After the furore of half-and-half scarves last autumn and our recent Hollywood endings, will we have the last laugh this time at the Racecourse Ground - known to Welsh speakers as Cae Ras?
Charlton head to North Wales this weekend for their second Welsh encounter in the space of seven days — and perhaps a chance to have the last half and half (in SE7 rhyming slang). Saturday's trip marks the renewal of what we might dub as a Hollywood rivalry, as the Addicks take on the club whose celebrity ownership has made them one of the most talked-about sides in the Football League.
It’s a meeting that already comes with a script full of tension and memory. The two sides were promotion rivals last term, with the 2–2 draw at The Valley last October remembered as a game of pure drama and viral views on social media. Then there were the infamous half-and-half scarves that raised eyebrows amongst many in our fan base. However, when the return fixture came around in April, Wrexham ran out 3–0 winners - a result that knocked us out of the automatic promotion chase.
Historically, Wrexham have long had something of a hold over Charlton. The clubs may not have the century-old familiarity of our fixtures with last week's rivals, Swansea, but the rivalry stretches back more than 50 years to our first meeting in the 1969 League Cup. Since then, the Dragons have been a bit of a bogey side, with eight wins to their name, including an unfortunate 6–0 FA Cup defeat in 1980.
This time, however, there’s a sense of quiet determination in the Charlton ranks. The team have shown great strength and resilience this season, even holding on for points when under the cosh as they were at times against Swansea and West Brom. Wrexham too come into the game with some momentum as former Charlton boss Phil Parkinson has knocked his side into shape in recent weeks. It took them six games this season before they won at home (including defeats by QPR and WBA) but, having seen off Oxford 1-0 two weeks ago, they made a statement last weekend by becoming the first team to beat Coventry. Although they came back down to earth on Wednesday with a 0-0 draw at Portsmouth their improvement has eased the pressure on Parkinson for now, although there are obviously high expectations on the part of the Hollywood owners.
Big money signing Kieffer Moore has become a real threat. Wrexham like to play long balls into the Welsh international for Josh Windass to pick up and create an opportunity. Rich Cawley* informs us that Moore is in firsy place for the most aerial duels won in The Championship so far this season with 105. In second place ? Lloyd Jones with 101. Should be interesting.......
A large part of the Addicks’ attacking plan relies on picking up the second ball, something that will be incredibly important at both ends on Saturday. The home side have only kept three clean sheets all season and concede a lot of chances. A few tweaks have shored up the defence somewhat in recent weeks but there should still be space for pacier players to exploit.
So, as the Addicks make their way to North Wales, the question remains: will Charlton have the last laugh this time? Because, if there’s one thing the scriptwriters have learned by now, it’s that Charlton Athletic don’t do predictable endings.
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