Bowyer is told to carry on as county quartet face backlog
CHARLTON ATHLETIC have rewarded Lee Bowyer’s fine spell as caretaker manager by giving him the job until the end of the season.
Former Leeds United midfielder Bowyer took over from Karl Robinson on a temporary basis last month and has won his first three games in charge to reignite the Addicks’ play-off bid.
They occupy sixth place on 61 points from 39 games by virtue of their superior goal difference and are five points behind fourthplaced Rotherham with a game in hand.
Charlton also have a game in hand on Portsmouth (seventh, 61 points) and Scunthorpe (eighth, 60) with ninth-placed Plymouth also on 60 after 39 games.
Bowyer said: “I have been really pleased with the lads. They have done everything I have asked of them since I’ve come in.
“I’m pleased that I have been given until the end of the season but the focus does not change. We want to make the play-offs and I believe we will.”
Charlton are in discussions with two interested parties regarding a takeover and the club have said that an agreed condition of any sale is that Bowyer’s position will remain safe.
Meanwhile, in the Championship, trip to Nottingham Forest has been re-arranged for Tuesday, April 24 (7.45pm).
That means the Reds, who are fighting to stay in the second tier, face playing their seven remaining matches in a period of 30 days beginning with this weekend’s derby against Sheffield United. In League One,
home game against Walsall will take place on Tuesday, May 1 when will be at home to AFC Wimbledon.
Both the Bantams and Rovers face squeezing their remaining eight games into just 29 days. National League
re-arranged home game against Gateshead is on Thursday, April 12, meaning the Shaymen face a gruelling schedule of four games inside eight days. STEPHEN KINGSLEY admits being nursed up in the Hull City treatment room was one of the hardest times of his career.
The Tigers’ full-back made his return to action in City’s 2-2 draw at Wolves on Tuesday night following a six-month layoff after groin surgery.
Kingsley played 70 minutes against the league leaders in what was only his sixth outing since swapping Swansea for Humberside last summer.
Nigel Adkins’s side came from behind at Molineux to lead 2-1 but were pegged back by Oskar Buur’s late strike to ensure the spoils were shared.
Kingsley admits he is happy to be back in the first-team fold and is ready to play his part in steering the club to Championship safety.
“It was a great occasion to come back into after such a horrible six or seven months out,” said the 23-year-old.
“It’s definitely been the hardest (time) of my career, probably even my life.
“I’ve just wanted to get this injury out of the way.