Derby County 1 Charlton Athletic 2
How good did that feel?
When Karoy Anderson’s arrow of a shot hit the roof of the net plum, that indescribable feeling of euphoria was back, right there, inside, beating.
No one gave us a chance, including all of us, this past fortnight against the top three, two on the road, but Nathan Jones has brought a belief and a belonging back to the football club that was out for the count.
Our first win for 18 games and our first at Derby since 1999. I was there that day and I remember having that same euphoric feeling as tonight when Martin Pringle raced away late in the game to score to make it 2-0.
As suspected Jones switched Bakinson with Coventry and Ladapo with May. Gillesphey replaced Lloyd Jones and Dobson was benched for Camara.
First half there really wasn’t much in it, but Derby, who’s play can best be described as ugly but efficient, overpowered us at a corner and scored. The Addicks were unable to get a foothold in the game, we were sloppy in possession and were getting overrun in midfield, with Camara particularly culpable.
Coventry wasn’t great either but in the second period he made his entrance in a Charlton shirt and was everything we’d hope he would be.
We began the half well, clearly with a flea in our ear, then on the hour Jones brought on Aneke and May for Ladapo and Camara. With May going into the 10 role.
Immediately with his first touch Chuks hit the bar and from my office I could sense the belief that soared through the players at that point.
Kanu had already shown a couple of moments of sheer desire and pace and he chased a beautiful pass from Coventry past the defender and into the box where their keeper upended him. Penalty.
Up stepped May and he was back to goalscoring ways. His face said it all.
We then had to weather a little storm but this new team of ours was not going to settle for a point. On 80 minutes one their players mis-controlled the ball in midfield – we have watched Charlton players do the same all season – Chuks pounced and was off, he layed the ball beautifully into Kanu’s path and his shot was well saved.
Karoy Anderson had been a firecracker all night and the ball came out to him, he steadied himself and fired a shot into the roof of the net.
There were 8 added minutes and even the introduction of CBT for Derby couldn’t break the resistance.
A fantastic night and never more so than for the 700 Addicks who made the journey. Lovely.
MoW: It could have been Kanu or Anderson or many of them to be honest, but I’m going for Thierry Small. I’m unsure to how he got here, but I am liking it all the same.
Elsewhere: Fleetwood were 0-2 down to Port Vale with 2 minutes left but Stockley scored twice to bring it back to 2-2. Carlisle had a confidence busting win at Burton, Lincoln beat Shrewsbury 3-0 and Wycombe beat Cheltenham 2-0. Finally at the bottom Cambridge lost at near neighbours Stevenage.
Super night and so pleased for Jones who deserves it, and for all of us who deserve it more.
Real green shoots for sure, Kanu and Anderson look like they could be massive for us next season, the latter an archetypal Jones player.
Wingbacks, proper ones, needed to execute Jones’s 3-5-2 and more savvy CB’s but yes, feels like we’ve turned a corner with the first proper proper manager for decades.
Let’s hope the SMT don’t blow it in summer
It’s been a difficult time for the moaners and pessimists who enjoy wallowing in misery, but I expect they will find a new narrative soon.
Fantastic win at Derby of all places. Five points from the top three teams in the division is promotion form. If only we hadn’t had the awful season we’ve had until then (a little moan there for Wyn)
Maybe NJ WILL turn out to be The Messiah. If he amasses 52 ish points I might even become a believer.
Collective hard graft and teamwork won that match for us…
Derby are a physical side and the first half was scrappy and edgy with both teams unable to get and stay on the ball. Their one moment of quality gave them their goal. But we matched them. The second half as players tired saw gaps opening up in midfield and Conor Coventry now had a bit more room, as did Anderson and Camara and there’s no question in my mind that we were the better side. If I have a criticism…it’s that Daniel Kanu strayed offside a few times when we were in good positions. The best strikers time those runs – but he’s young and learning, he will get better with experience.
I loved Karoy Anderson’s goal for the manner in which he took it, truth is Daniel Kanu should have scored but he was there to follow up and cracked home the goal before anyone, even he, could blink. That was the strike of a good player who trusts his skills.
We’ve given ourselves some room to breathe – we have to follow this up with points against Northampton and Cheltenham.
What a result !!!
I had a feeling we would get a result and grit and determination was shown throughout the match.
Nathan is a manager who will select players that will suit us against oppositions and it paid off.
I managed to spill my mug of tea over the sofa when Karoy hit the net much to my Mrs annoyance….
It’s a long time waiting for this win, but it just shows what we can do…5 points off the top 3 teams is encouraging.
One Swallow doesn’t make a Spring but I can see more of them in the distance!!!
Yes CA it felt really good didnt it!? Finally a win and 3 points!
We can all feel a little more positive now……… this Jones guy really seems to know what he’s doing?!
Thierry Small also had a good game against Portsmouth, especially first half.
I think we can now see a talented and young squad emerging that hopefully can not only take us through to promotion in one to two seasons but also make us competitive in the Championship.
That was really, really enjoyable.
I had a feeling that this would be the game that we broke the run and so it turned out. I think the second half of the Lincoln match was the turning point and we have improved with each game since.
I must say, even I (Mr. Optimistic), doubted we would get anything after our first half display. We battled however, especially just after they scored and kept ourselves in it for the second half. They are very physical, as stated above. When Chucks came on that changed.
I thought Chucks had scored with his header, the home crowd enjoyed our disappointment a little too much for my liking and were teased by our more vocal supporters thereafter.
Good to see Alfie getting on the score sheet. Mr. Anderson, that was the sound of inevitability (matrix) and was celebrated like a cup final win.
Nathan Jones clearly enjoyed it, as he showed when he came over to the supporters at the end. In Nathan we trust, I have a really good feeling about our immediate future just now.
I stayed in Derby overnight and drove back this morning, still buzzing!
That’s great Christopher. One to remember.
I agree that it was the 2nd half v Lincoln when I saw a mindset change. We weren’t necessarily better than previous weeks and months but something within the players looked different.
It’s a journey and there is much to do, but I am enjoying having NJ as our manager.
It was me who, you may recall, did not want us to change the “head coach”. Insisting that the problem was structural instead. The proof is in the pudding and the pudding is thus far, saying that I was wrong, which I fully support with hindsight. However, we did also change the structure, and appoint a manager, I think I got that part right.
With the board having made 3 changes of leader this season, it would be really difficult to get rid of Nathan (not that I believe they want to), this seems to give Nathan an authority which previous incumbents may not have had. When the tough times come, Nathan will still carry that authority. It is obvious that he is also very popular with the fan base. Those things, and our new owners seeming willingness to support the team finically give me great hope.
As you say, these are but the first steps, with which every journey begins. There is much to do and not just with the team! I just have a feeling that the stars are aligning for us now, after such a long wait ….. my very recent record with these feelings is 100% BYW 🙂
Thierry Small was given is pro debut by Jones at Southampton!
Lost his way a bit since Jones left and was released by Saints (the English one) after a seemingly very underwhelming spell at St. Mirren where they were glad to see the back of him and terminated the loan early.
Cracking signing that we need to keep a hold of! Miles ahead of Edun