Jason Pearce points to Alfie May work ethic as key to overdue Charlton victory

Posted Sunday, September 03, 2023 by PA

Charlton interim boss Jason Pearce praised the work ethic of Alfie May after the striker’s double earned a 2-1 victory over Fleetwood.

May, a summer signing from Cheltenham, scored for the third successive match and took his tally for the campaign to four goals as the Addicks ended a four-match losing streak in Sky Bet League One.

Chem Campbell’s perceptive pass put the 30-year-old through and he threaded his finish confidently past Cod Army keeper Stephen McMullen in the 43rd minute. It wiped out Jayden Stockley’s header which had put the visitors in front in the 16th minute.

Charlton’s second-half pressure finally paid off in the 73rd minute. Fleetwood defender Olabusun Lawal tripped Corey Blackett-Taylor inside the penalty area and May opted to lash his spot-kick straight down the middle.

Pearce, placed in charge after manager Dean Holden was sacked on Sunday, said: “Alfie keeps getting in the right place and the right time. He’s a natural goalscorer. As long as we provide the service then he’ll get the goals.

“What I’ve liked since he came in is that his work rate is outstanding. At the end of the game he is doing doggies back and forth for the team.

“Hopefully this win kick-starts the season. I could feel the second goal was coming – shooting towards the Covered End, with the fans behind us. I felt at the time we needed to get someone up there with Alfie and changed to a 4-4-2, went a little more attacking, and it paid off.

“In the first half I was a little bit disappointed. The first time we put the ball behind them was Alfie May’s goal – our counter-press when we lost the ball wasn’t good enough and defending our box needs to be better. We had a little pop at them at half-time, they agreed with us and performed very well in the second half.”

Fleetwood have taken one point from a possible 18.

Head coach Scott Brown said: “We controlled large periods of the first half and were the better team, yet again someone makes a mistake and we get punished – one shot on target.

“They start the second half a little more eager and with more positivity, then Roons (Shaun Rooney) switches off then Blackett-Taylor gets in behind.

“It’s one mistake after another at this moment in time. We are giving teams encouragement to score.

“They didn’t really play through us and that one time they do, we’re not big enough and brave enough to hold the positions. Don’t give away penalties and make it easy for them.

“The first half we were by far the better team, they didn’t know how to deal with us. We need to be more ruthless. We get in behind and cause problems but we don’t pick the right pass – we panic. Alfie May gets in there and scores.

“We’ve not got that little bit of quality in the final third.”