OK, so what if it's only for one game so far? This could be the beginning of a very, very good run in Lahndaan. From my viewpoint* we played very well and totally dominated the first half, being unlucky not to go in at HT one or two goals to the good. After the break, we let them back in the game a bit more, but IMHO we took a deserved lead with Gary Speed rifling in a low shot into the corner.

Sadly, it didn't last, and a wayward run by Dabs into midfield caused us to lose the ball, and the rest was history. Still, I think we had enough to go on and win the game. I certainly saw nowt wrong with Shearer's challenge from where I was sitting**. By all accounts, the ref didn't even see it at all!!

And yet again, the Toon Army (Lahndaan Brigade) were in tremendous form. Are they mand or what?

Am I disheartened after such a long drive? Am I &%ck. I dunno about you, but I got a lot out of this afternoon*** and the journey was definitely worth it, especially after hearing the ManUre had been well and truly dumped by anuvva Lahndaan team. I know who's position in the league I'd rather be in right now.

* The Royal Quays ** In the car ootside me Ma's 'cos hor trannie battery was flat *** A pair of Nikes at cut-doon prices.

Eeeh - away games can be fun efter aal when you stay at hyem ;-)

-- Anonymous, December 01, 2001

Answers

Driving to this game I came to the conclusion that I'd be happy with a point. Having left The Valley with just that it's difficult to know whether to feel satisfied or disappointed. Drawn games are always more palatable if the Toon score the last goal which makes it seem like a point gained rather than a point dropped. In all honesty I felt that a draw was a fair result. Newcastle dominated the first half and Charlton the second. The performance and commitment(with one exception) was good and far in excess to what I’d seen against West Ham, Derby and Tottenham.

So to the game. In the first half Charlton found it difficult to cope with the pace and movement of Robert and Bellamy. Bellamy found himself in good positions on numerous occasions and forced a couple of good saves from the keeper. Speed headed slightly over and wide with a powerful header and Shearer shot straight at the keeper. With better finishing and a bit of luck we could easily have gone in 2-0 up at half time.

Charlton started the second half with far more aggression and purpose and our goal came against the run of play. Robert put in a cross from the left that was cleared to the edge of the area and Speed was on hand to score with a volley. It would have been good to have defended the lead but it was not to be. With about ten minutes to go a Newcastle attack broke down and the ball ended up in the Charlton right back area. Robert had the time to close down the ball but unforgivably failed to do so; Charlton were able to go forward under no pressure and eventually the ball broke on the edge of our box to Charltons young sub who hammered home a fine goal.

The sending off was hard to judge from where I was standing. From what I saw Shearer and a defender went up for a high ball and the defender then went down as if he’d been hit by an elephant gun. I certainly didn’t see Shearer use an elbow but my view of the incident was poor. I look forward to seeing it on TV. Bellamy was booked for an innocuous shirt pull but had been working his ticket all afternoon and the booking was probably as much for persistent fouling and dissent as that one incident. Shola and Lua Lua came on for the last couple of minutes but by then our backs were well and truly to the wall and they had little chance to shine.

The one sour note was Robert’s failure to track back and challenge for loose balls. He often seems disinterested if he doesn’t have the ball at his feet at in my opinion his laziness was the signifigant factor in Charlton’s equaliser. On the plus side Aaron had a good game at right back (miles better than Barton ever was) and Shay put in his usual impressive performance. The continuing development of Craig Bellamy is also pleasing but a little frustrating to watch. His pace takes him into positions in which he has no right to be but his reading of the game, his final pass and most of all his finishing don’t match the quality of his initial approach work. If he can improve here and eliminate the needless booking then he has the potential to be another Peter Bearsdley.

All in all this was an open, entertaining game with plenty of chances for each side. OK it wasn’t the London victory that we all crave – hopefully that will keep 10 days until Chelsea - but after recent London outings I was encouraged by the performance and commitment if not the result. If we can play this way every time we go away then we should come away with something from most games.

