Coventry City v Charlton
Charlton were unlucky not to earn all three points against Birmingham City on Saturday, but the result means the Addicks could be relegated to League One at Coventry City on Easter Monday (3pm).
If it hadn't been for Maik Taylor, the woodwork and Darren Ward's wrongly disallowed offside goal, Charlton could have maintained their incredibly slim hopes of survival - for another few weeks at least.
As it was, the goalless draw with Blues leaves Charlton 12 points adrift of safety and brings the Addicks' fall through the Championship trap door ever closer.
Their fate could be sealed if they fail to beat Coventry at the Ricoh Arena and other results go against them.
Had Charlton played all season as they did against Birmingham then they wouldn't be in the position they're in.
The absence of Zheng Zhi and Therry Racon for large parts of the season through injury has also regularly been lamented but, as the cliché goes, the table doesn't lie - and picking up just seven wins all season says it all.
The Addicks have certainly improved performance-wise in 2009 but a goal-shy strikeforce and a failure to hold onto half-time leads on so many occasions this term was always going to come back to haunt them.
As a result, the inevitable could be confirmed in the West Midlands on Monday. And even if Nottingham Forest - the club one place above the relegation zone - lost, defeat against City would leave Charlton 12 points adrift of safety with just 12 points left to play for. What's more, Forest also currently have a significantly better goal difference.
The opposition
Beware the wounded bear; Coventry boss Chris Coleman was left fuming after his side was thumped 4-0 at Plymouth Argyle on Saturday, with all the goals coming in the first half.
Ashley Barnes, Jamie Mackie, Alan Judge and Marcel Seip were all on target to put the Pilgrims 4-0 ahead after 37 minutes and Coleman said: "I was embarrassed in the first half. I'd like to apologise to the supporters for making the trip down to Plymouth, taking time off over the Easter weekend to watch that nonsense.
"Forget the second half. How many times has a team been 4-0 or 3-0 down at half-time and there's no goals in the second half? The game was done, it was over at half-time. It was an unacceptable performance in the first half. I am not happy about losing 4-0 or the fashion we conceded the goals.
"I never really saw that performance coming. After 25 minutes in the first half I've got to hold my hands up and say I don't know what we were thinking or doing. But there were some bad individual errors.
"It was unacceptable and I need to apologise to the supporters for the performance. I don't know where it came from. It's something we need to sit down and talk about. We have another game on Monday so it will be interesting to see what performance we give then."
Coleman is not a big fan of the Easter programme that sees sides play two games in three days, stating: "Players suffer, managers suffer, I think the supporters suffer because they pay good money to watch us play and unfortunately it's too much two games in three days.
"The players are tired, physically and mentally, and so I'm not a big fan. But games are there and we have got to try and win them."
Sitting in 15th place in the Championship, Coventry will be neither promoted or relegated this term, perhaps a factor in their lacklustre display at Home Park.
Welshman Coleman will want an immediate response from his men when the Addicks roll up to the Ricoh but he could be without key duo Aron Gunnarsson and Keiren Westwood.
Midfielder Gunnarsson limped off after 29 minutes of the loss at Plymouth, while highly-rated goalkeeper Westwood suffered a facial injury early in the second half.
Kevin Thornton came on for Gunnarsson and Andy Marshall replaced Westwood, and both are standing by to start if needed.
City lost Stephen Wright and Jordan Henderson to injury last week, while Leon Best failed to recover from a groin problem to be involved at Home Park.
Midfielder David Bell was left out as he continues to struggle with an ankle injury and striker Leon McKenzie remains sidelined with an Achilles problem.
Former Fulham manager Coleman admits Bell may be forced to postpone an ankle operation. The 25-year-old former Norwich City midfielder was set to miss the rest of the season in order to have the surgery, but he may now be forced to play through the pain barrier following injuries to Wright and Henderson.
Full-back Wright is out for the rest of the season and midfielder Henderson has returned to parent club Sunderland with a suspected metatarsal injury, leaving Coleman's already small squad down to the bare bones.
"We won't see Jordan again as he's gone back and Wrighty is done for the season," said Coleman. "It means we may need to get a couple more games out of Belly.
"We have been hit again by injuries, not to squad players but to first-team players, so we may have to delay David's operation and get two more games out of him."
Westwood, meanwhile, has impressed since joining the Sky Blues from Carlisle United last summer and has been linked with a switch to the top flight at the end of the season.
However, he insists he is happy to remain with the Sky Blues, saying: "I want to stay here and I'm not banging on the door asking to leave. It's a good club and the lads are brilliant, as is the gaffer and coaching staff, so if we can agree something that will be fantastic and a great way to end the season.
"I look around the dressing room and if we can get everyone fit and add a few more players then we could be a real underdog next year."
There could be a meeting of the Ward brothers at the Ricoh, with Charlton's on-loan Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Darren coming up against sibling and fellow centre-back Elliott, who is on the books at Coventry.
