Decision making the difference between Addicks and league leaders, says goalscorer Holmes

George Jones reports

Ricky Holmes says that he and his Charlton teammates need to improve their decision making on the pitch, as they try to build a winning mentality.

The Addicks were beaten 2-1 by champions-elect Sheffield United on Saturday afternoon, in a game in which they more than played their part.

Holmes netted his ninth goal of the season to open the scoring and Charlton created a number of other chances to extend their advantage, before United turned the game around to take the points.

And Holmes says that the clinical nature of the Blades is what separates them for most of the teams in League One.

“It’s just been our decision making – we need to start making the right decisions,” said the 29-year-old. “Sheffield United make the right decisions at the right time and they’re clinical.

“We came to the best team in the league, with injuries, and matched them. It’s frustrating because we’ve competed against everyone at the top. We’ve only lost two games to clubs at the top over the course of the season.

“If you’re on a run of form or nearer the top, things will seem to fall for you. You make things happen and do the right things. We saw with them, they didn’t create too much and they came away with the points like they have done all season.

“We’ve got to take a long, hard look at ourselves because we’ve been poor when we’ve played teams in and around us, who are nearer the bottom of the league and in the bottom half.”

Winger Holmes saw positives in his side’s weekend performance but his overriding emotion after the game was one of disappointment.

He said: “First-half we were very good. We let in another soft goal but then you’ve got to criticise us going forward because we missed a hatful of chances. If we bury them we go 2-0 up and get comfortable.

“We came out second-half and straight away let in another poor goal and we never really recovered from that.

“It’s just not falling for us at the minute. I think every chance fell to me. I was blazing it over, rushing at things and snatching at things.

“We’ve got seven games this season, so let’s not write it off yet. We need to get as many points on the board as we can to try and build momentum and that winning mentality for next year.”