Notts beaten by a footballing cliché

Last updated : 12 September 2010 By Jacob Daniel

Football is, as we know, littered with clichés, most of which tend to absolute rubbish that are only really believed in Sam Allardyce press conferences. But our match at Charlton yesterday went some way to proving one of these, but also disproving another, as Notts were 'punished for not taking their chances' in a game that they controlled from start to finish. Lee Hughes' first real off day infront of goal for the club was compounded by the fact that every single shot Notts took seemed to hit someone in the six yard box and bounce wide and when substitute Joe Anyinsah found himself free in the area to win the game for the Addicks five minutes from time it was by no means a shock.

Charlton were in the Premiership little more than a couple of years ago, whilst Notts were trying to fight off the black hole of non-league football that was threatening to engulf them. Things have changed and since Alan Curbishley left his dynasty in South London behind, the fall from grace has been spectacular. But as an ex-Premiership club, I was expecting something more than a pub that should probably have been in Eastenders (save for the fact it wasn't on fire), with it's distinct lack of seating and a television that kept freezing during the good bits of the Everton vs. Manchester United game. Perhaps we should've seen what kind of day it was turning into when we walked out just as the game entered injury time?

The Valley is an impressive ground, with three towering stands that are joined together and look down on the slightly less brilliant away end, which is like a slightly bigger, redder version of Grimsby. It certainly isn't impressive enough to justify charging twenty five pounds to watch League One football, though. As the game kicked off, it was Charlton who had probably their best spell of the entire match in the opening ten minutes. An early corner was whipped in by former Notts man Johnnie Jackson and the far post header that came in really should've tested Stuart Nelson. The hosts continued to press and as the ball pinged around the six yard box it was Pawel Abbott who squandered his chance, heading over the bar from point blank range after Nelson had parried.

After these early scares it was the Magpies who began to take control though and monopolise possession, with the side looking far more comfortable on the ball than they had done at the start of the season. Kevin Smith was the first to let fly for Notts, dragging his shot wide from twenty five yards after a neat passing move, whilst Ben Davies curled the ball over the bar from a free kick that he'd normally get on target at least. Notts looked comfortable on the ball and threatening, with former Notts loanee Rob Elliot having to look far more of a professional goalkeeper than he did in his time at Meadow Lane. He couldn't get close to a header from Kevin Smith however, which Gary Doherty desperately had to clear over his own bar. From the resulting corner the ball fell to Jon Harley, who hit a thunderous drive which Elliot had to tip over the bar at full stretch.

Since joining the club Lee Hughes hasn't really had an off day infront of goal, but the game at the Valley was to turn into a bit of a nightmare for him. It started just before half time as a deep free kick from Davies was headed back across goal by Graeme Lee, with Hughes somehow turning the ball wide from five yards with the goal completely free. He had to throw himself at it and was stretching, but I wouldn't like to try and work out the tiny fraction of times Hughes misses such a chance. He could've made amends immediately as Nelson's goal kick was flicked on by Smith into the path of Hughes, who lifted the ball over the onrushing Elliot but, agonisingly, it dropped onto the roof of the net. This meant Notts went in at half time level, having dominated the game after a worrying five minutes or so at the beginning.

The second period started much has the first one had, with Charlton coming out and looking more purposeful and dangerous. Paul Benson missed their best chance of this short period of pressure, heading wide from inside the area when he should really have done a lot better. It was Elliot who was back in the action soon though, as Davies' inswinging free kick was sliced at his own goal by a Charlton defender and had to be punched away with Hughes lurking, whilst a low shot by Hughes also had to be gathered. After two free kicks given for not-so-deliberate handball by Notts players on the edge of the Charlton box, it did seem rather inconsistent from the referee when Notts bloke and Davies' goalbound shot was repelled by the arm of Jose Semedo and play was waved on. But you make your own luck, apparently.

Elliot was forced to save from Kevin Smith at the far post before the game's pivotal moment came, Lloyd Sam miscontrolling the ball and letting in Hughes, who fed Davies before he was hacked down by Matt Fry. Even the referee had noticed this one, with Hughes taking responsibility. As we all know, he isn't the best at penalties and it came as no great surprise when a tame kick down the middle clipped the toe of Elliot and somehow spun over the bar rather than on. The inevitability of what happened next was even worse. Minutes later, Charlton broke and launched a rare attack, some neat play eventually releasing Joe Anyinsah who fired it in to give the Addicks such an undeserved win that the words 'you make your own luck' no longer mean a thing to me. Substitute Ben Burgess should've equalised with the last kick (well, head) of the game, but Elliot was once again there to deny Notts who really were left to rue missed chance after chance.