After dispatching of the two Sheffield teams in consecutive weeks using nothing but timewasting, dirty tactics and the summoning of leprechauns all around the land to give us a lot of luck (…), many could be forgiven to thinking that the hard work was over. Statto.com has us finishing on 96 points, nine clear of second place and 11 from the fateful third place, but before we even contemplate that we need to pick up points where all and sundry will be expecting us to.

On Saturday, we face an Exeter team who have not lost at home in their past six games although four of those results have been stalemates. Make no mistake, a victory at lowly Exeter will be a decent result – they have the fifth best defence at home in the whole league and have only conceded 1 goal in their last four at St James Park. Last year saw the Addicks succumb to a last minute defeat down in the South West and Chris Powell and his troops will be hoping to reverse fortunes in a fixture that has not seen Charlton win since 1929 in a division 3 (south) fixture where Len Glover, Soundasa£, Henry Irving, Ketman and March saw the Reds run out 5-2 winners.

There is very little to say about a defence that can’t be questioned, so Preview Towers will quickly move onto the centre of the park where options are being added to Powell’s armoury. Dale Stephens played over an hour against Margate midweek and will look to breathe down the impressive Bradley Pritchard’s neck in the next couple of weeks, although Saturday may come slightly too early. There seems no logical reason to swap anything else around in midfield although Stephens may take over bench-warming duties from Daryl Russel who commences a period of suspension.

Yann Kermongant, fresh from having his neck tickled by James Beattie last weekend will be looking to get the partnership with Bradley Wright-Phillips back up and running. Having activated a clause in his contract to keep him at The Valley for an extra year, BWP will be hoping to end a scoring drought at a ground that will be belters-a-plenty due to his previous Plymouth allegiances.

Two fantastic wins will mean nothing if we can’t back it up with expectant victories, but this game will confirm our status as the best team in the league. It’s been a year of breaking hoodoos, and an 83 year drought without a victory is another to banish for Powell and his band of Merry Men with a 2-0 victory.

Come on you reds!