Source: Team_Talk
McCarthy relieved after nervy win
The leaders were far from impressive in recording only their second win in nine home matches - needing a scrambled late goal, initially credited to Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and later confirmed as a Matt Holland own goal, to kill off relegation-haunted Charlton.[LNB]Only 10 minutes remained when Holland turned the ball past his keeper Rob Elliot from David Jones' left-wing corner under pressure from Ebanks-Blake and Chris Iwelumo.[LNB]Charlton, having held Reading at the Madejski Stadium in midweek, thought they had earned another point when Elliot pushed out Ebanks-Blake's 69th-minute penalty, awarded for a push on Christophe Berra.[LNB]But Wolves dominated the second half and left manager Mick McCarthy a contented man.[LNB]"Of course, it's a relief to win and it's a big help that Reading are still in their bad run," McCarthy said.[LNB]"Hopefully, it will continue until the end of the season.[LNB]"I'm certainly not getting carried away, though. There are still seven games to go and you'll have to wait until May to see if I have a smile on my face."[LNB]Charlton were the more controlled side in a largely featureless first half-hour, only to fall behind shortly afterwards.[LNB]Michael Kightly's ball in from the right was hooked in off the post and possibly a defender by former Addicks striker Iwelumo - his 16th goal of the season and first since late November.[LNB]It meant for a happy day for the Scot as he had carried his young daughters Briseis and Nevaya out before kick-off as mascots.[LNB]"Chris has always had our support and you could tell from how the other players celebrated with him that he is a popular member of our group. They showed the appreciation they have for him because he's very unselfish."[LNB]Wolves were pegged back after 51 minutes when Zheng Zhi, recently back from a five-month absence with a foot injury, latched on to Tresor Kandol's knock-down and cracked home right-footed from 22 yards.[LNB]Wolves had been denied early on when Jones' corner bounced in off Holland, only to be disallowed for a push. They then pressed hard in the second half, with Kightly's stinging left-footer safely held.[LNB]The fortunate late goal left Charlton manager Phil Parkinson saying: "We have lost to two scrappy goals in a game we deserved something out of. We feel hard done by.[LNB]"We've played well here and need to carry on playing with a lot of pride, although our chances of staying up are slim.[LNB]"I was instrumental in taking Chris Iwelumo to Colchester and then Charlton and he was our top scorer last season.[LNB]"To see him leave almost for a nominal fee, about £400,000, I believe, hurts because we have needed a striker like him who can score scruffy goals."[LNB][LNB]
