Charlton Athletic's Ben Hamer writes exclusively for the KM Group
Last Saturday’s goalless draw against Millwall was not only our
fourth clean sheet in the last five games but also a continuation
of the good form we’ve shown on the road all season.
We might not have travelled as far as usual and might have
received a hostile reception at The Den but I enjoyed the day. I
love atmospheres like that and they are part of why you want to
become a footballer in the first place.
The noise certainly drove the Millwall players on in the second
half and they caused us a few scary moments but we were
resolute.
Our fans were loud all game, which is something you always enjoy
as a player.
The back four in front of me did a great job, too, and that was
without the suspended Michael Morrison, who would be a loss for any
defence.
Dorian Dervite replaced him and, for me, I thought he did
brilliantly in that environment having not been involved for a few
weeks before that.
He gave a good account of himself and can only have given the
gaffer something to think about this weekend when Morro is
back.
There was a scary moment in the second half when Dany N’Guessan,
our team-mate last year, got a free header in the penalty box and
it headed for the bottom corner.
Thankfully, Chris Solly was on the post to clear it and he was
one of our best performers on the day, as he has been all
season.
He hasn’t missed a beat since being named player of the season
last year and it was another example of how reliable he is.
We didn’t create many chances at the other end but we’ve come
away with a positive point and we will look to build on that
against Brighton on Saturday.
Every game at this level is tough but we know Brighton will
offer a different sort of challenge than Millwall did at the
weekend.
They like to pass the ball, play attractive football and there
is no hiding from the fact that they have won a lot of games this
year away from home.
After the backing our fans gave us at Millwall last weekend, we
want to really give them something to cheer about as they mark the
20th anniversary of the club’s return to The Valley.
06/12/12