Roy Hodgson puts spotlight on players after Bristol City reign starts with a win

Roy Hodgson refused to take any of the plaudits after presiding over a Bristol City victory in his first match in interim charge as they won 2-1 at Charlton.

City’s travelling support – 2,409 in the away end in south-east London – chanted Hodgson’s name after the full-time whistle as the former England boss made a winning start to his temporary spell back in charge 44 years after his first stint with the club.

Scott Twine’s 11th goal of the season put the visitors into an early lead and they squandered chances to be further in front before Lyndon Dykes’ smart finish levelled things up on the half-hour mark.

Noah Eile scored in the 55th minute, forcing the ball in from close range after Twine’s free-kick had squirmed out of the hands of Charlton goalkeeper Will Mannion, before City’s keeper Radek Vitek made a couple of saves to preserve the lead.

Hodgson, appointed after Gerhard Struber’s sacking a week ago, said: “I’m afraid the cult of the manager or coach is something that I tend to play down. It is football players that win it. If you are going to win then you need quality in your team.

“There is another element in terms of the desire and determination. Sometimes as a coach you can be proud the players are showing that – you can also be proud of the shape and the way they kept it.

“I was pleased for the team and the way they went about trying to win the game. In the first half and in the second half, before the onslaught started, we were looking really good value for the victory.

“I must take my hat off to the goalkeeper, backline and the midfield players for surviving the onslaught.

“Don’t forget this is the first time I’ve seen this group of players play live and I’ve learned a lot.

“Football is not a science but if I can trust the players to keep working at the way they played today and keep showing a degree of determination then I shall be happy enough in these last five or six weeks before I get the slippers back out.”

Charlton have taken one point from a possible nine, but the 2025 League One play-off champions still have an eight-point cushion over the bottom three.

Addicks manager Nathan Jones said: “At the start of both halves we were poor and that cost us the game.

“If you look at all their chances we gave the ball away or did something rash. It was a game we could’ve drawn or won in the end but we didn’t show enough quality in the final third and some of our defending today was so not like us that it was crazy.

“Will has made four or five good saves but he has to save it (the winning goal).

“Matty Godden has had a great chance which the keeper has pulled off a save. Tyreece Campbell had a chance. Dykesy had a chance.

“If you can’t keep clean sheets and don’t show enough quality then you are not going to win games. We are conceding poor goals – that is a recipe that will set you back.”