Reaction From Addicks Boss Phil Parkinson

Last updated : 07 April 2010 By Thetashkentterror

Phil Parkinson
Charlton manager Phil Parkinson spoke to BBC Radio Kent and his club's official website after his side's narrow 1-0 win over Carlisle at the Valley, Parkinson understandably happy with two victories in three days for the Addicks :


" It was a disciplined performance. The second game in three games is always tough in terms of tempo. It can be really difficult to get going again. Jose Semedo and Therry Racon were outstanding at MK Dons. They gave solid types of performances today as it's very difficult to give the same level.

" We had chances to kill it off. We should have really won two or three nil but we didn't take the chances. So you always think that one mistake could cost us the three points. You always know that one bit of magic at the other end or one mistake could be costly, but really Darren (Randolph) hasn't had a great deal to do.

" Lloyd Sam was very good. He and Frazer Richardson got a lot of crosses in from that side. We needed to kill the game off, but we couldn't quite do it, and it just shows you the importance of set-plays in these types of games.

" Someone like Sam Sodje is always a threat from set-plays, but Frazer and Gary Borrowdale's deliveries have been very good over the last few weeks and you need a good set-piece deliverer. We've been working very hard on the training ground with those two and you saw the benefit today.

" Akpo Sodje is a strong, powerful boy. He's had such a difficult time with injuries as he kept getting thrown into Sheffield Wednesday's team when he wasn't quite right and breaking down. I just say to him 'trust your body and just go all out on it'."



" When he does that, when he jumps as though he means it and when he chases things down as if his life depends on it, he's a real handful. He's six-foot-two, he's quick and he's not a bad sub to have when defenders are getting tired.

" I've told Jonjo (Shelvey) not to worry about his miss. You've just got to keep getting in the box. Jonjo's a very good finisher and a good player and it was good to get him back out on the pitch today. And Nicky Forster, he's got so much nous. He wins headers, draws fouls and he's another good character to have around the building. The more good pros you can have, the better.

" Nicky (Bailey) trained as well for 20 minutes yesterday. We took a gamble and he's a good player to put on when you need someone solid to tighten the game up and see it through. His injury is fine, but he'll need to do some fitness work between now and Saturday to put himself in contention.

" If you have got Jonjo Shelvey and you are looking around the pitch and you have got Christian Dailly and Nicky Forster and players of that ilk around you who have been there before, they have got the know-how and the nous to see a game through.

" That is important and I think in any football club your senior professionals have got to be good people and good characters. The likes of Christian and Frazer Richardson are good, they help the younger players a lot and that is crucial, and it is going to be crucial from now on in. "



" Experience and the cool heads in this pressurised situation is going to be vital. This division has never been more competitive than it has been this year and I am pleased we are up there competing, and we have given ourselves a great chance of getting that second spot.

" We are in a challenging position and it is tight. Swindon and Millwall have emerged over the last couple of months to join us and Leeds in battling for that second place. But we are all there in the shake up and it is the team that can produce those crucial wins at this stage who are going to take it. It is all about holding the nerve and we have got a lot of experience out on the pitch and you could sense that in the team today.

" On Friday, all the results went for us. You're not going to get that all the time, so you just have to make sure your own house is in order and we did that. It's going to be an exciting finale. A lot of teams have had blips, Swindon are on a fantastic run and it's difficult to predict how the pressure will affect each club.

" We've got some big games coming up against Colchester, Leeds and Norwich City. They're mouthwatering ties and when we looked at the fixture list at the start of the season, we hoped those games would be promotion-type games and they're going to be.

" The press have put us on the backburner and we've now got to push ourselves to the forefront of the media glare and get ourselves in that second spot. I can't ask for any more. The effort has been first class."