NATHAN Jones said Charlton Athletic’s last-gasp extra-time 4-3 win over Southend United in the first round of the FA Cup had him questioning why he got into management.
The Addicks appeared to be cruising at Roots Hall against a side that are fourteenth in the fifth tier when Miles Leaburn and Zach Mitchell put them two goals ahead in the first half.
But the League One side were rocked after Jack Bridge’s penalty in first-half added-time and Oliver Coker’s 52nd-minute equaliser.
Matty Godden restored Charlton’s lead in the 66th minute but the hosts fought back again and made it 3-3 when Josh Edwards put the ball into his own net in the third minute off added-time.
There was one more twist in an epic cup tie as Gassan Ahadme scored in the 121st minute to finally settle it.
“Sometimes in life you wonder why you go into management,” Jones said. “This is one of those moments, I have to be honest.
“It doesn’t matter what you do or how you train, it’s unfathomable how we have got to 4-3, winning in injury-time. It should have been out of sight, 3-0 at half-time – the game should have been dead.
“We haven’t done the basics again today. We said to not give them anything, don’t give free-kicks away and defend properly, we don’t do the basics right.
“You can train movements, patterns, work and diet – every single thing – but if you don’t do the basics right you won’t be the side you want to be and at the moment we are not.”
Jones added: “If you go into the break 3-0 up, the game is dead. They come out having to gamble and if you do things right you should win the game. They didn’t have to work hard for the penalty and that’s when the complexion changes.”
Jones said: “I will be watching the draw, it’s a wonderful competition.
“There is romance in this cup, and it showed today. I’ll go to bed and have a glass of wine and I’ll be content that we are in the next round. I’d rather that than we played brilliantly and lost.
“There are certain things we need to do better if we want to be the side we want to be.”
