Nathan Jones described Matty Godden as “outstanding” after the in-form striker helped Charlton to a 2-0 win over Stevenage.
The 33-year-old took his goal tally for the campaign to 12 with his close-range finish from Conor Coventry’s low cross in the 44th minute.
If the timing of that goal was a body blow to Stevenage, they then conceded again just four minutes into the second half when Luke Berry produced a first-time finish after Tyreece Campbell’s shot crashed back off the left upright.
Charlton moved into the League One play-off zone after extending their unbeaten run in the competition to five matches.
“His all-round performance was outstanding today,” said Charlton boss Jones about Godden.
“He is five feet nine or 10 but the amount of headers he wins and effect he had on two giants, two very good centre-halves, was brilliant.
“Matty Godden is a top, top frontman. We talk about Alfie May (sold to Birmingham before the season started) and Alfie was brilliant for us – but Matty Godden has got some pedigree and I felt, at times, it was disrespectful to him.
“Matty Godden has scored everywhere he has been, he’s got promoted and played in the Championship constantly.
“The guy is a class act and today it is as good a centre-forward link man and performance that you’ve seen here for a while. He had everything today.
“We needed our goalkeeper for one instance in the first half and apart from that I thought we were brilliant.
“The second half is the best performance under myself. The most complete performance and against a side that is really dangerous, been in good form and is well-coached.”
Stevenage found it difficult to open up the hosts with their only real chance falling to Louis Appere, with home goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer thwarting the forward’s attempt to go around him.
Stevenage boss Alex Revell said: “We didn’t take our chances when they came. We have some brilliant moments in the first half to score a goal and we don’t.
“We have an opportunity on the edge of the box – we don’t shoot and absolutely we should do. Two minutes later and it’s in the back of your net.
“Both the goals are really preventable. It comes down to the basics. If you don’t do the basics right then you don’t win games. We didn’t do the basics well enough today. We’ve lost and we’ll go through it, look at certain aspects.
“At 2-0 we are trying to do something to change the game but there was not enough character and courage – that means off the ball as well as on it, like winning your duels and not letting someone hold the ball up in the corner for two minutes.
“They won everything and scrapped – we didn’t do it well enough.”
