From the Guardian:
Advantage Charlton as Varney revitalises push for top-flight return
Sachin Nakrani at The Valley
Saturday February 9, 2008
Guardian Unlimited
The Championship promotion chase is a turbulent affair and there is nothing quite like beating a fellow contender at this stage of the season to calm the nerves and raise spirits. This victory, secured by two second-half strikes from Luke Varney, strengthens Charlton's play-off position and puts them on the brink of an automatic promotion spot.
Should they go all the way and return to the Premier League 12 months after relegation, then this result, achieved against bitter local rivals, will live long in the memory. "It's been a great night for us. Consistency has been a problem but, if we can reach these heights every week, we will continue to get great results," Charlton's manager, Alan Pardew, said.
"I'm particularly pleased for Luke Varney. If he believed in himself a bit more, he could be a really terrific player. Sometimes he doubts himself but that is because he is an honest player." Varney combined honesty with potency here and his goals were reward for Charlton, who dominated throughout.
Form coupled with the desire to make up ground suggested Crystal Palace, who remain seventh in the league, would start this match with a surge but it was the home side who were on the front foot from the outset. On 18 minutes Charlton's pressure produced a breakthrough when Greg Halford, on his debut after signing on loan from Sunderland, turned Shaun Derry on the edge of the visitors' box and ran into space but then lost his composure and curled the ball horribly wide.
The visitors created the first chance of the second half on 52 minutes, Neil Danns, who was making his first start after signing from Birmingham for £600,000, hitting the target but his shot was comfortably saved by Nicky Weaver.
The home side's persistence paid off on the hour when Varney struck. He reacted first after Matt Holland's floated free-kick was nodded back by Andy Gray and then ricocheted off Mark Hudson's chest. Lurking at the near post, Varney could not help but score his sixth goal of the season.
The forward sealed the victory three minutes from time, once again assisted by Hudson, this time the ball slamming off his chest before finding its way into the back of the net. Palace had no response, finishing the match in the way they had started it, passive and without purpose.It was no surprise to see their top scorer Clinton Morrison substituted towards the end of the contest.
Despite the insipid performance, the Palace manager, Neil Warnock, remained upbeat. "You've got to put things into perspective: our expectations are high because we've been on a good run," he said. "But I can't fault the effort of the players."
Next up for Warnock's side is the difficult visit of sixth-placed Ipswich on Tuesday. On the same night Charlton, who stay in fifth, travel to lowly Sheffield Wednesday. The Championship, it appears, is starting to take shape.
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Luke Varney double lifts Charlton Athletic
By Christopher Davies
Charlton Athletic (0) 2 Crystal Palace (0) 0
Charlton Athletic moved level on points with fourth-placed Stoke City after Luke Varney's second-half brace gave them a deserved victory in an entertaining south-east London derby.
Combining speed, skill and style, Charlton played some delightful football, even if their finishing did not always match their build-up.
Neil Warnock had led Crystal Palace from 23rd to fifth but they have taken only one point from their last three games. They offered more strength than subtlety, posing little threat as an offensive force and those who do not like the more muscular, direct style of the manager will welcome last night's result. It was the first time Palace had conceded two goals away from home this season.
"I enjoyed the way we played," said Charlton manager Alan Pardew. "This team is good enough for promotion but do they have the consistency?
"Luke had a big night. It's been a dramatic jump for him having learned his trade at Crewe. He's handling it well even if he doesn't always believe in himself.
"You could see the joy of the other players that he scored because they know how hard he works."
Charlton dominated the first half and could have scored three goals. After turning Shaun Derry, Greg Halford shot just wide, Julian Speroni made what Pardew called "an incredible save" from Zheng Zhi and Varney hit an upright.
The home team scored the goal they had threatened on the hour after Palace failed to defend Matt Holland's free-kick near the half-way line. From Andy Gray's knock-on Varney beat Mark Hudson to force the ball home.
Nine minutes later Hudson and Varney were involved in another clash when the Palace defender appeared to go in with a nasty tackle that left the Charlton striker writhing in agony.
Referee Lee Probert did not see the incident clearly so the Gloucestershire official restarted play with a drop-ball. Had he even awarded a free-kick against Hudson, the Football Association would not be able to look at the incident again.
However, the FA are free to do so now and Hudson may find himself with the three-match ban he would have received had Probert shown him the red card. "It did look a really bad challenge," said Pardew. "Luke has the scars to prove it."
Warnock said: "If anything, I felt Varney's was the dangerous challenge. [Hudson's tackle] was nowhere near as bad when you see it again."
Varney's second goal was the sweetest revenge for Hudson's feisty challenge. With three minutes remaining, Varney's goal-bound shot struck Hudson on its way to the back of the net for his seventh goal of the season.
Charlton Athletic 2 Crystal Palace 0: Varney settles derby dispute to check Palace's rise
The last time these south London rivals faced each other at The Valley, they were at a very different stage of the season and in a different league. That 2-2 draw in May 2005 sent Crystal Palace down from the Premier League and last night Charlton, despite being relegated themselves last season, again had the last laugh.
Whether this victory will be quite so important will only become clear in three months' time, but Luke Varney's goals gave the hosts a deserved victory. Having also hit the post and forced two good saves from Julian Speroni in the visitors' goal, there could be no complaints from Palace.
Despite losing at Scunthorpe last weekend – a result that left Alan Pardew deeply disappointed – the Charlton manager only made one change, as he introduced full-back Greg Halford, signed on loan from Sunderland last month, for his debut.
The new man soon impressed. With 18 minutes gone, Halford spun around Danny Butterfield but curled his shot wide of Speroni's post and two minutes later he put in a dangerous low cross which Zheng Zhi struck hard and on target only for Speroni to punch his shot away.
Pardew's counterpart Neil Warnock, presiding over a run of just one defeat in 17 League games before last night, is new to these south London derbies.
The former Sheffield United manager was not in charge of Crystal Palace when these two teams met in a poor game in September that Charlton won 1-0. Since he has replaced Peter Taylor, however, Warnock has guided the Eagles up the Championship, making them play-off contenders, not that they were in contention for much of the first-half at The Valley.
Charlton started the match inside the play-off zone, in fifth, two places and just two points ahead of their neighbours. The Addicks made sure of extending that advantage thanks to Varney. From a free-kick on the halfway line in the 60th minute, Matt Holland chipped the ball in, Varney turned his marker and beat Speroni from six yards.
It was not a classic, but the forward's sixth goal of the season was celebrated as if it had earned Charlton instant promotion. That of course is their aim, as they attempt to bounce back, at the first attempt, to the Premier League. Varney's second of the night, three minutes from time, was a rather better finish as he cut inside from the left wing and beat Speroni, the ball taking a deflection off Mark Hudson on its way.