Past meetings
Charlton were outfoxed back in December as they slipped to a 2-1 defeat against Coventry at The Valley.
Sky Blues defender Daniel Fox netted the decisive goal as the Addicks' winless run stretched to a dozen games.
Deon Burton had hauled the hosts level from the penalty spot with his first goal for the club four minutes into the second half after Izale McLeod was sent tumbling in the box.
It wiped out Robbie Simpson's 40th-minute volley, but no sooner were the Addicks back on terms, they surrendered the lead back to the visitors as Fox curled home a free-kick from 25 yards.
There was no coming back a second time as the hosts huffed and puffed but could not penetrate the Sky Blues backline.
City had been beaten 4-1 by the Addicks on the final day of last season, escaping relegation on goal difference as Midlands rivals Leicester City suffered the drop.
With Charlton's play-off hopes ended two weeks before, Alan Pardew's side played without any fear and led 2-0 after just 19 minutes through Luke Varney and Andy Gray.
Michael Mifsud pulled one back for Coventry, before Grant Basey grabbed his first goal for the club and Chris Powell brought the house down by netting late on in his final appearance for the club.
There was a familiar face in the home dugout when the two teams had met at the Ricoh Arena earlier in the season, in the shape of former Addicks head coach Iain Dowie.
Dowie took over at Coventry following Mickey Adams' dismissal in February 2007, but lasted just a year before he too was shown the door, with Coleman then taking the reins.
A late goal from Mifsud and an agonising miss from Chris Iwelumo denied Charlton top spot in the Championship that day.
Mifsud - currently on loan at Barnsley - wriggled into space six minutes from time and lashed a low drive into the bottom corner.
With Watford drawing 1-1 with Blackpool, a win would have sent Charlton to the summit on goal difference, and Lloyd Sam's 15th-minute strike looked set to be the decisive factor.
But Coventry plugged away after the break and got their leveller, before Iwelumo dived full length to head wide near the end.
The first clash between Charlton and Coventry was in the 1926/27 season in Division Three (South) when the Sky Blues earned a 1-0 win at Highfield Road.
In the return fixture, Charlton were 4-2 victors thanks to a brace from George Biswell and further strikes from George Armitage and Reg Tricker.
Prior to the draw at the Ricoh Arena, the two sides last met during the 2000/01 Premier League campaign, when both fixtures were 2-2 draws.
The teams also collided during the Addicks' first season in the Premier League, 1998/99, when Charlton were held to a 1-1 draw at home, but lost 2-1 at Highfield Road.
Overall, the head-to-head count gives Coventry the edge, the Sky Blues having won 13 to Charlton's 10, with 11 draws in the 32 fixtures in all competitions.
Team news
Charlton fielded an unchanged side for the Valley clash with Birmingham.
Fresh from recording a long-overdue away success at Southampton last weekend, Phil Parkinson continued with his favoured 4-5-1 formation with Jonjo Shelvey, Racon and Zheng in the central triangle.
Top-scorer Nicky Bailey continued on the left of midfield, Sam operated on the right and Tresor Kandol was the sole striker. Rob Elliot kept his spot between the posts, Danny Butterfield and Kelly Youga occupied the full-back berths and Ward and skipper Mark Hudson were named in central defence.
The Addicks were also unchanged in reserve as keeper Darren Randolph was joined on the bench by Matt Holland, Darren Ambrose, Burton and Chris Dickson.
There were no reported knocks to his side, but with another game following in such quick succession, Parkinson may make a couple of changes.
Yassin Moutaouakil, Basey and Chris Solly are other options at full-back and midfielder Matt Spring will be eyeing a recall after being left out of Parkinson's matchday 16 in recent weeks.
Scott Wagstaff is an outside possibility to be involved and Burton, Dickson and possibly young Tamer Tuna could also get a taste of the action. Academy striker Tamer Tuna bagged a brace for the reserves against Southampton last Wednesday.
Jonathan Fortune (Achilles), Jose Semedo (ankle) and Gray (pelvis) remain sidelined.
Tickets and travel
Although no longer on sale from The Valley, places for the fixture at the Ricoh Arena can be purchased in cash from the away turnstiles on the day, priced £26 adults and £13 over 60s and U16s.
Details of the Valley Away coach service to the Ricoh, priced £15, can be found here.
Should there be seats available, bookings will be taken online on Easter Sunday for supporters wishing to travel to Coventry the following day.
Supporters not attending the game can listen to full BBC LONDON audio commentary thanks to the club's video website at CAFC TV. Updates will also be broadcast on BBC LONDON 94.9.
CAFC TV allows fans to follow the action via the live matchday centre, with text updates, all the latest statistical information and a league table that updates as the goals go in across the country.
Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Directions | © Charlton Athletic 2010
