Pearce makes sure Bowyer escape bid is off to head start
LEE BOWYER’S Great Escape reloaded hit the ground running to help Charlton finally see some light at the end of the lockdown tunnel.
Skipper Jason Pearce put his head in where it hurts to grab a priceless three points and lift the Addicks out of the drop zone – to be replaced by hapless Hull.
After a 12th league game without a win it’s easy to see why City’s vice-chairman Ehab Allam was so keen to void the rest of the season with Grant McCann’s men in freefall.
It’s hardly been plain sailing for Charlton, who have had plenty of problems of their own during the three-month break.
They are on to their third owner of the season while top-scorer Lyle Taylor has refused to play so as not to scupper a lucrative summer move.
Bowyer said: “We’re out of the bottom three and it’s back in our hands again.
“It was a deserved win, we were at it and looked sharp. On another day we could have scored more but we’ve got a clean sheet so I’m very pleased.
“We’ve got to keep fighting for every point to try and keep this club in the division.”
George Long went from hero to zero in a matter of seconds as Charlton took an 18th-minute lead.
The Hull keeper saved well from Aiden McGeady but was left in no man’s land at Josh Cullen’s resulting corner as Tomer Hemed’s flick was headed home from close range at the far post by the stooping Pearce for his first goal in 14 months.
Macauley Bonne should have doubled the lead before the break but the forward somehow managed to miss Adedeji Oshilaja’s inviting low cross with the goal at his mercy.
Not even the boost of a return for Angus MacDonald – after the defender’s successful battle against bowel cancer saw him start for the first time in almost two years – could lift the toothless Tigers.
Hull have been in disarray since selling strike duo Jarrod Bowen and Kamil Grosicki in January and they rarely looked like adding to their most recent win – way back on New Year’s Day.
Jon Toral sent an early header narrowly wide and Dan Batty then had a long-range effort tipped over by Dillon Phillips.
But they were rare half-chances in a second period when Bonne spurned the clearest one, sending a free header wide from 10 yards.
McCann said: “If I didn’t have any hope we can get out of the bottom three, I wouldn’t be here talking to you right now.
“We’ve got to take the positives. It’s really tight at the bottom there are a lot of twists and turns still to happen and I know we’re going to get better and sharper.”