Halford profits from Keane’s cruel cut

GREG HALFORD will not be the last player to be discarded by Roy Keane, but it might be the young defender, rather than the Sunderland manager, who has the last laugh this season.

Just five months after moving to Sunderland from Reading for €4.5million, Halford was allowed to join Charlton on loan for the remainder of the campaign.

The 23-year-old was impressive as Alan Pardew’s team drew 2-2 with promotion rivals Watford at the Valley on Saturday, and, with Sunderland fighting for survival in the Premier League, the two clubs could swap divisions in May.

Since leaving Colchester for Reading last January, Halford has made just 11 Premier League appearances, and he admits that 2007 was a puzzling year.

Halford reflected: “It was frustrating at Sunderland. I made a few mistakes, and I was punished for them. When you make mistakes in Roy Keane’s team, you don’t really get many second chances.

“Roy Keane changed his story a couple of times. He said I would have limited opportunities, but I felt I would turn it around if I were given one chance.

“I turned down a couple of moves to other teams, and then Roy Keane said he was disappointed about it, and that I wouldn’t get an opportunity at all.

“It was difficult, but I never let my head drop. As soon as you do, the manager will notice, and he will move you on permanently.

“It is lucky that I have been given an opportunity here. It is a positive thing for me, regardless of whether I stay here, or go back to Sunderland at the end of the season.

“There was only one team in the Championship that I would have joined, and that was Charlton.”

By half-time of this game, it appeared certain that Halford would finish on the winning side. After 15 minutes, the home team took the lead when Zheng Zhi’s cross was flicked on by Andy Gray for Darren Ambrose to sweep the ball beyond Richard Lee from six yards.

Nine minutes before the interval, the overlapping Halford produced a superb low cross that Dan Shittu could only divert into his own goal.

At that time, Charlton’s superiority was so great that a Watford fightback appeared impossible — but while the Hornets’ style of play is rarely easy on the eye, their spirit is unbreakable.

The substitute John-Joe O’Toole brought Adrian Boothroyd’s team back into the match when he guided a mis-hit shot from Tommy Smith past Nicky Weaver in the 54th minute.

One minute later, Shittu made up for his earlier error when he took advantage of some uncertain defending to head in Mat Sadler’s right-wing corner.

The goal maintained the seven-point gap between the teams, and it was particularly sweet for Shittu, who was released by Charlton six years ago without making a single first-team appearance.

The Nigeria defender said: “Charlton were the club who gave me the opportunity to play professional football, so it was nice to score — but a shame not to win.”

Watford are level on points with Stoke, who lead the division on goal difference, and Shittu admitted: “Every team has a chance in this league, because it changes every week.

“We have 13 games left, and we are positioned perfectly. We need to give it one final push.”

CHARLTON (4-4-2): Weaver 6, Halford 7, McCarthy 8, Fortune 5, Youga 6, Sam 6 (Thomas 77, 6), Zheng 7, Holland 7, Ambrose 6 (Cook 68, 6), Gray 6 (Iwelumo 78, 6), Varney 6.

Subs Not Used: Elliot, Sodje.

WATFORD (4-4-2): Lee 6, Mariappa 6, Shittu 6, Bromby 8, Sadler 6, Smith 7, Eustace 6, Bangura 5 (O’Toole 46, 7), McAnuff 7, Ellington 6, Henderson 6.

Subs Not Used: Poom, Doyley, Williamson, Ainsworth.

REFEREE: Paul Taylor (Hertfordshire) 5: Taylor was determined to let a physical game flow, but Pardew was aggrieved that his team were not given more protection from Watford’s uncompromising approach.

MATCH RATING: **** Charlton appeared certain winners after taking a 2-0 half-time lead, but Watford fought back superbly, and both teams tried to win the game until the end.