Reza Ghoochannejad scored the winner for the championship side Charlton Athletic away against Leeds United. The midweek match played on Tuesday evening was crucial for the London club fighting against relegation.

The strike by Team Melli forward came early in the second half (54th minute) , to make it 1-0 for Charlton Athletic. The result remained unchanged despite several wasted chances by both teams. This was the first goal scored by Ghoochannejad in English football.

The win thanks to Gucci’s goal lifted Charlton Athletic from the relegation zone  and with two games in hand , their chances of survival is strong against teams below them.

Ghoochannejad was subbed out in the 85th minute to get a standing ovation from the small Charlton Athletic away crowd.

Charlton boss Jose Riga, could not be happier after his side won their third game in seven matches under the Belgian, with just two defeats. Riga appears to be winning over Addicks fans after replacing the popular Chris Powell on March 11.

“It was a very big win for me and certainly for Charlton,” said the 56-year-old former AC Milan academy coach.

Regarding Ghoochannejhad’s stunning winner, Riga added: “I know what Reza is able to do and he was good in the game.”

“He was part of the game and I’m not totally surprised. This guy needs some confidence, he needs to work hard, offensively and defensively and he did that and it’s good for the team too. This (result) is only one step more for me because we have very important games ahead against Yeovil and Barnsley, so the story is far from ended.”