Saturday 9 October 2010

Live Blog: Plymouth Argyle vs Charlton Athletic - 94 minutes

Charlton want the three points and are throwing men forwards in search of a late, late winner. Their search is in vain however, as the referee brings the game to an end.

Live Blog: Plymouth Argyle vs Charlton Athletic - Goal!

Gaarrrgh!

More poor defending gifts Charlton an equaliser, Paul Benson netting his second of the game with a tap-in after the ball is allowed to travel right through the Argyle penalty area. It's no less than the visitors deserve, but Peter Reid will be tearing his hair as his side toss away two points.

Live Blog: Plymouth Argyle vs Charlton Athletic - 87 minutes

Clever play from Wright-Phillips wins a corner for Argyle, knocking the ball behind off Christian Dailly. The Addicks clear, but that wasted a few precious seconds.

The visitors remain an attacking threat though, with Reid and Martin rampaging down the flanks. Romain Larrieu calms some Green nerves, however, showing confidence to come off his line and pluck a cross out of the air.

Live Blog: Plymouth Argyle vs Charlton Athletic -Goal!

Duguid is on, replacing Stephens rather than Noone. That seems a little strange as the winger has been limping for a whi...

WHAT A STRIKE!

Out of nowhere Yala Bolasie smashes the ball past the helpless Rob Elliot. The pacy forward almost takes his shirt of in celebration, then realises that he'll get a booking an changes his mind at the last moment. Can the Pilgrims hang on? There's little over five minutes left to play...

Live Blog: Plymouth Argyle vs Charlton Athletic - 80 minutes

Karl Duguid is readying himself to join the action, presumably in place of the limping Noone, allowing Stephens to move back to right-midfield.

Live Blog: Plymouth Argyle vs Charlton Athletic - 75 minutes

Both Argyle full-backs go into the referee's notebook in quick succession, as Stephens and Molyneux foul their opposing wingers, Martin and Reid. Quarter of an hour left on the clock, and the Pilgrims are really hanging on for a point.

Live Blog: Plymouth Argyle vs Charlton Athletic - 72 minutes

Craig Noone goes into the book after clipping Kiel Walker. That's Nooney's fourth booking of the season, and we're only in the second week of October. Thankfully for Argyle, the resulting free kick is overhit and lands safely behind Romain Larrieu's goal.

Live Blog: Plymouth Argyle vs Charlton Athletic - 68

Peter Reid makes his first tactical change of the afternoon, throwing on Yala Bolasie in place of Steve Maclean. Hopefully Yala can give the Greens an outlet in attack and cause problems for the veteran Addicks backline. At the very least, it should pin back Christian Dailly, who has been rampaging forwards from right-back since the interval.

Live Blog: Plymouth Argyle vs Charlton Athletic - 62 minutes

We're getting hazardously close to the usual standard at Home Park, with the Greens retreating into their shells and struggling to string together anything resembling a passing move.

Romain Larrieu then makes three excellent saves in quick succession to prevent his side from falling behind. First, the Frenchman makes a fantastic stop to prevent Marcel Seip putting the ball into his own net, before gathering Pawel Abbott's free header after a lapse of concentration from N'Gala. Less than a minute later Le Keeper is action again, saving from Lee Martin. Peter Reid does not look happy.

Live Blog: Plymouth Argyle vs Charlton Athletic - 54 minutes

Craig Noone is at the centre of everything going forwards for Argyle, first firing a left-footed shot just wide of the target before scuffing an effort wide from distance, ignoring both Steve Maclean and Dean Parrett in acres of space.

While the Pilgrims are still struggling to find their attacking rhythm, the visitors are starting to look really threatening from the wide areas with Kyel Reid and Lee Martin offering pace on the flanks.

Live Blog: Plymouth Argyle vs Charlton Athletic - 49 minutes

Johnnie Jackson goes into the book for a late challenge on Craig Noone. The Liverpudlian takes the resulting free kick himself, floating the ball straight through the area and out for a goalkick.

Meanwhile, Lee Martin is certainly offering more threat on the Addicks' right flank, firing a dangerous ball across the face of the Pilgrims goal.

Live Blog: Plymouth Argyle vs Charlton Athletic - 46 minutes

The second half is underway at Home Park, as the visitors make a change. Former Argyle loanee Lee Martin is on for the Addicks, with Scott Wagstaff making way on the right side of the visitors' midfield.

The tricky winger almost makes an instant impact, firing a shot goalwards from 25 yards. It's another slow start to a half from the Greens.

Live Blog: Plymouth Argyle vs Charlton Athletic - Half Time

The first half comes to a close at Home Park, with the sides level at one apiece. Argyle have looked decent in attack, but the Pilgrims continue to shoot themselves in the foot with their sloppy defensive play. Perhaps Kari Arnason, who has dropped back into defence after Reda Johnson's afternoon was cut short by an ankle injury, will help to solidify things after the interval.

