vs The last away game of the season see's Charlton Athletic make the long journey up to Deepdale to take on Preston North End. Charlton were crowned league 1 Champions last weekend when they beat a Wycombe side battling for their lives 2-1. The goals came from Kermogant, a terrific free kick and Stephens who scored a half volley from close range. Stuart Beavon had earlier equalised for Wycombe with a header from close range. Preston could only manage a draw at the weekend. They drew 1-1 with Oldham at Boundary Park. Holroyd got the goal from Preston after Simpson had given Oldham the lead earlier in the game. Charlton and Preston have already met twice this season and both games have been at the Valley. Both Sides have a victory each, Prestons a 2-0 win in the Carling cup whilst in the league Charlton swept Preston away winning the game 5-2. When looking at the fixture list at the beginning of the season I believed Preston to be one of our more trickier games be it home or away. You can imagine how happy I was when we ran away 5-2 victors that day. Charlton went into a 5 goal lead with goals from Jackson x2, Morrison, Wright-Phillips and Hollands. Preston did reply late on with 2 goals from Morgan and Daley. To me this has been one of our best attacking displays since we've been in league 1. Many people just like me believed Preston to be there or there abouts come May. I didn't think they'd get an automatic position but I still believed they would be in the playoffs at the end of the season. They started off quite well and were 3rd after 10 games! However as the year ended they had slumped to 13th. They have changed manager this season after parting ways with Phil Brown and replacing him with Graham Westley (still can't believe he left Stevenage after the season they were having). I have also been disappointed with Neil Mellor this season after his 20 goals last season in all competition I really expected more this season! Preston's league position is currently 15th. They have accumulated 53 points from their 44 games so far but just like other teams who drop down from the Championship they have realised it's not as easy as you think to bounce back the first time round. Charlton's Away Record - W15 D4 L3 GF34 GA14 PTS49 Preston's Home Record - W7 D8 L7 GF28 GA33 PTS29 Top Three Goalscorers- Charlton Athletic - Preston North End 22 Wright-Phillips - 10 Hume 13 Jackson - 9 Mellor 11 Kermorgant - 4Parry Previous Meetings Charlton Athletic 5-2 Preston North End 05/11/2011 Charlton Athletic 0-2 Preston North End 13/09/2011 Charlton Athletic 0-0 Preston North End 21/03/2009 Preston North End 2-1 Charlton Athletic 30/08/2008 Charlton Athletic 1-2 Preston North End 08/03/2008 My team to play against Preston North End Hamer Solly Morrison Cort Wiggins N'Guessan Stephens Hollands Jackson Wright-Phillips Kermogant Subs Sullivan Taylor Harriot Green Sho-Silva Hollands is back i believe? and goes straight back into my team. I feel sorry for him missing out on us wrapping up promotion and the league title. I hate only being able to name 5 subs and I really want us to give some youngsters a go and see what they are made of. That is why I've dropped some of the first team squad from my bench and put two hot prospects from our youth team on the bench, if all is going to plan on Saturday and we are 2 or 3 goals up then why not use it as a chance to blood some youngsters? I am going to go for a 2-0 win and for us to reach 100 points this weekend
Didnt we lose 2-1 or 2-0 in the cup Think SCP wil name a team on the lines of Hamer Wiggins Taylor Cort Solly Jackson Hollands Pritchard Wagstaff Hayes Haynes SUbs Sullivan Evina Morrow Stephens BWP
I know Pritchard is mobile, but he cannot be in two places at once! Do you mean Kermit, Green or Stephens on the bench? I like your first XI but would that be Hayes back to show he still has a future here, or to shop-window him? Sadly, I don't think he will appear again but I would be delighted to be proved wrong. Hollands and Pritchard looks a good midfield pairing. Maybe short of a bit of creativity but you have balanced that by putting Hayes in. In response to Belvedere, CP has already said he won't be playing any juniors in the last two matches. Pity in a way, but there are so many first-team squad players waiting to get a chance to show what they can do. And even if he did, it wouldn't be Harriott. He doesn't even make the u-18s team these days.
