. North End replaced Wright with Robinson at half time and it paid dividends within minutes, Lindegaard caught a Charlton corner threw the ball to Reach who bolted down the left flank, he played a one two with Robinson before playing in Robinson who scored from close range. Browne should have increased the lead following another break, going round keeper Henderson who pushed the ball to Reach who could not get his shot on target with two Charlton defenders covering. Browne again found himself speeding towards the Athletic goal but chose a wrong option and the chance was lost. Charlton had to chase the game and were not helped when Lennon stamped on a prone Garner following a visitors corner, straight red. Riga brought on Sanogo who was also lucky not to get a red following a high tackle on Huntington (Billing of Huddersfield was sent off for the same thing at MKD last night) there was only one late scare for the home side when a Sanogo shot was deflected narrowly wide. A bit of a grind but now six points from the play offs, a big game at Cardiff on Saturday a win and things could get interesting. Preston North End 2 Charlton Athletic 1 Att 10057 Preston manager Simon Grayson: "We've come out on top. It was not the best of games but who cares? "Everybody cancelled each other out first half - we could have played better because we didn't pass the ball anywhere near as quickly and as well as we can do. In the second half we were much better with a solid back four. "To have won four league games on the trot at this level is very satisfying. I have just complimented the players on that. "I'm not sure how many teams have won four games on the trot in this division all season but for us to have done it - full credit to the players." Charlton boss Jose Riga: "The truth is in the two boxes, offensively and defensively, that is the part of the pitch that we were not able to master. "We are most disappointed and frustrated because we conceded from set-pieces last game, so we worked on this situation and we were good in the game. "Maybe again it's about the quality and we missed an opportunity to hurt the opposition. "The confidence has grown throughout the game. But then it's about individual mistakes. We cannot repeat this kind of situation. We have to be more consistent."
Another welome 3 points but Charlton scored. While hardly leaking goals, NE are hardly hard to score against. Woods and Vermij are good going forward but comments seem to suggest they are a tad tardy defending.
