Despite Saturday’s loss to Reading, Jose Riga is hoping Charlton can use the performance to their advantage heading into Tuesday’s important clash against Yeovil.
The Addicks were beaten 1-0 by the sixth-placed Royals at The Valley, with Danny Williams scoring the only goal of the game on 73 minutes.
And even though Charlton created very little in front of goal, the head coach was at least pleased with the display against a promotion-chasing team.
Riga said: “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy before the game but we played well, and certainly during the first hour I thought we had control of the game.
“They couldn’t create any chances - and I know we didn’t either - but I didn’t see a difference between the players busy with play-offs and the players busy with relegation.
“The players just made one mistake and of course you are punished, so it’s difficult to take.
“But that is football and that is reality.”
He added: “We already knew that it was going to be difficult to play against a team who didn’t play three days ago as we did.
“It is not easy playing two games a week, especially with such young players.
“But as I said to my players the result can be cruel and they have shown a lot, so it is based on that which we will focus on before our next game which is against direct competition.”
Saturday’s loss leaves Charlton just one place and two points above the relegation zone ahead of tomorrow night’s home clash against bottom-of-the-table Yeovil.
The Glovers sit just three points behind the Addicks and a defeat could see Riga’s side drop back into the bottom three, although the Belgian is confident ahead of the fixture.
“I am pleased because we are seeing Charlton play a good level all the time,” said Riga.
“It is this that we have got to take forward and hope to use to stay in the Championship.
“It is going to be tough until the last day of the competition but until now under my management we have only been beaten by teams from the top.
“When I arrived I saw the calendar and I saw the team and the quality and I knew that it would be difficult.
“When we win games it is only one step forward but we haven’t made a step backwards today for me because the way we controlled Reading.
“Not a lot of teams are going to do that.”
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