MATTY Godden and Luke Berry scored either side of the break to beat Stevenage 2-0 at The Valley and send Charlton Athletic into the play-off places in League One on Saturday.
Charlton struggled to create much until a minute before half-time when Godden finished Conor Coventry’s low cross at the near post for his twelfth goal of the season.
Berry added a second three minutes after half-time from a rebound after Tyreece Campbell had hit the post.
The Addicks are sixth after a seventh match unbeaten at home.
“In the second half we were really, really good, as good as we’ve been under me, if not better,” Charlton boss Nathan Jones said. “We created enough chances and with a little bit more composure, a little bit better decision making then it would have been a little bit more comfortable, but I’m really happy because it was a tough game.
“I thought Godden was outstanding. Luke Barry was outstanding. It’s wrong of me to pick out anyone because I think it was a team performance, but I thought we were brilliant.”
Stevenage started well and Charlton goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer prevented Louis Appere from giving the visitors the lead.
Maynard-Brewer then went down injured and when he was receiving treatment Jones took the opportunity to offer his players instructions.
It did the trick as Charlton registered a fourth win in five league games.
“I thought we were outstanding,” Jones said. “I think we had one moment in the first half where we needed our keeper to pull off a save. They’re a difficult side to play against. They’re very central, they pack the centre and they go into the front quite a lot and then anything that bounces they attack quickly. We didn’t handle that on one, maybe two occasions, but then after that I thought we were outstanding.
“We called them over and just settled them down. Once we settled down, I thought we were brilliant. Second half was the best we’ve been under me.”
