Mum’s the word as Zheng boosts Charlton

ZHENG ZHI scored the goal and won the penalty that put Charlton within four points of Premiership safety — then dedicated his Mother’s Day performance to mum Qu Li.

China’s captain, on loan to Charlton for the rest of the season from champions Shan Dong Nu Leng, headed home on his full debut — after three substitute appearances for Alan Pardew’s side — to give them the lead after 54 minutes when Darren Bent’s free-kick curler came back off the bar.

And two minutes from the end he went down in the area from a nudge by Nolberto Solano, enabling Jerome Thomas to score his first spot-kick for Charlton to seal the points.

Boss Pardew saw his side pick up their seventh point in three games and with fellow strugglers Wigan and Sheffield United still to come to The Valley is even more confident now of top-flight survival. He said: “The way we are playing is making many of our opponents feel very nervous and if we can repeat some of the quality we showed in the second half we’ve got a great chance of staying up. We changed things around after Marcus Bent and Alex Song had to come off injured and earned our win with endeavour and some bits of quality.”

Zheng, who started on the right of midfield in place of injured Darren Ambrose, was pushed up front to join Darren Bent after the break when specialist winger Dennis Rommedahl came on. The 26-year-old, who once served a six-months suspension in China for attacking a referee, said: “Of course I was very happy to score and it doesn’t matter whether it is with your head or your foot.

“I had another chance afterwards with my left foot which I regret missing but I am still very happy and will celebrate tonight with my family, who are here. That includes my mother and I know about Mother’s Day here. This was my present to her.”

Pardew later revealed: “In hindsight I probably made a mistake playing both Darren Bent and Marcus Bent today. Marcus got injured again and Darren, although he will report to England, shouldn’t play against Israel in my view. I don’t think the game is right for him and not right for Steve McClaren to pick him. He has pain in one of his medial knee ligaments and it can be dangerous when he twists and turns.”

Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder declared Kieron Dyer fit for England duty despite taking him off in the second half following a kick just above the ankle. Roeder said: “He probably won’t be able to train for the first two days but he’s fit for England.”

But he has withdrawn defender Steve Taylor from the England U-21 squad after he aggravated a calf injury against AZ Alkmaar in the UEFA Cup defeat in Holland on Thursday and missed the Charlton match.

CHARLTON: Carson, Young, El Karkouri, Diawara, Hreidarsson, Zheng, Holland, Song Billong (Faye 40), Thomas, Darren Bent (Lisbie 83), Marcus Bent (Rommedahl 46).

NEWCASTLE: Given, Solano, Onyewu, Moore, Duff, Dyer (N’Zogbia 76), Parker, Emre, Milner, Martins, Sibierski.

Referee: D Gallagher (Oxfordshire).