Nathan Jones praised his side’s effort and resilience as Charlton extended their unbeaten run to four games with a 1-1 draw at Derby County on Tuesday night.
The Addicks led through James Bree’s thunderous first-half volley, before the hosts levelled late on through Matt Clarke. Despite chances for both sides in the closing stages, the points were shared at Pride Park.
Speaking after the game, Jones felt the draw was a fair outcome but admitted his side were frustrated not to have claimed all three points.
“Any point on the road in the Championship is a good point,” he said. “I’m a little bit disappointed we didn’t go on to win it after the lateness of their goal, especially as we had chances ourselves late on, but overall I think it’s probably a fair result.
“They penned us in a little bit towards the end of the second half and we couldn’t quite get out and show enough control. That’s the disappointing part, but the commitment, the desire, the work rate, that was all there to see. We’ve got an honest group and I can’t fault their effort.”
Bree’s strike, his second in as many games, capped a flowing team move, and the manager was quick to highlight both the quality of the goal and the impact the summer signing has made since arriving.
“The build-up was excellent and then the finish is as good as you’re likely to see,” Jones said. “He’s a wonderful technician. I knew he was going to hit the target because I’ve seen him do it for years."
At the other end, goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski was called upon to make a vital save with the Addicks still in front, something Jones said underlined why the club moved to secure his services.
“That’s why we brought him in, to make those big, match-winning saves,” explained the boss. “I saw him do it for Luton so many times. Tonight was probably the first really big save he’s had to make for us, but he was excellent.”
The draw capped off an unbeaten September for the newly-promoted Addicks, something Jones believes underlines the progress being made.
“In the Championship it’s very difficult to go four games unbeaten, and when you’ve just come up a division it’s even harder,” he said. “So I’m really pleased with the progress we’re making. Can we get better? Absolutely. Will we get better? Yes. But from where we are now, I’m very happy.”
Jones also provided an update on Josh Edwards, who missed the trip to Pride Park with an ankle problem, and shared his thoughts on deadline-day arrival Hernandez.
“Josh is seeing a specialist tomorrow,” Jones revealed. “It’s not an easy one and it’s not going to be a matter of days. It’s a tough one to take because he’s been in excellent form for us.”
“As for Hernandez, he’s got excellent characteristics, he’s physical, he’s creative, he’s a real threat. He wasn’t quite ready for tonight but he will be soon and we’re looking forward to working with him.”
The Addicks now turn their attention to the start of October, which begins with a trip to Preston North End.
