Charlton Athletic midfielder Conor Coventry as Addicks remain entrenched in top six: ‘We’re aiming higher’

Charlton Athletic midfielder Conor Coventry says the players are eyeing up more than a top six finish this campaign.

The Addicks are firmly entrenched in the League One play-off places but eight points behind the top two.

Saturday’s goalless draw at fellow promotion contenders Stockport County means the South Londoners have lost just twice in their last 18 league outings.

They’ve averaged well over two points per game in that time – a rate that could see them as part of the automatic promotion conversation if continued over the final 11 games of the campaign.

And Coventry admitted that the side are targeting better than just a play-off place at the end of the campaign.

“We are looking higher,” explained the former West Ham United man.

“At the same time it’s game by game, isn’t it? We’ve got a tough game away on Tuesday [at Crawley] now. That’s the main thing.

“We’re not really looking too much at the table. We want to finish as high as we can. We’ve got 11 games.

“We want to try and win all 11. That’s a tough thing to do, but that’s our aspiration. Just taking it game by game, but we’re believing that something can happen.”

The goalless draw at Edgeley Park rounded off a successful week that has seen the South Londoners earn seven of a possible nine points against three sides who were part of the promotion race.

It was a hard-fought contest in Greater Manchester, with brawn trumping beauty in the gritty goalless draw.

Coventry added: “It’s a real tough game. It’s a tough place to come. A team that had a lot of promotions the last few years and they’re right up there at the table.

“The point’s a good point, especially on the back of two wins against other teams around the playoffs. If you start the week seven points, that’s a real good return.

“It was definitely a battle. It wasn’t the best game of football at times, but it was a real tough battle. Everyone had to dig in and it’s great. You see your teammates, everyone’s fighting, everyone’s giving everything. That’s the type of dressing room you want to be a part of.

“We’re the type of team that goes into every game trying to win. And we have got a few wins recently and today we fell a bit short, but you have to take the good point and I feel like we’re in a real good place.

“I feel like we’ve got a bit of momentum and confidence about us. I don’t think teams will be looking forward to playing us at the moment.”

Charlton will look to extend their fine form as they travel to relegation threatened Crawley Town on Tuesday evening. This is the Addicks’ game in hand on some of the sides around them and a win would see them leapfrog Stockport into fourth place.

The Red Devils’ 2-1 win at The Valley in early December marked a low point in Charlton’s season – but they’ve never looked back since.

“We know they’re a good side,” said Coventry.

“I feel like we were in a very different place, but in fairness to them, they were much better than us on the night and they beat us. We had to sort of regroup from that.

“That one hurt us a lot. We know what they can do. We know that they can beat us if we’re not at it.

“We’re fully aware of that. They’ve got a good result today and they’re a good side. They’ve got some good players.

“If we go and lose on Tuesday, then maybe it’s not such a good point [at Stockport]. It’s given us foundation to go into another game and try and push for another win and see what we can do.”

PHOTOS: KYLE ANDREWS