-- Anonymous, December 01, 2001

Well what to say? I was there as well. The Jimmy Seed end was full of GEORDIES. It seems that Charlton have been happy enough to sell tickets to away fans cause we filled it. I got mine from Charlton easliy. Its' a disgrace that our club only took 700 I heard. the atmosphere was brilliant and we all felt that this was going to be the great day. To be fair on the balance of play we had the majority of clear cut chances. Most of them falling to Bellamy because of his exceptional pace. They couldn't live with him at the back. He should have converted at least one of his 3 or 4 chances though he did hit the post.

Charlton had a couple of shouts for dubious penalty appeals and 2 or 3 wayward shots but were there for the beating today.

Robert dissapointed. He lacks effort, committment and enthusiasm and his final ball on numerous occasions was diabolical. On one occasion he elected to shoot from a narrow angle when through on goal in the second half and hit the side netting. A pull back across goal would have found Shearer or Bellamy. Shearer cursed him visibly and he sulked from that point on. He was subbed after that, Bobby shook his hand as he came off, but he should have been kicking his arse in my opinion, he was that poor.

On the sending off. High punt from Given, Shearer trying to get under it gets under the halfbacks nose and jumps. Halfback collapses like bag of shite. Linesman flags, ref then whistles up and goes to consult with linesman. Shearer stands and looks on perplexed. Ref sends him off. Bobby goes mental with 4th official and I expected to see him get a red card. Shearer later refutes charge of violent conduct on 5 live. Littlejohn and Charlton supporter say he deserves it anyway intimating he is a dirty sod and should have been sent off more in his career but because he was England Captain he has had protection and priviledge. Disgraceful.

Bottom line was that the toon did not have enough class to close this game out. Certainly deserved their point though. Concerned about the lethargic attitude of Robert though. If Dyer had been playing today he would have revelled in the space Charlton gave our midfield and we would certainly have won.

-- Anonymous, December 01, 2001

Best I've seen us play in London for a long time, though that's not saying much. No outstanding individuals, but a good team performance. Typical defensive lapses but otherwise pretty tight at the back. The right idea going forward, but the execution left something to be desired. We should have been ahead at half time, when we weren't I predicted a 1-1 final score (Gav's got the text message to prove it!) Contrary to other opinions, I don't think Charlton dominated at any point - we certainly did, for long stretches, and for that alone I'm disappointed we didn't win. Otherwise though, i'm glad to have seen a decent performance in London and, especially given the corresponding fixture last year, I'd've taken a point b4 kick-off. MOTM? Bellamy, by default, for his effort. I thought O'Brien did well again and while not totally convincing Elliot did much better than some of his recent wonky displays. Didn't see the sending-off incident...off to watch it now!

-- Anonymous, December 01, 2001

I managed to keep my eyes from blinking during the extensive (not) highlights shown on ITV's The Premiershit (sic). I know I'm biased, but in all honesty (honest) I can't see what Shearer did wrong. As Keith says, it was a high ball with Shearer favourite to get it. His hands were raised skywards sticking his chest out like one of Big Yin's bords. In no way could I see contact with an elbow. Indeed, it's pretty damned difficult to stick your elbows back with your arms raised skywards and yer tits stickin' oot - try it if you don't believe me! YBR has said he will do everything he can to get the red card dismissed. This is the 6th that Andy D'@rse'ole has delivered this season - more than anybody else in the PL. That has to be at least one every 3 games and likely less. About time he received one, methinks.

-- Anonymous, December 01, 2001

I still haven't seen the incident. Came back early from the pub to watch it on ITV, didn't realise we were only going to be on for 3 seconds! Wasted drinking time! The 'foul' looked like nowt!

The thing is, I'm starting to get a bit concerned at our forthcoming matches. It's a frightening group of fixtures with any number of banana skins along the way. I know we have played really well this season against Man U and Villa but it means nothing now. EVERYONE is beating Man U and Villa are on the slide. Does this mean our great performances are mere illusions? I suspect they are and we are again on the slide to mediocrity. BR should buy someone to give everyone a lift and improve the team going in to these difficult fixtures.

