Town boss Mick McCarthy admitted his side had played better and lost away from home this season after their 1-0 victory at Charlton.

“We have,” he said, “But we’ve not defended much better away from home and lost matches, though.

“The three points is the biggest plus that I take from today, winning away from home and then the clean sheet in that order.

“I thought Charlton played very well in the second half. They had to force the issue and I thought they did but I thought we handled it, some last ditch defending at times but I thought we handled it well.”

Town began the game like a house on fire and had chances before Smith’s fifth-minute winner and McCarthy said the intention was to start on the front foot: “I said to the guys that they played on Tuesday night and you never know what effect that has.

“I think they saw this as a chance to get six points from two home games. I’ve no doubt they saw that, if I’d have been them I would have thought that.

“I just wondered how they would approach it. I wanted to approach it with a really fast start and I thought we did.

“I think they brought it on themselves with the kick-off, they went back to the centre-half and didn’t clear it and we ended up with a corner and we could have been two up from corner kicks. I wonder if their game on Tuesday night had an effect.

“It didn’t look like it at the end of the game when they were rampaging forward, I have to be honest, they were full of running then, but maybe we just caught them cold.”

He was delighted with Smith’s goal, his second of the season, headed home from Aaron Cresswell’s corner: “They caused us a couple of problems with their aerial ability as well, but if you get good deliveries into the box you’ve got a chance of scoring and we did put good deliveries in.

“[At half-time] I was pleased with our performance, I was pleased we were 1-0 up but I was very aware that it was going to be a different second half.”

Town’s performance again differed in each period, but McCarthy says that’s also often true of the opposition: “Look at everybody else in the league. Was Leicester’s a different second half performance from the first? Was Leeds’ a different second half performance to the first? I could go on about all of them. Charlton’s was a different performance from the first to the second.

“What brings momentum, what loses momentum, what brings a performance out? Maybe being behind and getting lashed at half-time, I don’t know.

“We’ve had a good defensive performance, we’ve not played well with the ball. We’ve wasted some possession but the pleasing thing is that it’s a good defensive performance and if you’re 1-0 up and you keep a clean sheet it doesn’t really matter, does it?”

In addition to Smith’s goal, McCarthy was delighted with the manner in which he and his central defensive partner Christophe Berra handled the Addicks’ strikers: “They had to because I think their two front guys are a handful. I think Simon Church has got his mojo back, where it went I’ve no idea.

“I always liked him as a young player at Reading and when he went out on loan. He looks like he’s back at it and with Kermorgant, the two of them are a handful.

“We said before the game in our analysis that those two and Cameron Stewart are a real handful and Dale Stephens getting forward. I thought we handled them well, I thought Cressy was outstanding having just come back, he never really gave him a kick.”

Charlton boss Chris Powell felt the game was won and lost in that opening five minutes: “We knew they would start fast. And that's what's won them the game. For 85, 86 minutes I don’t think Ben Alnwick has had a save to make.

“We huffed and puffed and we had certain situations, we hit the post but in the Championship it’s very hard when a team nudges ahead and it’s hard to pull it back. Teams that go ahead normally take a point or three.”

Photo: Action Images

oddball added 11:15 - Dec 1 Incredible that some still moaning, cant accept they might be wrong about their attacking football philosphy or that mm might actually know what he is doing. Great result and exciting season to look forward to as we push for the play offs and if we dont make then still a good season as we improve.
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warktheline added 13:41 - Dec 1 Well said oddball.
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billlm added 15:18 - Dec 1 standing yesterday great atmosphere
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bugledog123 added 16:24 - Dec 1 Great result - COYB!
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blues1 added 18:55 - Dec 1 timmyh. I agree about where is the creativity supposed to come from. the fact is, there isn't any in our side right now, as mm is much more concentrated on us being organised and difficult to beat, which we are. the truth is tho, that if wed been playing a decent team yesterday, we would have lost. if you are questioning my point about Anderson playing a more defensive role, I have to tell you, it was mm who said this several weeks ago, so its not me guessing. its a shame hes being asked to play this way, as when he was at forest he was superb running at people down the wing and getting crosses in the box, but he is doing what is asked of him.

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TimmyH added 19:49 - Dec 1 No fair enough @blues1 - just looking at the bigger picture, not knocking yesterdays result but when we heard that Hyam and Taylor were possibly injured we knew what the starting line up would be straight away, not sure come the January transfer window if and how Mick will change the midfield as I feel something really needs to be done. If we can keep 'eaking' out these away wins I'll be more than happy but it's a big if. 80 odd minutes yesterday off 'Mick' football paid off but it hasn't particularly in the past and I'm not sure it will in the future.

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TimmyH added 19:54 - Dec 1 *Have to say a great job done by the defense for our first away clean sheet.
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blues1 added 07:39 - Dec 2 timmy h, I totally agree with that. and not sure I particularly want to have to watch that kind of performance week in, week out. we definitely need something different in midfield, whether it be wide or in the middle.
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