CURTIS Fleming couldn’t end Charlton Athletic’s winless run but he praised his side’s “endeavour” after Marvin Ekpiteta’s own goal earned the visitors a point at Blackpool on Saturday.
Interim head coach Fleming admitted the side is “lacking confidence” but is “good enough” to get out of their current predicament.
The Seasiders went in front through Karamoko Dembele in the 53rd minute before Alfie May’s shot deflected off Ekpiteta and past goalkeeper Dan Grimshaw on 69 minutes.
The Addicks dropped to eighteenth in League One after 11 games without a win, four points above the relegation zone.
“I never look down, I always look up. This team is good enough, but it’s lacking confidence,” Fleming said on Charlton TV. “To build anything takes time, it takes planning, and it takes an understanding and a belief that in the long run it’s going to work out.
“There has to be a foundation. There has to be a plan. And looking forward, there’s no doubt that this team, with cohesion and another transfer window in the summer, should be pushing.
“We just need to finish the season well.”
Fleming was pleased with the application of the side.
He said: “Overall I think it will be a good trip back for the lads. It’s a hard place to come to, but for us to get something from the game is a plus.
“It was a very hard game. They’re technically very good. But I can’t question the endeavour the players put in. They worked very, very hard.
“I’m very proud of the lads, I’ve just said to them in there. There are some things there’s no doubt you can work on, we rode our luck at times.
“But I thought in the last fifteen, 20 minutes we were still pushing and showing the character to try and win the game instead of sitting on the edge of the box and hoping that something doesn’t happen.
“My overriding feeling is that you can never question the endeavour that the lads put in today and the character they put in today. Some of the technical and tactical stuff you can work on, there’s no doubt about it, but you can’t work on that (points to heart) – and I thought that was great.”
The hosts went ahead after Lloyd Jones lost the ball in his own half to former Charlton midfielder Albie Morgan. Jones had come on in the 45th minute for January signing Macaulay Gillesphey, who had a hamstring issue.
“I didn’t start Lloydy because I wanted to give him a reset, I think he needed a reset,” Fleming said. “I’m talking transparently now because I’ve spoken to him. I thought it was one of those where he needed a game out, have a good week’s training and then get going again.
“He doubts himself sometimes but he’s got all the attributes to be top, top quality.
“With Maccer’s hamstring tightening up we didn’t want to take chances. Sometimes you leave lads on when you shouldn’t and you end up missing them for four or six weeks. So we had to take Maccer off and I said to him, ‘Are you ready, Lloydy?’ And he said, ‘I’m ready to go’.
“And then he makes a mistake but I’ve said to him in there, ‘Don’t forget the seven headers you headed after that’. But in there he’s beating himself up a little bit. But the lads have got around him and we’ve got a point and the trip home isn’t as bad as it might have been.”
