Speaking after Charlton’s 2-1 win against Northampton Town on Tuesday night, matchwinner Conor Washington discussed the Addicks’ latest run, his own contribution and what Lee Bowyer expects from him.
The Northern Ireland international’s second-half brace secured an important three points for the south Londoners and the forward explained the significance of tasting victory at The Valley for the first time in nine with two successive home games to come.
“It’s really important for us to get a win here and a good performance, we’re obviously disappointed to concede so late because we looked comfortable to be honest. It was a good performance and we’ve had two or three of those now so we need to build on that going into the rest of the season.
“Obviously you never want to go into a game feeling like you have to win, but we had to win! If we want to do anything this season which we all want to do, and I think it would be a real shame for this squad not to do it, we needed to pick up points tonight and we need to go again in the next two home games.”
Washington expressed his delight at netting his eighth and ninth league goals as he nears double figures for the season, but admitted he is hungry for more.
“I think for me, it’s not so much an end figure as such, I would have loved to have scored more and I think I should have scored more this season - I’m obviously disappointed with that. You want to get to 10 as quickly as you can as a striker, and I’m close now but I want more than that. I want to be the main man going into the end of the season, as I’m sure the other three [strikers] do as well.”
Charlton’s number 14 revealed what Bowyer demands from him as a frontman and feels his game has really come on since arriving in SE7 last summer.
“The manager drills it into us a lot to constantly be on the move in the box. He wants the centre-halves to be gripping up the strikers and he wants his strikers not to be getting gripped up by the centre-halves. He’s really demanding but it’s been brilliant for me. I feel like I’ve learnt a lot in the last eight months.
“I think the gaffer has been critical of me and I have probably deserved it to be honest. It’s always a good thing for me - I look at that as a positive that he wants more from me and I want more from myself as well.”
The win moves Charlton to within a point of sixth-placed Portsmouth with 12 games remaining and the 28-year-old remains confident of reaching the play-offs.
“100 percent [the play-offs are still on]. That’s why I signed at a club like this - I want to be involved in games like that and I want to be promoted back to the level that I want to be playing at.”
Article by James Waller
