Charlton Athletic boss reveals how ‘giant extension lead’ has helped them add set-piece goals

Charlton manager Ben Garner has revealed one of the secrets behind his team’s set-piece improvement – buying an extension lead so a TV can be brought to the side of the training pitch.

The Addicks scored twice from deadball moments in tonight’s 3-0 victory over Portsmouth.

Ryan Inniss headed them in front after a short corner routine between Charlie Kirk and Scott Fraser.

And Fraser supplied the free-kick for Eoghan O’Connell to cushion a header home for their final goal of the evening.

Charlton had a low xG from set-pieces this season but Garner reckons some tweaks have paid dividends.

“We’ve started looking more of a threat and we’ve tinkered with things. We’ve actually got a giant extension lead now which allows us to take a TV out and go through the set-pieces on the side of the pitch.

“We’re looking at the ways we do it and how the players take information on. Anthony Hayes works really hard on the attacking ones and Scott Marshall goes into great detail defensively.

“We’re positive in terms of goals from set-pieces. We haven’t conceded many and now we’re scoring, which is great. If we’re going to be successful this season it is going to be a key part.

“We can show it on the side of the pitch – show them the movements and what the opposition do, if we want. It just means it is fresh in their memory. It seems to have helped us.

“We’ve done some stuff with the analyst in terms of getting the information to the players the night before. We’ll leave no stone unturned on that because it is such a critical part of the game.”

Corey Blackett-Taylor scored Charlton’s second of the night. Fraser played a part in that goal too as his challenge halted a Portsmouth attack. Charlie Kirk threaded a pass through and the electric winger fired through the legs of Joshua Griffiths.

“It was a fantastic result and I’m really pleased with the performance. Every player was incredible in terms of our team ethic, our work-rate and togetherness – fantastic – and then some real quality in possession.

“It was a thoroughly deserved three points.

“I’m never completely satisfied. We could’ve been better in the last 10 minutes and managed the ball a lot better 11 v 10, but I’ll let the players off this evening and deal with that later in the week.

“Corey was excellent. The pleasing thing was the way he worked for the team – if he does that I’ll forgive everything else.”

Charlton are two points behind sixth-placed Barnsley but have played a fixture more.

Garner said: “We’re disappointed with where we were, we’ve just had too many draws. Even the games here that’s four wins and three draws – we could easily have won all seven and probably should have won a couple more. We’re hunting down now. We have to win games.”

PICTURES: KEITH GILLARD