Dean Holden felt his side’s play improved after half-time in the Addicks 1-0 loss to table-toppers Sheffield Wednesday at The Valley.
Liam Palmer gave the visitors a ninth-minute lead but a spirited Charlton side responded well in the second half, creating numerous chances as they chased a leveller.
Speaking to CharltonTV after the game, Holden said: “I was pleased with the second half display, we played with much more of a purpose. We conceded an early goal, which I’ve not seen back yet, but I’m not sure how their right wing back has ghosted in, to the penalty spot, unmarked and tapped into our net. I didn’t think there was a lot in the first half but there was isolated chances for them, which were big chances. Ash [Maynard-Brewer] has made a few good saves and we’ve got in at 1-0 and we’re still in the game.
“The message at half-time was that we needed to play with more purpose, we needed to play forward and run forward more. They gave us problems when they did that, they didn’t try and overplay. The pitch is difficult. You still see Bannan landing on things and playing forward, he’s a really creative player for them. They gave us issues just by turning us around and getting behind the ball. We did that a lot more second half and we had some good chances. If Miles Leaburn’s chance is a few centimetres the other side of the post and who knows then. We have to accept that it is 20 games unbeaten for them and they are flying high at the top of the league. It’s not something I want to say, because that is where we want to be, but we have to accept that the season we have had compared to theirs meant it was always going to be a difficult game.”
Holden also confirmed that Chuks Aneke sustained a hamstring injury during the game and would undergo a scan early next week. Supporters can watch the full CharltonTV interview below.