Since that heroic 2-1 win with ten men at Bolton in January, the Addicks have won just one of their thirteen games.
That win was over promotion chasing Scunthorpe at The Valley. They were involved in an entertaining 3-3 draw at Rochdale, and lost 4-3 at Shrewsbury.
In the other ten games, they have either drawn a blank or notched a single goal. The lack of a consistent scorer has been a major factor in their failure to win games.
In many of those matches – including Saturday’s trip to Peterborough – Karl Robinson’s side created enough chances to have won comfortably.
And yet goalscoring was not a problem anticipated by many when the season kicked-off. After all, Russell Slade had brought in three players who had scored 52 goals between them last season.
Ricky Holmes has contributed as expected, but a pre-season injury and other knocks since, have hampered Lee Novak’s contribution.
Last season’s League One top scorer – Nicky Ajose – was loaned back to Swindon in January.
Playing in a system that did not bring the best out of him, Ajose had scored six goals in seventeen starts for Charlton.
After a sluggish start on his return to the County Ground, Ajose has now notched five goals in his last seven appearances for the Robins.
Not so long back Swindon – along with Coventry and Chesterfield – looked dead and buried. Now they are a win away from climbing out of the relegation zone.
Shrewsbury are just two points from safety, so the teams immediately above the duo will be looking nervously over their shoulders as the season nears it’s end.
The Addicks have a vital match with MK Dons at The Valley on Tuesday, followed by a visit from play-off hopefuls, Southend, on Saturday.
Four points from those games would probably be enough to ensure Charlton’s safety, six should guarantee it. But without a regular goalscorer, it will not be easy.
I wonder if Robinson regrets letting Ajose go?
TAGS: Charlton Athletic