GAME CHANGER: Danny Haynes
CHARLTON MANAGER Chris Powell is happy to win ugly if it gets his team three points and keeps them on top in League One.
His table-topping side beat fifth-placed MK Dons 2 – 1 at the Valley last night to extend their lead over second-placed Sheffield Wednesday to ten points. Their goals came from a brace of penalties converted by captain Johnnie Jackson just before half-time. Dons Gary MacKenzie was sent of when he conceded the first. Dean Bowditch scored the visitors consolation four minutes before the final whistle.
It had been two weeks since their last game and even Powell admitted they weren't at their best.He said: “If there is a case for winning ugly then that was it. The first half was decent, but the second half wasn't good enough. I think there was a nervousness and an edginess about us. We didn't handle it [the lead], we should have used the extra man.”
The Addicks will be buoyed by the fact that rivals Wednesday and Huddersfield Town were beaten by fellow promotion chasers, Sheffield United and Stevenage
Scorer Jackson was substituted early in the second half with a suspected Achilles problem, with Danny Haynes replacing him. Haynes was previously at the club as a youngster before playing for Ipswich Town, Millwall and Bristol City. Powell brought him back to the club last month from Barnsley.
Haynes hasn't started a game yet but already has five assists in four appearances and impressed during his 40 minutes on the pitch. Powell continued: “He's bit of a game changer and may get a start in the future. He is obviously the fastest player here. I bought him in as a striker, but he's happy to do that [play on the wing].”
The manager also recalled playing against Haynes during Alan Curbishley's Charlton tenure, simply explaining: “I tried to mark him!"