Charlton boss Lee Bowyer gives view on just how good his side's victory over Portsmouth was
Lee Bowyer rated his side’s taming of Pompey their best result of the season.
Charlton picked up a 2-0 win at Fratton Park on Saturday as they snuffed out the threat of Kenny Jackett’s men.
Pompey had won three league games on the spin and six games in seven going into the meeting with the Addicks.
The goals had flowed in the process, with 18 strikes arriving across the past seven games.
But, despite Pompey’s pressure, the Addicks restricted the home side’s clear sights of goal and then hurt them on the break.
Bowyer saluted his men’s defensive mettle as they went above the Blues in the table.
And he ranked the win as a season’s high for his men.
He told CAFC.co.uk: ‘I think it was a good, gritty, professional away performance once again.
‘To keep a clean sheet with people that are out at the moment, I’m really pleased with that.
‘I’d say that’s probably our best three points that we’ve got this season, because there won’t be many teams that come here and win two nil.
‘We had to defend because they put a lot of balls into the box.
‘That’s what they do, they get the ball wide and they test you. I’ve got to say that Chris Gunter was absolutely outstanding at centre-half.
‘He slid in there as if he had played there all his life. I’m pleased with the players because you have to put in a real shift here and you have to compete for second balls and I thought we did that well.’
Johnny Williams grabbed the game’s opening goal after 26 minutes with his first Charlton finish after 52 appearances.
Despite his lack of efforts, Bowyer explained it was a moment he anticipated.
He added: ‘I said yesterday when we were looking at shape that “Jonny Williams will score his first goal for us tomorrow!” and everyone was clapping and cheering.
‘I just had a feeling that he would score today. We played him in the 10 and I knew that he would cause problems and get in behind and I knew that he would be arriving in the box unmarked so I’m really pleased for him.’
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