Next... Brighton at home

Unbeaten in one. On a winning run, and we haven't even conceded a goal on our recent run of one game. That's it, you might as well just give us the third division title now!

I have seen criticisms of those that swing from doom and gloom to jubilation and back again, but when it comes to Charlton I just can't help myself. It's a bit like when a good friend does something that you really can't approve of. As soon as you are given half a chance to forgive him, you do and carry on as though it never happened.

Well, a dismal run (which, to be fair did only mean two defeats in ten) and it only takes one win and I'm back full of ridiculous confidence.

There is a little more in it than that. The addition of Johnnie Jackson on Saturday made a huge difference. No disrespect to Grant Basey, but with Reid in front of him we looked a different proposition down the left flank. I suspect that will soon be countered by opposition defences, but it will mean that they will not be able to double mark Lloyd Sam at the same time, so I'm confident that we will see more positive outcomes going forward.

We still look like a team that concentrates on scoring more than defending. I don't have a problem with this specifically, but as unlucky as we might have been in our recent run to have conceded first and left ourselves playing with ten men behind the ball, we were lucky not to have conceded first on Saturday.

In many of the places I have worked I have heard managers counter the influence of luck by claiming that "You make your own luck". This is obviously completely rubbish as by definition luck is just that, luck. However I do love the response Steve Davis gave when he was accused of being lucky during the match when he won one of his World Championships. "The more I practice the luckier I get". Maybe there's something in that for us. Maybe the belief that we are unbeatable has more of an impact on their strikers in front of goal that we realise. Anyway, I'll take another 2-0 and Brighton can have fifteen shots on target for all I care.

Brighton have been in good form recently, they've drawn away to Leeds, and Orient (who had been on a great run themselves) and at home to Huddersfield. Their only defeat in their last four games has come at home to Norwich where they were 1-0 in front until the latter stages. They mightn't have won since the middle of January, but they are no pushovers.

I don't want to sound too cautions, but we didn't line up with the intention of keeping a clean sheet at all costs on Saturday, and I fear that if we concede the first goal tonight we will suddenly be very nervous.

I guess we'd better score first then.

Up the Addicks!