BTW, re. Robert - He could still be carrying that hip injury. Wouldn't suprise me. His form therefore might well be as a result of this,

-- Anonymous, December 01, 2001

Thanks for the eyewitness reports, folks. Glad to hear we at least played decently. I would certainly have been happy with a point before KO, but let optimism come screaming in after Speed scored. Really thought we'd manage a win this time. oh well. It would be nice to think we may have taken a baby step closer to a London win by putting on a decent performance.

I don't think our great performances this season are an illusion. Just a sign of what we are capable of doing when we put our minds to it. The hard part seems to be how to get playing to that level consistently.

-- Anonymous, December 01, 2001

Just wondering if we could have close out the game if we brought in Distin as an extra defender in the last 10 mins? Anyone think that might have help bring the win?

-- Anonymous, December 02, 2001

Playing Distin from the start would have made a bigger difference, IMHO. Dabs has been on the form of his life but is currently in a run of typical Dabs errors and should be replaced with Distin.

-- Anonymous, December 02, 2001

Sitting here Sunday afternoon after my first game in London for five and a half years it's a great feeling to be back. Great to see Gav again in the Chandos and meet Andy/Scratchy, Terry/Mysterious and Dave/DSS (cheers for the spare for my mate!). Only sorry it was for such a short time but just as well we left Charing Cross with plenty of time to spare given how long Network South East needed to train us out to Charlton. I definitely left the Valley feeling contented and disapppointed at the same time with a point. Fantastic being back in amongst the Geordie supporters who get a 7 out of 10 from me. Maybe selective memory but the singing wasn't as consistently loud as I remember though we completely outsung the mute home support through the first half. With the aid of a large drum somewhere in the stand oppposite they at last got something going. Quite a canny atmosphere for a spell before and after the goals, though there was palapable tension in the away end when we were one up and a mass sense of the inevitable when they got their (deserved) equaliser. If it hadn't been for Craig Craig Bellamy's industry it would have been a fairly uninspired first half all round. Second half was much more open, ball pinging up and down the pitch when a cool head or two in the middle of the park would have put either team comfortably ahead. Notable moments include a good round of applause from the Charlton fans for Bobby Lee, an atrocious slip outside the box from Andy O'Brien letting Charlton in for a clear run on goal well saved by Shay (again), Bellamy's thundering drive coming back off the post, Shearer justifiably bawling out Robert for shooting into the side netting from a tight angle when a ball across the 6 yard box would have resulted in a tap in, Robert walking around the pitch in a complete huff making no attempt to attack or defend for the final 20 minutes, and Shearer vehemently protesting his innocence then forced to walk 70 yards past a gauntlet of pisstaking Charlton fans to the players tunnel. Having seen it on TV it was an absolutely disgraceful decision. The lineseman didn't even flag a foul but D(ickhead)Urso who had been a long way from the incident went over to consult him anayway before flashing red. As for our French winger I can see it all ending in tears very soon given his penchant for airing his opinions. I actually sympathise with his predicament to a degree - like all wingers he needs the ball and needs it early but yet again his colleagues seem incapable of getting it to him and his mounting frustration is plain for all to see. But to use that as an excuse for making little or no attempt to track back, not to mention openly sulking and strolling around completely disinterested when the rest of his team were defending a one goal lead is heresy in my book. Bobby has his work cut out if he's ever to get this lad to deliver his true potential in a black and white shirt. All in all a fantastic return 'home' for me, followed by a major night out which I'm still recovering from. Thanks to extremely helpful Charlton stewards and especially the Geordie that found and hung around to return a mate's mobile lost during goal celebrations. And apologies to any Londoners inconvenienced by me 'speed skating' across the polished concourse at Waterloo Station in the early hours of this morning. Well we did have a train to catch! Even Breda really enjoyed her first ever away game. Roll on Blackburn.

-- Anonymous, December 02, 2001

Loony - sorry to have missed you at the Chandos - you should've hung aboot!

-- Anonymous, December 02, 2001

Thats not the same Loony, he wrote all of that and did not even stop for a breath? At his typing pace he would be dead!

-- Anonymous, December 02, 2001