Charlton team bond strengthened during eight-game winless run in League One

Ben Garner reckons that Charlton Athletic’s team spirit has improved despite their recent winless run.

The Addicks ended the wait for three points with a 4-2 victory over Exeter City at The Valley on Tuesday.

It eased some of the pressure building on Garner and his players after a run of eight matches without a win.

Charlton scored more than two goals in a league game for only the third time this season.

They had not netted more than once in League One since a 5-1 demolition of Plymouth on August 16.

Garner said: “It’s important in the habit and confidence that brings, of doing it again [scoring a lot of goals in a match]. I don’t think we’ve created too many more opportunities on Tuesday night than we did in several games this season.

“We were clinical and had that little rub of the green, which we haven’t had all season, for me it has been one of those runs.

“I said just before kick off, going out with the staff: ‘The really impressive thing for me is that I’m looking in that dressing room before the game and the spirit has got stronger during this period. That’s a really good sign for me’.

“If the spirit is getting stronger because you’re winning every week, it’s a natural occurrence of that. But we haven’t been getting as many wins as we want, but they are still becoming closer as a group and the standards they are driving of each other has improved and we just needed that win to get the confidence that it brings.

“Now we can look ahead to the Portsmouth game, attack that one and aim for three points.”

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD