Michael Appleton described his first victory as Charlton head coach as “huge” after they beat in-form Wycombe 3-1 at The Valley.
All three of the Addicks’ victories this season have been in SE7 and Appleton was brought in to make sure they do not let a third successive League One campaign fizzle away to a mid-table finish.
The victory over the Chairboys – with Miles Leaburn, Slobodan Tedic and Corey Blackett-Taylor all scoring – moves them up to 16th but only six points behind Barnsley and Exeter, in fifth and sixth respectively.
“You want to get that first win as early as you possibly can,” said Appleton, who replaced Dean Holden earlier this month. “It’s almost like a striker joining a club and getting off the mark.
“Against a side like Wycombe it is even bigger, because they are on such great form.
“They have got players in that dressing room who are used to being around that top six every single year for the last half a decade or more.
“So for the players to weather the storm like they did in that early part of the second half and come through it is hopefully going to breed confidence.”
Blackett-Taylor is out of contract next summer and Charlton technical director Andy Scott confirmed recently that bids were rejected in the summer transfer window.
Asked if the winger’s livewire displays could also be a negative in terms of attracting more interest, Appleton said: “I’m very much here and now – I want him to play like that every week and score goals every week.
“If he goes on to bigger and better things then so be it. All I would say is we have to make sure, and I knew we will, that if that ever did happen we have got someone who can just slide in.”
Wycombe had levelled the contest through a superb volley by West Ham loanee Freddie Potts but saw their five-match unbeaten league run – in which they had taken 13 points – come to an end.
Wanderers boss Matt Bloomfield said: “We were the ones in the ascendency. It looked like there was one team going to go and win the game – unfortunately that wasn’t to be.
“I’m so proud of the way the boys conducted themselves in the second half. I felt we were below par first half and lacked that energy and drive.
“Even before Freddie’s goal that was just a reward for what we were doing.
“We created so many opportunities to go and get the second goal but we were caught by a sucker punch.
“It’s the second time Tedic has done that to us after his goal for Barnsley last year.
“I have to talk about the way we passed the ball, played attacking football and rolled into wide positions to try and get crossing opportunities – it’s a real tough one to take.
“We deserved to get something. We need to not let this affect our belief.”
