Did Jonny Williams mean assist for Aneke’s goal against Stoke? Charlton Athletic man answers that question and talks about adding end product

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Jonny Williams has admitted he got lucky with his assist in Saturday’s win over Stoke City – but reckons it makes up for the breaks going against him last season.

There had been some debate whether the Charlton attacker meant to deflect Josh Cullen’s fizzed cross into the path of Chuks Aneke for the second goal last weekend.

“The manager has been telling me to get in the box and that eventually the ball will drop for me,” said Williams. “I’ve tried to get towards goal, it has hit my other leg and fallen back for Chuks.

“When I’m that close to goal I have got only one thing in mind at the moment.

“The manager is telling me to make forward runs. When I’m dribbling around the edge of the box then they [opposition players] can’t really touch me or we’ll end up with a penalty or a free-kick.

“I got clipped just before that and managed to stay on my feet. I tried to find Lyle [Taylor] but probably could’ve crossed earlier if I’d seen he was free. When I did try and square it [Jack] Butland put his leg out and clawed it away.

“We went again and Josh took my place [in the next attack] – he drove into the box and luckily enough it dropped to Chuks, he was in the right place at the right time.

“When we train we talk so much about how important it is to have one person running across the front post when the ball is crossed in. Thankfully it was me this time, usually it is Lyle. Sometimes it is just about being a nuisance in there.

“I’ll take the assist. I could have had a few last year – it’s about time.”

Williams now has two in the Championship in as many games. Last season he did not get any in 16 appearances after joining from Crystal Palace, with 14 of those starts.

“I couldn’t believe my luck at times,” he said. “I had one cleared off the line by Igor [Vetokele] against Portsmouth. I squared to Lyle and Igor was on the line.

“There was another one where I picked out Lyle, who was five yards out, and he went and put it over the bar. I was thinking ‘I don’t know what I have to do to get an assist’.

“We played Plymouth and I’m pretty sure I crossed the ball for Lyle and it hit a defender and went down as an own goal, so I didn’t even get that one.

“I could easily have had six [assists]. The main thing is that I’m contributing towards goals and effecting the games.

“I’ve got two assists now and I’m still playing the same as I always have done.”

The challenge for Williams, as it has been for the past few seasons, is to add that end product.
Bowyer spoke over the summer about him often being the player who “assists the assistor”.

Williams has netted three times in 107 Championship matches.

“I wouldn’t say I’m a bad finisher or an amazing finisher,” he said. “I can finish in training. I have managed to improve that vastly working under Bowyer.

“I’ve never had a manager work with me on finishing like he has. Johnnie Jackson has helped as well.

“Most Thursdays we do finishing practise – all the strikers and midfielders. He [Bowyer] takes us for half an hour and we work on different types of finishing after training.

“Now and then the manager takes me to work on specific scenarios he thinks I might find myself in games.

“It is about getting those chances in games. At the moment nothing is really dropping for me. He has told me the next level for me is goals.

“Goals talk, at the end of the day. It is something I definitely want to add but it has not always been the most important thing to me.”

When it comes to scoring, nobody does it better or more frequently for Charlton than Lyle Taylor. Addicks owner Roland Duchatelet rejected all the bids made by Brentford for last season’s top-scorer.

“Everyone was relieved when the window shut and Lyle was still a Charlton player,” said Williams.

“He is a massive player for us – he knows it and everyone else knows it. I never had any doubt he would be able to perform at this level after seeing what he did last season in League One. He is a top, top striker.”