Johnnie Jackson pleased Charlton could finish with a flourish

Posted Sunday, November 07, 2021 by PA

Charlton caretaker-manager Johnnie Jackson admitted the FA Cup first round tie against Havant & Waterlooville proved to be a tough fixture.

The Sky Bet League One side won 4-0, with all the goals coming in the final 18 minutes, after struggling against the National League South outfit.

Academy product Mason Burstow was among the scorers, and Jackson was keen to praise both him and the rest of his team for their perseverance.

He said “I was pretty relieved when that first goal went in, you’re quite confident after that we can get more.

“The longer it goes on, at 0-0 they’re only one chance away from putting you under real pressure.

“For young Mason to come on and get a goal rounded it off.

“We really like him, he’s a great kid and he’s got bags of potential. I’ve always had in my mind a way of involving him in some way in this game if I could.

“I said to him as I was going on that he would know he would get a chance and I fancied him to score.”

Josh Passley almost gave Havant the lead on 27 minutes when his cross-turned-shot nearly found its way into the top corner of the Charlton net.

The game turned in a six-minute spell in the second half. A Jake McCarthy header from a corner forced Charlton goalkeeper Stephen Henderson into a full-length save.

The hosts took the lead on 72 minutes, when a free header by Josh Davison was directed goalwards, after a Charlie Kirk cross.

Charlton doubled their lead from a Jayden Stockley penalty, after Jamie Collins fouled Elliot Lee.

Captain Stockley poked home with five minutes remaining, before substitute rounded off the win in added time.

The Hampshire side’s boss, Paul Doswell, was proud of his side but admitted that the game turned after Sam Magri had been carried off with an apparent anterior cruciate ligament injury.

He said “I’m incredibly proud of the performance, at 73 minutes and goalless we were relatively comfortable.

“I thought we just lost our shape for their goal, it was the first time we let the cross come in to the box, and we got punished for that.

“I was very disappointed with the second goal, they had a free shot at goal and they missed, and then the referee pulled it back for a penalty, which we didn’t think was one.

“We had 17 minutes of despair. It flatters Charlton but they deserved to win.”