Talking points from Charlton’s 2-1 win at Bolton – Addicks must take advantage of favourable run of League One fixtures
Here are Louis Mendez’s talking points from the League One match.
BIG WIN ON THE ROAD
Gritty. Scrappy. Untidy. Hard-fought. Maybe even unconvincing. Pick your own portrayal of Tuesday’s come-from-behind triumph at Bolton, but nobody can deny its importance for Nathan Jones and his side.
Up against it after falling behind to Joel Randall’s strike early in the second-half, the South Londoners were staring down the barrel of a third northern defeat in league and cup in the space of a trying eight days.
Last week’s brave FA Cup exit at Preston preceded a chaotic and timid display in a 4-2 loss at Rotherham United.
If that were to be followed by another reverse against a Bolton side in crisis but above Charlton in the table, there was a real danger of a rot setting in.
But Lloyd Jones hauled the Addicks level 20 minutes from time. And with just four minutes left on the clock, Karoy Anderson’s goalward prod ricocheted off a baffled Bolton body to wrongfoot Luke Southwood and float home.
There were not many who made the trip to Greater Manchester from South London but those smattered into the away end recognised the significance of that late turnaround in the context of Charlton’s season.
COMEBACK CHARACTER
Nathan Jones revelled in the character on display from his Charlton side as they won after going behind for the first time this season.
How they recovered from that uncharacteristic performance at Rotherham on Saturday was always going to be fascinating.
In truth, it was a slow start on Tuesday. But Charlton did stick in the game before striking twice late on.
It was a battle out there – but one in which the South Londoners found a way to do what they had to do.
They will need to show that personality plenty more times between now and the end of the season.
STRIKE WHILE THE IRON IS HOT
That’s now just one defeat in eight League One outings and four wins in the last six for Charlton, who are four points outside the play-off places.
A return of nearly 1.88 points-per-game over the last eight would be enough to haul the Addicks to the average amount needed for a top-six finish if it was kept up for the rest of the campaign.
But good runs do not last forever and maintaining that level for another 21 games is a big ask when compared to a short-term burst.
It’s important the Addicks look to try and take advantage of their current momentum as they enter a favourable run of games. Four of their next five are at home and they are all against sides in the bottom 10, starting with Shrewsbury Town tomorrow.
Target 10 points from those and you’re back on track.
Bolton and Charlton have struggled in spells but can haul themselves back into the conversation with a run of wins. There are a lot of beatable sides. You just have to conjure up some consistency.
Charlton are enjoying a relative spell of good health in the squad at the moment with pretty much everyone either fit or close to being so. This is the time the streak must be made.
THE FIRST HOUR STILL HAPPENED
Jones will be mindful of the lack of fluency in the first hour at the Tough Sheet Stadium.
The Addicks struggled to build up any real rhythm and were inviting pressure with some more misplaced passes out from the back, something that has plagued them over the last few weeks.
Macauley Gillesphey – before atoning for it with his superb assist for Lloyd Jones’ leveller – was the guilty man on Tuesday.
Alex Mitchell found himself in the dock for the same crime at Rotherham last weekend. It may have been a hangover from the defeat at the New York Stadium but the Addicks were sloppy in possession and stifled their own ability to control the game for a long time.
They battled through it in the end but Jones will be eager for improvement in that department.
PICTURE: PAUL EDWARDS