NATHAN Jones said he was “proud but disappointed” after Charlton Athletic’s five-game unbeaten run came to an end with a 1-0 defeat to Wrexham at the Stok Cae Ras last weekend.
Josh Windass scored the only goal from the penalty spot thirteen minutes from time after Onel Hernandez had been penalised for handball.
Harvey Knibbs went close to giving the Addicks in the lead in the first half only to be denied by the crossbar.
Three substitutes were involved in the goal, Hernandez handling James McLean’s cross and Windass finding the bottom-left corner of Thomas Kaminski’s goal.
Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo had denied Sonny Carey and James Bree in the first half, and he was the home hero in the ninth minute of added-time at the end of the game when he tipped Luke Berry’s header over.
“I’m proud but also disappointed,” Jones said on Charlton TV. “The group are giving me absolutely everything. Kayne [Ramsay] shouldn’t have played today, neither should Lloyd Jones, neither should James Bree. But with the crisis we’ve got in terms of defensive options, they had to, and I’m really proud of the work rate and everything they give me.
“They’ve been phenomenal and it’s taken them [Wrexham] a moment of madness really to beat us. We showed our qualities. We had enough chances to have got something from the game. It’s just that, one, we couldn’t get the goal, and two, it’s been a moment of madness which has cost us.”
There was an element of controversy about the handball, though Jones felt his player should have done better.
He said: “There’s no danger. James McClean crosses one in, it’s big, it beats everyone. When Onel’s there, he’s just got to get his head on it and somehow contrives to touch it with his hand, although I don’t actually know if he did touch it with his hand. But his hand’s there, so it gives the referee a decision to make, and that’s the difference.
“We had to gift them something, and we did, because I didn’t see them scoring. I didn’t see them breaking our defence, but I only have pride for the group.”
Charlton had a number of injury problems in north Wales. It was a similar situation last April when Phil Parkinson’s side defeated Jones’s Addicks 3-0 to win promotion from League One.
Charlton have two weeks to prepare for their next game at home to Jones’s previous side Southampton during the third international break of the season.
“We need it,” Jones said. “For the first time we’ve really, really needed it. Bree couldn’t take a set-piece today and he’s, for me, the best in the league at doing it, but he couldn’t take it because he’s injured. Lloyd and Kayne shouldn’t have played — they had temperatures and sickness. They had to separate from the group and couldn’t train yesterday, but such is the crisis in the defensive area that they played.
“We’re not at our ceiling, but I’m so proud of the group, how they go about their work and how they do everything I ask them to. They’re humble, they work, and I’m proud of the group.”
