BOWYER’S BOYS BACK IN THE GAME
Charlton look the part at The Valley
CHARLTON made a compelling case for a promotion spot with an emphatic victory over Derby at The Valley.
The international break was clearly a welcome interruption for Lee Bowyer’s side after their early season optimism had been tempered by a run of just one win in five games.
Bowyer praised his side’s openness to new tactics after he out-thought Dutch counterpart Phillip Cocu.
Bowyer said: “We have never played that formation before. We tried it on Thursday for the first time. Everything we asked the players to do, they did.
“It was probably our best allround performance from start to finish of the season.”
Charlton’s first-half dominance was almost embarrassing, so disjointed were the visitors.
In the opening 45 minutes, Cocu offered just a single effort on goal and that was a powder-puff shot from former Charlton player Krystian Bielik which was collected with ease by home keeper Dillon Phillips.
By contrast, Charlton poured forward at every opportunity and served up a display that was infused with verve and imagination.
The width created by overlapping wing-backs Chris Solly and Jake Forster-Caskey occupied the Derby full-backs and left room inside for the excellent Jonny Williams-Macauley Bonne axis.
The pair created chances for each other throughout the opening half-hour before Williams was forced to limp off through injury.
They first combined in the sixth minute when Williams slipped the ball into Bonne’s path and a sweet rising shot left Derby keeper Kelle Roos grasping at thin air.
Williams was inches away from sliding home Bonne’s 20th-minute cross-shot before the midfielder fed the overlapping Bonne only for Roos to tip away his angled shot.
If Derby hoped that Williams limping off would signal an opportunity to wrest back control, they were mistaken. It required Roos to spread himself at the feet of Cullen and prevent Charlton taking a 2-0 lead as half-time approached.
The visiting keeper could do nothing three minutes into the second half when his defenders left Naby Sarr unmarked to head home a Cullen corner.
Still Derby offered little at the other end with only Tom Lawrence appearing to possess stomach for the contest.
Even his resolve was swept away in the 67th minute when Conor Gallagher shifted the ball on to his right foot and curled a delightful shot into the top corner from 20 yards. Derby substitute Mason Bennett did at least force Phillips into a save five minutes from time but that would have offered only the scantest of consolations for Derby’s 2,999 travelling supporters.
Cocu was scathing, saying: “It was a bad day. I would say we were not on the same level in terms of desire and energywise as our opponents.
“I don’t know the reason why our performance was so flat”.