Speaking after Charlton’s 1-0 victory over Doncaster Rovers on Good Friday, Ryan Inniss touched on his triumphant comeback, life under Nigel Adkins and the 24 points left to fight for in League One.
The 25-year-old, who has been sidelined since November with a quad injury sustained during training, made his long-awaited comeback in a behind-closed doors friendly versus Brentford B at Sparrows Lane before returning to the starting XI in style at the Keepmoat Stadium.
“I was buzzing. It’s been a long time coming. It’s been a steady process and I was buzzing to be back out there and obviously get the result.
“The preparation I’ve had and the care I’ve had, I couldn’t have asked for more from the club, the physios and the staff. I felt like I was well-equipped and got through the first 20 minutes, which were frantic. The boys dragged me through which I appreciated.
“I’ve got a few bumps and bruises but that’s standard really. I just want to keep pushing and see if I can stay in the side for the rest of the season.”
The Crystal Palace academy graduate marked his first appearance of the Adkins era with his fifth clean sheet in six league appearances, and the towering defender has thoroughly enjoyed his start to life under the new Addicks boss.
“He’s been a breath of fresh air. It’s definitely been positive, a lot of structure, for all the boys there’s no grey areas really. There’s definitely more we can learn, we can do a lot better. But getting the basics of three points, clean sheet, the boys are speaking to each other. I really enjoyed it.
“It’s all about winning games at this stage of the season. The new manager has been in, we’ve had a little shuffle around staff-wise, but I feel like we’re all on the same page and we’re only going to grow from here. We can look upwards now hopefully.”
The Addicks’ run-in includes contests against four of the division’s current top six, something Inniss admits he and his teammates are relishing as the Addicks seek to make up ground with a play-off spot in sight.
“It’s all about us. There’s two ways you can look at it. We’re playing the sides that are up there but we haven’t got to rely on any other team. We know we’ve got to go and get three points against the team that we can topple out of their position. I think I’d rather it this way.
“We know we’re going into a big game. Every game is a cup final. I know it’s a cliché but they’re the games we want to play in. Which then, if we do make it into the play-offs, we’ve had that calibre of games if we do get there. But we’re taking one at a time and we’re steadily improving, hopefully come the end of the season we’re up there.”
Article by James Waller