Tranmere... and Brentford at Home

We've been a little slow getting a match report up after the tranmere match, apologies for that, I've just started a new project with work so have been manic!

It was a great away day....The day started off with that rough feeling... You know the one, you go to the pub for a quiet one to discuss logistics for getting to the away ground and one pint turns into two and so forth...I wake up at 7:30 and text Richard to tell him I'll be on my way once I've tucked into a fry up...

I get to Richard's and there is no answer on his phone.. The bastards gone back to sleep I thought! Sure enough he wakes up 30 mins later and we hit the road!

A quick petrol stop and were on the M1 following a car full of west ham fans headed to Blackburn, after exchanging the usual pleasentries, a few v-signs and birds getting flicked we unfurled our charlton scarf and asked them who they were fighting today... The running or driving dual I should say, was most entertaining in the bank holiday traffic on the M1!

We got to the ground and i must admit I've never been to an away match that was so easy! We parked not even 10 mins from the ground and headed to a delightful establishment called "break time" for our lunch! A bit of banter with a few locals and the cafe staff and we were off.... £5 for two lunches and two drinks.... I love the North!

The CAFC website said that only 300 tickets had been sold for the match but I would hazard a guess that there was probably nearer to 400 people there in the end. Still there were plenty of blue seats in the away end, but there were far more in the home end's Kop. The Charlton fans were in full voice from the kick off with a loud and full rendition of many miles have i travelled, many games have i seen....

The Tranmere fans were very poor.... I heard them singing once during the match and that was when the Charlton end began chanting "Barnes Out, Barnes Out".... You could see the discontent among the fans, trying to gee the team on after each of the addicks goals, but the players heads had dropped after the second and there was to be no come back.

Charlton were very impressive, they bossed the game from the start and with the exception of about 10 mins of football before half time where Tranmere looked as though they could get a goal, Charlton were in complete control.

Lloyd Sam had a cracking game, tormenting Tranmere in the middle of the park and deep inside their half. He cut through their side like a warm knife through butter...

But it wasn't the only performance that stood out. The whole side performed well, the back four looked solid and in control, the midfield were calm and thought through what they were doing without forcing the ball into positions that it didnt need to be. The attack force had a good game as well, tormenting Tranmere's back four and with so many attacking options, Tranmere found it difficult to manage the pressure and conceeded goals.

League One offers players much more time on the ball than in the Championship and certainly the Premiership. I think that the Charlton lads have realised that they can afford to use their heads to ensure the ball is going to the right place and to concentrate on the delivery of the ball rather than just forcing it and rushing the distribution.

We stopped off in Liverpool and watched the Arsenal Man United Match, got some food and got back into the car for the trip home... in all, it was a cracking day, good banter, good weather, good times! Looking forward to our next little away trip which will be coming up very soon!

5 wins from 5 games, a club record and a position atop the League One table.... it's been a good month for Charlton, but they need to continue this momentum and keep up the pressure on the rest of the league, starting with their home fixture today against Brentford live on Sky...

It's a tough call this one, derbys always are tough, but the Valley isnt a fun place to go, it's big and it's loud and for a lot of the League One lads, it'll be one of the biggest grounds they'll have played on....

I envisage a decent crowd at the Valley this early kick off, despite the match being on Sky and with the news that JonJo Shelvy has signed a new contract keeping him with Charlton until 2012, they should be in full voice.

Brentford don't have the best of records against Charlton, but records are there to be broken and Charlton will need remain switched on for the duration of this match to prevent Brentford from snatching points.