Brave,brave Charlton returned to wining ways with a 1-0 win over Leeds at The Valley on Saturday afternoon.
It was a oerformance full of resillience,dogged determination and an unquenchable will to win.
For sure,the Addicks had their backs to the wall for long periods, but if they had shown a touch more composure in the final third, they could have fashioned two or three more gilt edge chances.
The decisive goal came just past the half-hour mark. A well planned corner routine saw the ball come to Tom Lockyer.
The defender’s volley was parried by the keeper, but hit Macauley Bonne on the back and trickled over the line. It may not have been pretty, but it sent The Valley into raptures.
It was Bonne’s first league start for the club. Tomer Hemed was ruled out with a quad injury, and Beram Kayal was again unavailable.
Lee Bowyer opted to start with Naby Sarr, and left Jason Pearce on the bench.
Though he started with a back four, the manager drafted midfield anchor, Darren Pratley,into his back line midway through the opening period.
Bowyer now faces a tough task readying his troops for Wednesday’s match with Swansea. His players gave their all, and several were suffering with cramp by the end.
Rest, recovery and rotation will be vital on Wednesday evening.
A delighted Bowyer summed up his team’s performanca after the game:
“Again, the players gave me everything. They’ve gone out there and put their bodies on the line time and time again.
“I think we had possession as well at times and we got the goal – that was something that we’d been working on and Johnnie Jackson has been working on the set pieces because we knew that that might play a big part today – thankfully for us that was enough.
“We work extremely hard on both sides, defending and attacking, last week wasn’t like us, we don’t normally concede from set pieces.
“Our delivery is normally good so we’re always a threat. I’m glad we won the game from a set piece,” said Bowyer, who then gave his thoughts on Dillon Phillips’ performance:
“That’s what he’s there to do, everyone plays a part, from the top to the bottom. I thought our front two worked so hard for the team.
“They were playing against, in my eyes, the best team in the league. So, we’re going to have our backs against the wall at times and our goalie is going to have to make saves and thankfully for us he did that today.
“To keep a clean sheet against a very good league side, I’m over the moon.”
Bowyer again paid tribute ti the fans, and explained his reasoning behind switching Darren Pratley into central defence midway through the first-half.
“I knew that it was going to be difficult today, but with our fans behind us – who didn’t stop singing the whole game – the place was bouncing.
“With the group of players that I have it makes my job a lot easier.
“I always believe that we’ve got a chance of winning. If we get things right defensively and tactically then we’ve always got a chance of winning.
“I work hard, I watched a lot of Leeds games, like I do every other team and I recognised that they struggle against teams that play with three at the back.
“They don’t create half as many chances as they do against teams that play with four at the back.
“My intention was to start with a back four at the beginning and really try and get after them and disturb them if you like and that seemed to work.
“But I always knew that after 20 minutes we was going to go back to a back three and then maybe try and soak up a bit of pressure and hit them on the break.
“We did that and all my plans worked today.”
Charlton: Phillips; Solly, Lockyer, Sarr, Purrington; Pratley, Cullen, Gallagher (Pearce 86), Williams (Aneke 55); Bonne (Field, 82), Leko.
Subs (not used): Amos, Oshilaja, Forster-Caskey, Oztumer.
Goal: Bonne 32
Booked: Lockyer 66 (foul), Pratley 70(foul), Solly 90 (timewasting).
Leeds United: Casilla; Dallas, White, Cooper, Alioski (Nketiah 46); Phillips, Costa, Shackleon (Forshaw 46), Kilch; Bamford (Roberts 69), Harrison.
Subs (not used): Miazek, Douglas, Beradi, Clarke$
Booked: Bamford 66 (foul).
Referee: John Brooks (Leicestershire).
Attendance: 21,808 (3,179 Leeds).