Louis Mendez’s big-match verdict: Mid-table feels wonderful after Charlton Athletic’s relegation worries over the past month

Being 14th in the League One table has never felt so good.

Charlton have become accustomed to the middle reaches of the third tier over the last decade but supporters never knew how much they would miss those days until they were gone.

After more than a month spent dangling over the trap door of the bottom four, 14th feels absolutely invigorating – almost refreshing.

Tuesday evening’s significant six-pointer victory at Cheltenham Town’s Whaddon Road – rebranded The Completely-Suzuki Stadium – has transformed the narrative of Charlton’s campaign and underlined the remarkable turnaround under Nathan Jones, appointed manager at the start of February.

The Addicks are now six unbeaten. They’ve been amongst the worst travellers in the division this season but have now wrangled seven points from a possible nine on the road in three consecutive away trips – and it could easily have been nine. That 16-game winless run has been consigned to the dustbin of history.

Not many managers have ever been as well received despite winning just one of their first six games – which was Jones’ record before the trip to Gloucestershire.

But he inherited a side bereft of a lot of the qualities a team needs to win games of football. Organisation at the back. Street smarts. Character. Concentration. This Charlton squad has been missing them for long spells of this slog of a campaign. Therefore the marked improvement in overall displays – Jones instilling some direction throughout his month in charge – compensated for the sparse return of actual wins. They were expected to follow. And now they have.

Charlton have become more difficult to beat.

Northampton Town boss Jon Brady said – through gritted teeth – after last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Sixfields that the Addicks had become “aggressive” while battling their way out of the relegation mire.

He might not like that new-look Charlton, but he hadn’t had to endure watching what had come before every week. That he referred to Charlton under Michael Appleton as a “good footballing side” proved that much. But opposition managers were noticing the introduction of a bark if not a fully-fledged bite.

While Jones had managed to turn the tide somewhat in performances, it’s the nitty gritty time of the season where results outweigh hard work. Charlton got both on Tuesday evening.

To say that chances were free-flowing in the first period would be a manic understatement. Anyone with over 3.5 goals on their coupon will have felt short-changed that they weren’t cashing their winnings by the half-hour mark.

Daniel Kanu broke the deadlock from close-range, converting Tennai Watson’s low cross for his 10th goal of a riveting coming-of-age campaign.

What followed was a succession of spurned opportunities – chiefly for Alfie May on his return to a ground where scoring goals turned from a hobby into a habit for three seasons.

You’d therefore be forgiven for fearing the worst as the Robins – who had only lost one of the last seven on home turf before Tuesday – took advantage of a suspect parry by Addicks stopper Harry Isted to level through Liam Sercombe.

But Charlton didn’t crumble. Sheffield Wednesday loanee Tyreeq Bakinson plundered his first Addicks goal with five minutes left.

And May was gifted an opening he couldn’t squander as Thierry Small took advantage of a Tom Pett slip – the sort of calamity that has plagued the Addicks at times this season.

You can’t overstate the significance of this result.

A defeat would have dragged Jones’ side back into the dogfight.

Follow up this one with triumph against rock-bottom Carlisle tomorrow and the Addicks can start planning for trips to the bright lights of Northampton Town once more.

STAR MAN
Tennai Watson. An attacking threat throughout and an assist for the opener – a remarkable turnaround for the player under Jones

BEST MOMENT
Bakinson’s turn and finish. A hugely important time to open his Charlton account.