100 (AND A BIT) YEARS OF PRIDE & PASSION

Phil Parkinson explained his uncustmary dance on the touchline as well as his rationale going into the match at Swindon shortly after the final whistle: "It's a passionate game and we all work hard. It was a great feeling when that hit the back of the net.

"We didn't play as well as we can do on the ball today. It was more of a battling performance and there were lot of changes which disrupted us throughout the game. The goal was a good move and that one moment of quality got us a point.

"We came to try to win the game. Swindon are a team flying high. They beat Leeds 3-0 not that long ago, and they are a team full of confidence at the moment.

"They put us on the back foot. They started at a great tempo. The intensity of their play was good, give them credit.

"We've said to be successful this season we are going to need to have a strong mentality and a winning mentality. Since the first day of pre-season, we've spoken about that every day in training.

"We've got some strong characters in the team. When you are standing on the side and think of the characters we've got, then you think you have always got a chance."

Parkinson went on to explain the reasons behind his rather strange decision to adopt a 4-2-3-1 formation: "I felt that the way Swindon play with their full backs pushing on that space, that the we could counter-attack them quickly.

"I wanted pace out wide with Jonjo just behind Akpo. Akpo did his role and won a lot of headers, a lot of flicks and we weren't getting on the end of them.

"We didn't pick up enough second balls across the pitch in that first 30 minutes.

"Sometimes in a frantic opening to a game you've got to get through that and then it settled down. We started getting a couple of passes in midfield and what we had talked about was coming to the surface."

It all seems a bit negative to my way of thinking. Swindon had won five consecutive home games, including that 3-0 defeat of Leeds, but a nine man Charlton came from behind to grab a draw against them on Boxing Day. Danny Wilson did not think it necessary to change his tactics to deal with Charlton. The best person to feed off Akpo Sodje's flicks would have been the discarded Burton. It was his introduction that ultimately turned the tide. As it was, it was not until the last few minutes of the first-half that Charlton had a shot, when a Shelvey thunderbolt struck the bar.

Parkinson added: "The way we thought we could hurt Swindon was having that extra man, with Jonjo's quality, with Racon and Bailey and the two lads with pace out wide. It wasn't until the last 10-15 minutes of the first half that that we really came out. We could have come in 1-0 up albeit after Swindon dominated the first 25-20 minutes and they probably felt it warranted a goal."

The manager had his plans disrupted by a head injury to Therry Racon just after the restart and also saw Rob Elliot take a knock to his hand after he had made all his three permitted substitutions: "I don't remember a game where I've had to change things around so often. There were all kinds of changes but I thought the lads kept cool heads on the pitch, and that's important.

"Robbie Elliot had an injury to his hand as well. I thought that was all I needed, my goalie coming off after using all three subs. At that time I was thinking who might take over in goal.

"I think he's OK. He'll probably have an X-ray on Monday but the early signs are that it isn't too bad," said Parkinson.

He had this to say about the sloppy defending that gifted Swindon their goal: "The lads are an honest bunch but whoever is marking Amankwaah has got to do better in that particular situation.

"We will look at it again. We conceded from the second phase at a set-play against Walsall. We've got to be stronger as set-plays are so important, but over the season we've generally been good."

The manager had special praise for Chris Solly and Akpo Sodje: "Solly's been excellent, I just felt with Solly, he played against Walsall and being out for such a long time to play in a game which I knew was going to be a tough one would be a big ask of him. He was terrific again when he came on though.

"I thought Akpo's performance was excellent considering he's had a month of no first-team football. To lead the line like he did was excellent; he won every ball that went up there, and contested everything.

"He's a threat, he's a great character and he's got a lot of honesty. I always think if I was a centre-half I would definitely not want to play against him.

"That's what we wanted him for; he's got a physical presence, and has also got mobility and that's important."

So the manager was pleased, or maybe relieved, to have snatched a point that his team's performance scarcely merited. The opening weeks of the season saw him field a settled side, week in, week out, as he let the opposition worry about Charlton. A return to that more straightforward way of thinking may be more beneficial as the season enters its finale.

have your say   |   back to article list   |   [Hit count for this article: 521]