Charlton Athletic 2 v Nottingham Forest 1

Another good win at the Valley against another decent side. Three-in-a-row. I need to get the record books out...

Guy Luzon surprised most of us by starting with midfielder Alou Diarra in central defence partnering Joe Gomez. Wilson was back at right-back for Chris Solly and Morgan Fox retained his left-side slot. 

Cousins and Buyens anchored midfield with Bulot and Harriott on the flanks. Once again it was Vetokele and Watt in attack. It was Watt who created the opening goal inside ten minutes. Attacking the visitors in the Jimmy Seed, Watt picked up the ball outside the box and managed to keep it away from three defenders as he worked his way across the goal, only to be brought down in frustration inside the 'D.' What to do - no Gudmundssen? Answer, let Frederick Bulot have a go. Up stepped Freddie and he dinked a beauty over the wall and past the dive of Carl Darlow. We really are being spoilt with the quality of some of our goals of late.

Forest did settle into the match after that and were playing some good passing football. They were probing our right side early on and it became clear that Antonio was the danger on the Forest left. He is properly quick and can cross, although his equaliser on fourteen minutes didn't require any help. He waltzed in from the wing, ran direct at goal and drilled a low shot which beat Henderson at the far post before he could get down to it. After that it was game on and both sides tried to attack whenever they got the ball.

Forest were playing very wide with Antonio and Burke being used and both managing a decent stream of crosses although Diarra and Gomez coped reasonably well with help from Wilson and Fox. Buyers was busy and I thought he and Cousins had a better game together. Bulot was our main attacking option and with Watt and Vetokele harrying the Forest back-line it was clear we still had goals in us. 

Seven minutes before half-time and slightly against the run of play, we scored again. Wilson got on the overlap down our right and sprinted into the box. He took the ball close to the byline and instead of aiming across goal for the two forwards who were held up, he pulled the ball back for Bulot in space ten yards out. Freddie took a touch before ramming the ball beyond Darlow.

Guy Luzon made a surprise double-substitution at half-time which had the air of a friendly game move. Wilson and Harriott were withdrawn and Bikey and Eagles entered the fray with Gomez going to right-back. I felt a little sorry for Wilson but perhaps he knew he only had the first-half. Calum Harriott was once again a disappointment as he struggled to control the ball or make any telling contribution. Just before the half finished he made a good run with Wilson in support on his outside but he dithered and then appeared to stumble over his own feet and give the ball away. He may have been injured as a result but it might just have been more from embarrassment than anything else.

Irrespective, we were more competitive after the break and Gomex and Bulot were doubled-up to stem the supply from Antonio. That worked pretty well and with Forest continuing to hit long diagonal balls for Antonio and Burke, it was only a matter of time before they both began to tire and we looked more assured. Stephen Henderson was called upon to make a few routine saves but he also collected a number of crosses and was busy on his near-post all evening as that's where Forest went from every corner. 

As the clock ran down, Christophe Lepoint came on and he had a fine five minute cameo in which he halted Forest's momentum and helped us finish the game largely in the Forest half. His first touch to collect a long ball and cross deeply for Watt to head at goal appeared to give him some confidence and he made a number of good runs into the box. The final flourish was to be Watt's as he held the ball up for several minutes out wide and was repeatedly chopped down in frustration by Forest players, two of whom were booked. Every time Watt bounced up and looked for more which had all three home stands crying Ole-Ole, Ole-Ole, Tony Watt, Watt, Watt! He really has made a big impression in the last month and he is clearly loving it. 

The three points keep us in 12th, just a point ahead of Cardiff but closer to Blackburn and Sheffield Wednesday who play each other at Hillsborough tomorrow. Millwall, meanwhile, were thrashed 3-0 at Boro and find themselves 14 points behind us, although they will be more concerned about the six point gap to Rotherham and the eight points behind Fulham.