Live Blog: Plymouth Argyle vs Charlton Athletic - 42 minutes

There's a lengthy break in play as Reda Johnson stays down after landing awkwardly. After a couple of minutes Peter Reid makes a change, with Dean Parrett coming on. Presumably Arnason will drop back to centre-half, with the Spurs youngster joining Carl Fletcher in the midfield engine-room.

Live Blog: Plymouth Argyle vs Charlton Athletic - Goal!

Argyle almost double their lead from a corner, as Steve Maclean's goalbound effort is brilliantly stopped on the line by Rob Elliot.

Then, catastrophe. Reda Johnson bizarrely allows the ball to bounce a couple of yards outside the penalty area and Paul Benson sneaks in to poke a shot past the despairing Larrieu, the ball slowly rolling into the corner of the net. Le Keeper is understandably furious and proceeds to let fly at the Benin international.

Live Blog: Plymouth Argyle vs Charlton Athletic - 31 minutes

Charlton try a long-throw routine of their own, although mysteriously the Addicks only push two men into the box for Christian Dailly's delivery. Unsurprisingly, the Pilgrims make the clearance without alarm.

Meanwhile, on Radio Devon, Martin Hodge is expressing his displeasure at one of the Charlton centre-halves wearing bright blue football boots.

Live Blog: Plymouth Argyle vs Charlton Athletic - 27 minutes

It's all a bit scrappy at Home Park at the moment, with both teams looking short of confidence in defence and the wind swirling around the ground. The Greens are still showing flashes of inspiration though, with Craig Noone, Steve Maclean and Jack Stephens all exhibiting some nice touches. Stephens seems to have made a really good impression with the crowd, and gets a big hand for playing a clever ball into Wright-Phillips.

Live Blog: Plymouth Argyle vs Charlton Athletic - 18 minutes

Kari Arnason tries his luck from range, flashing an effort over the crossbar. Just moments later Green hearts are in mouths, as a mix-up between Marcel Seip and Bondz N'Gala gifts Charlton a great chance to equalise, only for Scott Wagstaff to volley off-target at the back stick.

It's been a bit of a mixed bag at the back for the Pilgrims so far, with Lee Molyneux making some good challenges but Reda Johnson having one of his more uncoordinated afternoons. Peter Reid will be happier with the look of things upfront, with Maclean showing some nice touches and Gary Doherty looking troubled by the pace of BWP.

Live Blog: Plymouth Argyle vs Charlton Athletic - 10 mins

Argyle seem to have taken some confidence from that goal, pushing forwards with purpose, before Craig Noone forces Rob Elliot into a smart stop with an effort from 20 yards. The Greens are still looking rather shaky at the back, however, as Lee Molyneux almosts turns the ball into his own net. Fortunately for the former Everton man, Larrieu is able to scramble back and head the ball behind for a corner, which the Greens successfully defend.

Live Blog: Plymouth Argyle vs Charlton Athletic - Goal!

The Greens make a slow start to the game, allowing Charlton to pin them back into their own half. The Addicks are putting plenty of the pressure on the ball and seem to have identified Larrieu's kicking as a weakness, forcing Le Keeper into rushing his distribution.

But what's this? An Arnason long-throw, some poor defending and there's Bradley Wright-Phillips, sweeping the ball into the net to give the Pilgrims an early lead, with just four minutes on the clock!

Live Blog: Plymouth Argyle vs Charlton Athletic

Afternoon.

So, after the excitement of drawing Exeter in the JPT regional quarter finals earlier this morning, Argyle will turn their attentions back to league matters and the visit of Charlton Athletic to Home Park.

Here are the teams...

Argyle:

Romain Larrieu, Marcel Seip, Bondz N’Gala, Reda Johnson, Lee Molyneux, Jack Stephens, Carl Fletcher (c), Kari Arnason, Craig Noone, Steve MacLean, Bradley Wright-Phillips. Subs: Karl Duguid, Chris Clark, Joe Mason, Yala Bolasie, Ollie Chenoweth, Dean Parrett, Anton Peterlin.

Charlton:

Rob Elliot, Christian Dailly (c), Jon Fortune, Gary Doherty, Johnnie Jackson, Scott Wagstaff, Jose Semedo, Therry Racon, Kyel Reid, Pawel Abbott, Paul Benson. Subs: Miguel Llera, Lee Martin, Alan McCormack, Matt Fry, Joe Anyinsah, Ross Worner, Carl Jenkinson.

Two changes from the Hartlepool defeat for the Greens, with Lee Molyneux coming in at left-back and Jack Stephens making his league debut on the right side of the midfield .