Nathan Jones salutes ‘outstanding’ Charlton after emphatic win over Blackburn

Nathan Jones hailed Charlton’s performance as “outstanding” after watching his side continue their impressive start to the Championship season with a 3-0 home win over Blackburn.

Substitute Macaulay Gillesphey headed the Addicks into a first-half lead at the Valley and they should have been further clear before Sonny Carey doubled the lead with a thumping finish in the 78th minute.

Southampton loanee James Bree capped off a fine display with the third goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

Charlton’s third league win of the season lifted them up to seventh, just two points behind second-placed Coventry.

Asked if he would be revising his targets for his newly-promoted side, Jones said: “It is not about that. It is about us doing the basics well and evolving as a team. There is a process about us being really difficult to beat and (getting) clean sheets – from there we will evolve.

“We were outstanding. Our second-half performance was relentless and it should have been more. We missed some glorious chances.

“I’m immensely proud of our performance – that’s how I want to see us play.

“I’m really pleased for Macaulay. He has been hard done by, because he scored the play-off final winner and then has not started any of the first six or seven games.

“It is tough to take, but he was immense today – not just the goal but his overall performance.

“I couldn’t believe Sonny shot from there, I thought he should’ve played it to Bree who was inside and in a better position. But the ginger genius, we love him.

“The energy our midfield three played with was brilliant. Conor Coventry dealt with Todd Cantwell phenomenally, because if Cantwell is in the game then they are a good side. He went up against him and was aggressive in
everything he did.

“The game changers we brought on really took the game away from them and that highlights it is a squad game. We say it every day – it is a culture and environment that we demand.

“We’re only as strong as our weakest links. But if we have any weak links they don’t survive at this football club because we have an ethos that it is a group and not the individual.”

Defeat for Blackburn was the second setback in a matter of days following the announcement on Thursday that last weekend’s abandoned game against Ipswich, which they had led 1-0 with 10 minutes to go, would have to be replayed.

Head coach Valerien Ismael branded that decision “disgraceful” and he was equally unimpressed with referee Anthony Backhouse on Saturday, describing his decision not to penalise Lloyd Jones for handball when cutting out Cantwell’s cross with the score at 1-0 “terrible”.

“It can be the game changer,” said Ismael. “What is really embarrassing for me is the referee winked at our captain. The captain is allowed to speak to the referee and he has winked and laughed at him – this is
unacceptable.

“He made a mistake, that can happen, but at least treat our player properly.

“It was not a great game. We had some good moments at the beginning, but the performance was not that good. I don’t know why. It can happen.

“We were not good enough with the ball, it was as simple as that. The last two goals were too easy. It has been a tough week now and we have a quick turnaround to the next game on Tuesday.”