The Football League Paper

WATT A WAY TO WELCOME POWELL

- By Andrew Brook

CHARLTON fans filled The Valley to witness Chris Powell’s homecoming but the last laugh belonged to the latest man in the Addicks’ hot-seat – Guy Luzon.

Powell played more than 200 times for Charlton and led them to the League One title, but his Huddersfie­ld side were carved apart in front of more than 25,000 thrilled fans.

Thirteen winless games had seen Charlton lurch towards the relegation zone, but Luzon has lifted them into the top half with three wins in four.

The latest came after winger Johan Gudmundsso­n struck in a free-kick from 25-yards and Scottish striker Tony Watt netted twice in the second half.

And Luzon said: “The fans are happy and we are happy, because we played very well.We were well organised in defence and in attack we made some great combinatio­ns.

“It was important with the full stadium to send people home with a good feeling.

“When I win ugly it is ok, but I like to win beautiful. When you play like this, in the long-term we will get more points and the fans will enjoy it more.

“The atmosphere was great. I hope that on Tuesday all the fans that were here come again, because we deserve that after how we played.

“I know if I go somewhere and I enjoy it, I want to go again.

“My philosophy is that in defence we have rules and every player knows what he has to do.

“In offence I give them advice, but I tell them that they need to bring their talent and ability.

“I let them play how they want. It is very important to me that they smile.”

A lukewarm game was jolted into life by Gudmundsso­n’s firsthalf free-kick.

Despite striking it from just outside the box and dead centre, Gudmundsso­n curled the ball around the wall and into the half of the goal unguarded by Alex Smithies.

It was no more than Charlton deserved for their first-half efforts, as Igor Vetokele and Watt dragged Huddersfie­ld’s defence hither and thither.

But only in the second half were the Addicks adequately rewarded.

Two minutes after kick-off Murray Wallace stood four yards behind his fellow defenders to allow Vetokele clear and the Angola internatio­nal crossed for Watt to bundle in his second Charlton goal.

Huddersfie­ld had shifted to 4-4-2 at half-time, but their potency was little improved and only two agile saves from Smithies in three minutes – first from Watt's low, 20-yard shot, then from Lawrie Wilson’s effort – kept them in the game.

Stephen Henderson responded with a sprightly save of his own to deny Wallace, but a minute later the defender was blameworth­y again as Watt breezed past him to score. Powell said: “We were second best all day and beaten by the better team.

“We couldn’t get ourselves going and over the balance of the game we can’t have any complaints. Mainly that was because of Charlton.

“It’s the nature of the Championsh­ip that we can win 3-0 on Tuesday and lose 3-0 here. You look at the top sides and they’ve all dropped points.

“Sometimes all you can do is credit the opposition for that, rather than blaming your own players.

“My relationsh­ip with Charlton supporters and how they are, I wouldn’t expect anything less than what I got in terms of a reception. It’s how they’ve been with me in three spells as a player and it’s more than you’d ever expect for an opposition manager.

“It’s a great moment for me in my career, but I’m employed by a different club now. I have great memories, but now my supporters are at the other end.”

 ?? PICTURE: Action Images ?? EYE FOR GOAL: Tony Watt scores the second goal for Charlton. Inset: Johann Gudmundsso­n scores the Addicks’ first
PICTURE: Action Images EYE FOR GOAL: Tony Watt scores the second goal for Charlton. Inset: Johann Gudmundsso­n scores the Addicks’ first
 ??  ?? STAR MAN TONY WATT Charlto
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STAR MAN TONY WATT Charlto n

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