Nathan Jones praised the mentality of his Charlton Athletic side as they struck yet another late goal to beat Peterborough United and climb to 5th in the League One table.
Macauley Gillesphey’s 89th-minute header secured all three points in a game the Addicks could have had wrapped up inside the first-half.
Charlton saw chances come and go before the interval but had to wait until the second-period before finally edging ahead.
Matty Godden broke the deadlock from the spot 10 minutes after the break after Tyreece Campbell’s goal bound shot hit Sam Hughes’ arm in the area. Jed Steer got a hand to Godden’s penalty but was unable to prevent the former Posh forward from netting for the fourth game in a row.
The visitors then found themselves reduced to 10 men when Emmanuel Fernandez was shown a straight red card for a studs-up challenge on Thierry Small.
Relegation-threatened Peterborough were soon level though as they were awarded a penalty of their own. Kayne Ramsay was shown a yellow card for his challenge on Ricky-Jade Jones – Posh boss Darren Ferguson felt he too should have been sent off.
Malik Mothersille converted from the spot – the first time the Addicks’ goal had been breached at The Valley in five games.
But just as time appeared to be running out, Gillesphey diverted Alex Gilbert’s corner home to send the Charlton supporters wild.
It was the 15th goal the South Londoners have scored inside the final 15 minutes of games this season – the joint-most in the division.
The Addicks have now won four on the spin in SE7 – losing just once in their last 13 league games home and away.
Jones said: “It’s probably a little more hairy than we would have liked it to be. After the first five minutes we were pretty dominant. First half we should have gone, or would have liked to have gone in ahead.
“We had enough chances, enough situations, enough possession. I was disappointed half-time, but we just had to keep at it. Then we came out and got the goal.
“Then it got a little bit more tricky than we would have liked it to. These have got real talent, especially in high areas, and pace. It’s always tricky for ten men, but then when they go a goal down as well, they’ve got nothing to lose.
“It takes a professionalism. I thought we nullified them really. They’ve only had a few shots.
“Then it was just about could we find enough quality, could we find that opening to win the game. I thought we had done it just before we did score, but it’s a wonderful way to win a game.
“[Late goals are] a mentality first and foremost. You have that mentality, you want to keep going.
“Then you have to have the fitness levels, the energy, the aggression to go and do it. Then you just want that little bit of quality. We’ve got people we can bring off the bench as well to provide quality and that’s what we did today.
“I don’t care who scores, but it’s lovely for Alex Gilbert to put a great ball in, wonderful header back across [from Gillesphey] where it came from, textbook.
“We’ve had three clearcut chances today, we’ve had 19 shots, eight on target, a lot of possession as you’d expect. But I’m really pleased that we kept going and as I said, it’s all about the win. At this stage now, it’s all about the win. But I felt we deserved it.”
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