Conor Coventry believes Charlton can take confidence from their performance against Sky Bet Championship side Preston North End into the relentless upcoming Sky Bet League One schedule.
The Addicks take on Rotherham United at the AESSEAL New York Stadium on Saturday and will be looking to build on their positive league form.
"We obviously wanted to go through, so it was a tough experience to take,” Coventry explained. "I think the performance was really good - we felt that we had the better of the chances and more of the ball for the majority of the game. It’s a performance we can take confidence from and hopefully grow from it and kick on."
The midfielder says there is enough quality in the squad to push on in the second half of the season and achieve promotion.
"We all know that's what we want," he said. "The only way we can do that is with our performances week in, week out in League One. It’s hard to look too far ahead with that.
"We know we need to perform and push on to get to that level. I think we have the capability to do it, so hopefully we can finish strong and achieve that.
"The feel around the place is the best that it's been. The last six or seven games we feel we've played well and got a fair few wins. We feel that the performances have improved, and we've turned the corner and are now playing at a level we knew we could play at. It’s a great group of lads to be in and the mood is good."
Reflecting on his first year at Charlton, the 24-year-old said: "I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve obviously played quite a lot of games and I've definitely enjoyed being a part of the club, and hearing the support playing at The Valley. There's still more to come from us and there's going to be days that I’ll enjoy even more. I’m hoping we can really kick on now until the end of the season and make it a very happy year-and-a-half if we can finish the way we want to."
Coventry returned to the Republic of Ireland senior squad during the last international break when Heimir Hallgrímsson's side faced England at Wembley.
"That's a big part of wanting to play every week. If I’m playing week in, week out I may have a sniff at it. It’s a great feeling and one that means a lot to me, a goal of mine.
"It’s nice and, like I said, the only way I can get there is by focusing on my performances here and doing my best for the team."
This weekend’s clash will see Coventry return to Rotherham following a successful loan spell with the Millers during the second half of the 2022/23 campaign.
"REG and I had a little chat earlier this morning. We both agreed that when we were there, we both had quite good home records so it’s a real tough place for teams to go. They're a good side in a good bit of form, a tough place to go definitely. I believe we can get the win, but it will take a lot to do that."
