BOSS LEE’S GOT MIXED EMOTIONS...
LEE BOWYER praised his Charlton players for pushing on through their fatigue to grab a point at home to Shrewsbury.
The Addicks went behind early in the second half to a Sean Goss header and struggled to find an equaliser, even when Chuks Aneke smashed against the bar from close range.
But Conor Washington’s late goal ensured that they continued to build an unbeaten run, currently at four games.
Bowyer admitted it felt like two points dropped, but did see positives.
“We should have gone in at half-time leading. But we didn’t take our chances. We created a few good chances, and we looked good in the first half, but we stopped doing it in the second half,” he said.
“Everything was slow about us in the second half. We just didn’t get going. Then they got the goal, and we had to change shape.
“Then we got on top and we looked good. If Chuks scored, we would have gone on to win the game and I really believe that.
“Our players have kept going and going. They have every right to be tired but they kept going. I look at it as two points dropped. But on the positive side we kept going and we did deserve at least a point.”
There were few chances for either side in a forgettable first half, though Jayden Stockley should have done better after 34 minutes when he fired straight at Shrews goalkeeper Harry Burgoyne from close range.
Matthew Pennington’s fine cross from the right nine minutes into the second-half picked out Goss completely unmarked for a tumbling header that put the visitors in front and made it 13 games without a clean sheet at The Valley for Charlton.
The Reds pressed in search of a point and after substitute Aneke rattled the underside of the crossbar, they got it when Washington cut inside from the left flank and put his low strike beneath the arm of Burgoyne.
Shrewsbury assistant manager Aaron Wilbraham, meanwhile, admitted his side couldn’t believe they were not heading out of London with all three points in the bag.
“We got stronger as the game went on and we had chances to win the game,” he said.
“There’s a tinge of disappointment in the dressing room but I can’t be disappointed with the performance and we could have won the game.
“Second half, we were the stronger team, we weren’t exactly hanging on. The subs who came on did really well and gave us a bit of freshness.
“We were unlucky not to win 2-1 or 3-1, but it’s a good sign when the lads are away at Charlton and disappointed not to have won.”
Amos 6, Gunter 5, Famewo 8, Pearce 6, Maatsen 7, Millar 6 (Shinnie 64, 6), Watson 7, Pratley 6 (Smith 63, 6), Morgan 7 (Jaiyesimi 80, 5), Stockley 7 (Aneke 64, 6), Washington 8. Subs not used: Maynard-Brewer, Schwartz, Oshilaja.
SHREWSBURY: Burgoyne 6, Pennington 7, EbanksLandell 7, Williams 6, Daniels 7, Walker 7 (Whalley 90, 5), Goss 8 (Davis 79, 5), Vela 7, Ogbeta 6, Chapman 6 (70, 6), Main 6 (Udoh 79, 5). Subs not used: Sarkic, Pyke, Sears.
RELIEVED Russell Martin says he couldn’t be prouder of his MK Dons players for putting their second-half wobble behind them and earning a dramatic win over Accrington.
Matt O’Riley’s late header fired the hosts to victory and dealt a blow to Accrington’s play-off hopes.
Evergreen Cameron Jerome’s double put the Dons 2-0 up, before a Dion Charles strike and Andrew Surman own goal pegged Martin’s side back.
But O’Riley struck at the death to leave Accrington four points adrift of the top six, and Martin said: “It shouldn’t have been as stressful as it was.
“But it’s a big relief and big pride in the lads in the way they dealt with the emotion and disappointment that they suffered within the game.
“We deserved to win. I thought we played brilliantly, they didn’t get near our goal, we conceded two really, really poor goals and shot ourselves in the foot, there’s no doubt about it.
“We should have been out of sight by then – we had so many good chances and some of the stuff was great to watch in the first half an hour.
“We came out again and deserved the second goal and had a few other chances, so we should have been out of sight – that’s the only frustration for me.”
The home side were by far the more dominant team in the first half and took the lead inside 10 minutes.
Matthew Sorinola’s looping ball over the top was latched onto by Jerome who chested it down, rounded the goalkeeper and slotted home from a tight angle.
MK Dons carried their dominance into the second half, and did eventually double their lead less than 10 minutes after the restart.
Sorinola again provided the assist for Jerome, this time a left-wing cross that was flicked on at the near post.
Accrington responded with two quick goals, however, first when Charles took advantage of some sloppy defending to fire home from close range, before Surman’s sliced clearance from a corner was steered past Andy Fisher.
But deep in stoppage time Sorinola was once again the provider, his ball to the back post met with a thumping header by O’Riley to secure victory, and leave visitors boss John Coleman gutted.
The 58-year-old said: “It’s frustrating – I don’t think for one minute that we deserved to lose the game.
“If you’d have told me that after 15 minutes, I’d have disagreed with you because they moved the ball quickly, we knew what we’d expected, we planned for it but it didn’t work out.
“They didn’t score because of good passing play, they scored because of a horrendous error by ourselves, and they created a couple of chances in that spell. Then we changed the shape and we were quite comfortable.”
LATE SHOW: Matt O’Riley scores MK Dons’ winner and Cameron Jerome celebrates his second goal