'There was no fear - just pride, intent & purpose'

BBC News

11-08-2025

It's amazing to think the last competitive match was at Wembley — and now, here we were at The Valley, ready to embark on our Championship adventure.Pre-match thoughts naturally turned to whether we could cope in this harsh environment. A new mindset has taken hold - keep clean sheets, score crucial goals - football is a simple game.The fan zone buzzed with excitement before kick-off. The pitch looked lush under the bright sunshine, and the atmosphere was full of optimism.Sir Chris Powell received a heartfelt reception from The Valley faithful — a touching tribute to a club legend.There was a poignant minute's applause for three members of the Charlton family we've sadly lost: Pierre Bolangi, Ethan Ade-Oduwale, and Jorge Costa.When the team sheets landed an hour before kick-off, Charlton had five debutants in the starting XI; Watford had three.As it turned out, we acquitted ourselves well — attacking the task head-on, just as Nathan Jones promised. There was no fear.We took the early initiative with a Lloyd Jones effort that forced a smart save from Watford keeper Egil Selvik.After our early pressure, Watford began to grow into the game, showing the technical quality in their ranks. Selvik, Ngakia, Louza, and Baah particularly caught the eye on this blue-sky afternoon.A tasty battle was developing between Charlton's left wing-back Josh Edwards and Watford's explosive winger Kwadwo Baah. On 42 minutes, Baah came off worse in one of their duels, ending up face down near the Alan Curbishley Stand advertising boards.Half-time assessment: After an excitable Charlton start, Watford regained their composure but they were grateful to Selvik for keeping them level with two fine saves.At the hour mark, it felt like there was nothing between the sides but you sensed either team could strike at any moment.When Edwards limped off on 80 minutes after an epic shift, concern set in. His presence will be vital in upcoming games against Bristol City and Leicester.Six minutes of stoppage time were added and two defining moments were still to come.Jones later admitted Watford should have had a penalty after Kaminski clashed with debutant Nestory Irankunda.Then came the wonder moment in the 94th minute. The Valley erupted and once again, Nathan Jones dropped to his knees in thanks.Conor Coventry swung in a deep corner, Lloyd Jones headed it back across goal, and there was new boy Harvey Knibbs to prod home. What a moment for the lad.It was a memorable afternoon. After the euphoria of Wembley in May, we've begun life in the Championship with a last-gasp winner against a side who supposedly don't lose on opening day.Post-match, there were some shenanigans between the two sets of players. Even Nathan Jones got involved in some animated gesturing towards the Watford fans. But when he made his way to the Covered End to celebrate with the Charlton faithful, the passion was clear — every punch in the air reflected the magnitude of the result.Let's not forget, this is a manager who took us from 19th in League One in February 2024 to this moment of triumph.Three vital points were secured and when survival is the first aim, it's a fantastic start. But under NJ's leadership, you sense there may be more gears to go through in this division.While it's early days, there was no fear from this Charlton side just pride, intent, and purpose.We're the new boys and we should be proud of ourselves.