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Sport

Spring goal boosts Charlton survival hopes

By: KentOnline reporter multimediadesk@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 00:00, 29 January 2009

Charlton's Deon Burton challenges for the ball in the air against Crystal Palace

Charlton 1 Crystal Palace 0

Charlton's players left the field to the theme from the ?Great Escape? as they threw themselves a lifeline in the fight for Coca-Cola Championship survival on Tuesday.

With perfect timing they won back South London bragging rights with a first League win in 19 attempts at the expense of local rivals Crystal Palace.

Matthew Spring?s second goal in as many games for the club put a smile back on the face of manager Phil Parkinson who chalked up a first League win in 11 attempts since succeeding Alan Pardew in November.

mpu1

Parkinson admitted: ?The five minutes added for stoppages was the longest five minutes of my life.

?We now have 18 games to achieve survival and this was the first step on that road.

?I?m delighted because our supporters saw how much this win meant to the players.

?It was terrific performance in terms of resilience and desire. That?s what won the game for us.

?We stood up to everything Palace threw at us with a strong competitive edge.

?The long, winless run in the League had become a millstone around our necks and now we?ve got rid of it.?

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But from Palace manager Neil Warnock came an astonishing back-handed compliment aimed at the Charlton players.

He said: ?The Charlton players should be disgusted with themselves because they never gave that level of commitment to Alan Pardew when he was in charge.?

Spring won himself long-term adulation from Charlton supporters with his 14th minute match-winner, driving the ball home from close range after Matt Lawrence had half-cleared Lloyd Sam?s cross.

Palace, who beat Charlton 1-0 in the season?s first derby at Selhurst Park in September, failed to register a shot on target during the entire 90 minutes but forced the home side to defend in depth for much of the second half.

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