Yep ment stephens Think he said he was going to use the squad for this game but not Hartlepool hence the admission of some 'fringe' players Evina and Hayes.
SCP has said that we will not see the youth squad at PNE, however the suggestion is that we will see the squad being utilised more fully than it has been before and that it will be back to normal for Hartlepool because the squad that won the league should relish the final home game. Therefore it might just be something along the lines of Sullivan Hughes, Taylor, Morrison, Wiggins - Morro and Wiggy to keep up their 100% start record Green,Pritchard, Hollands, Cook Haynes, N'Guessan Subs Hamer, Cort,Evina,Jackson, Hayes Reckon N'guessan can do a job up front with Haynes but will be subbed for Hayes last appearance in Charlton shirt if we are 2 up with 20 to play. The dropping of Solly and replacement by Andy Hughes in the position his shirt number says he can play is the risk and if CP decides not to take it and start Solly then Hughes will replace Jacko on the bench or start ahead of Pritchard.
I think we'll line up like: Hamer Solly - Morro - Cort - Wiggins Green - Pritchard - Hollands - N'Guessen (have a feeling JJ will be rested as he has had a few injuries this season) Haynes - Kermo Stick by my prediction that it'll be a poor first half, and CP will wake them up at HT. 0-2 Addicks.
.............Hamer Solly...Taylor....Cort....Wiggy Green....Hollands....Hughes.....JJ ......Haynes............. ............Hayes.......... Sulivan (I feel he will leave in the summer) Morrow Pritchard Cook N'Guessan
Is there really any need to play Cook or N'Guessan any more? They've both done their bit, but if we're not playing first teamers then I would prefer someone like Calum Harriot to get a chance, rather than 2 loanees who probably won't be here next year.
In response in the opening piece re Mellor he has played 5 minutes football since 17/12/2011 due to injury and has made a nice living out of the club.
I think that these two may be on the radar as transfers in the summer. So I am sure CP would like to see how they perform with a different set of players around them
Charlton: Sullivan; Solly, Evina, Cort, Taylor; Green, Pritchard, Hollands, Cook; N’Guessan, Haynes Subs: Hamer, Morrison, Jackson, Wagstaff, Hayes
The one that surprises me is that Hughes isn't even on the bench. midfield and strikers as predicted but surprised not to see Hughes in for Solly or Wiggins holding his place. Will be very interesting to see how this team performs.
The one that surprises me is that Hughes isn't even on the bench. midfield and strikers as predicted but surprised not to see Hughes in for Solly and Wiggins holding his place. Will be very interesting to see how this team performs. Not certain why this one has appeared a second time - can edit it but not delete.
Sullivan, Evina, Cort, Green and Pritchard, none of whom were in the regular first team at the time, all played in our home defeat by Preston in the League Cup, which was our first defeat of the season in a competitive match. We played like a bunch of strangers that match, with some regular first-teamers and some reserves and were well beaten by a Preston team inspired by Danny Mayor, who would solve our left-wing dilemma. The same could happen today. I can see the point of playing two or three "reserves" in the first team to show what they can do, but the problem is that, with a selection like today's, it isn't really a proper "first team" so they still aren't being given a fair chance. I would have quite liked to have beaten Fulham's all-time record of 101 points in the third tier, and to do that we would need at least a point today. Still, I thought we were throwing the match when we put out a mostly reserve team against Reading in the League Cup and we were all pleasantly surprised. Anyway, I am not going to criticise CP even if we lose 0-6. It is obviously something he feels he needs to do for some reason. I hope Stu and our other travelling supporters get to see a decent game of football.
Shame we arent playing our strongest 11 we want 100 points but how can i critisise CP. Hope we play first xi next week for the last game.
