Charlton Athletic striker Matty Godden has career scoring milestone in his sights

Saturday matchwinner Matty Godden has revealed he wants to reach 200 career goals while he is a Charlton Athletic player.

The striker, a summer signing from Coventry City, popped up with the clincher in yesterday’s 1-0 victory over Birmingham City.

Godden also netted in the midweek 3-2 loss at Bristol Rovers and it could easily have been a brace with Alex Mitchell nudging his goalbound header in from virtually on the goal-line.

The experienced frontman, 33, was quick to dismiss any suggestion that scoring against Birmingham was any sweeter due to his strong Sky Blues connections. Although he did concede that Krystian Bielik’s recent quote saying that the Blues were “too good” for League One “was all over the dressing room”.

“No – I celebrate every goal,” he said. “I love scoring goals. I feel like I bring a lot to the team but I just love scoring goals.

“I don’t set targets but while I am here I am close to the 200-goal mark, so that is one thing I do have in my head. That’s one thing I said to Alex Mitchell: ‘I want 200 goals this season if I can’. I think I’m in the low 180s at the moment.

“Tuesday was a difficult night. We have put that to bed now and there have been some strong words said – it’s all about today and we were outstanding.

“It’s been important we all start pulling in the same direction because with the squad we’ve got, I know there is the noise around Birmingham and Wrexham, but we’ve got one helluva squad here that is experienced and got some incredible young players.

“We need to believe we should be up there as well when we click. We are still trying to gel with the amount of players that came in during the summer.

“We looked more like a Nathan Jones and a Charlton side today.

“Looking at Birmingham they can really over-run you in midfield with their pretty patterns they play, at times. The gaffer has seen that and we’ve gone to a box midfield to deal with them. We nicked it off them high quite a few times. The energy we showed was outstanding. From minute one we got the press right and limited them to not very little.

“If we stick to what the gaffer wants, and believe in ourselves more, we have to (have promotion as a target). Top-six has to be an aim for us. The players that have been signed and even the gaffer himself, you don’t want to settle to be a mid-table side. You have to go for promotion otherwise there is no point being in football. That’s the way I look at it.

“I’ve come here to be down with my family but also put Charlton back where I feel they should be.”

Godden is leading the club’s scoring charts with four in all competitions.

He turned to half-volley in Josh Edwards’ long throw.

“I saw it coming across and I knew exactly what I wanted to do,” he said. “I knew where the goal was and caught it nicely on the swivel.

“We’ve got to put it on us that we were really good out of possession but also in possession. We were a little bit more controlled than we have been in the last 10 days or two weeks.

“We got our just rewards in the second half.”

PICTURE: PAUL EDWARDS