With player-coach Wayne Rooney watching on ahead of his imminent debut for Derby, 18-year-old Knight pounced in each half to earn the Rams – who had Krystian Bielik sent off for a bad foul on Conor Gallagher in the 17th minute – a first victory since November.
An 83rd-minute penalty by Lyle Taylor gave the Addicks hope, but the home team hung on to move nine points clear of the Sky Bet Championship’s bottom three.
The game was only 20 seconds old when Knight played in Martyn Waghorn but Dillon Phillips blocked his shot.
There was a good tempo about Derby and Charlton were punished in the 10th minute when Naby Sarr’s loose pass allowed Andre Wisdom to cross and Waghorn’s deflected shot was headed in by Knight.
Replays suggested Waghorn was offside but, with no VAR, the goal stood, although Derby’s celebrations were short-lived as Bielik was dismissed for a lunge on Gallagher.
It was a wild challenge by the former Charlton loanee but, despite going down to 10 men, Derby remained on the front foot and the visitors did not threaten until the half-hour mark when Ben Hamer had to turn behind a Tom Lockyer cross.
Derby went close again when Jack Marriott’s shot was deflected over and, although Charlton were getting into some good positions, their final ball lacked quality and Ben Purrington’s dreadfully over-hit cross just before the break summed up their first half.
Hamer was forced into a diving save by Alfie Doughty at the start of the second period before Marriott had a great chance at the other end in the 50th minute when a ball over the top caught Charlton cold, but his lob was well wide.
Addicks midfielder Albie Morgan volleyed wide from the edge of the area when the ball dropped invitingly to him but the hosts went close on the break in the 57th minute when Marriott’s low shot was saved by Phillips.
Gallagher had been booed constantly after Bielik’s red card and there were loud cheers when he was booked for a foul as Charlton’s frustration at failing to create so little against 10 men showed.
It was Derby who looked more likely to score again and they did so in the 77th minute when Max Bird’s cross from the left fell to the unmarked Knight, who side-footed past Phillips from eight yards.
But Charlton were back in it six minutes later when Gallagher was tripped by Curtis Davies and Taylor sent Hamer the wrong way from the spot.
Suddenly the red shirts were swarming around the Derby box and Ben Dempsey thought he had equalised in the 89th minute, but Hamer made a great save low to his left and the Rams held on.
Phillip Cocu ready to start Wayne Rooney in Derby’s clash against Barnsley
Derby manager Phillip Cocu revealed Wayne Rooney is set to give his team a New Year boost after they ended a seven-match winless run by beating Charlton 2-1 at Pride Park.
Rooney is eligible to face Barnsley on Thursday, January 2 and Cocu hinted the former England captain is likely to be in the starting line-up.
He watched from the dugout as Derby started well with Jason Knight scoring his first senior goal in the 10th minute when he headed in a deflected Martyn Waghorn shot.
Derby were reduced to 10 men seven minutes later when Krystian Bielik, who spent last season on loan at Charlton, lunged in on Conor Gallagher and was shown a red card.
The visitors made little impression despite that numerical advantage and Derby created chances before Max Bird’s cross in the 77th minute found Knight unmarked to side-foot his second.
A Curtis Davies trip on Gallagher six minutes later gave Charlton a penalty, which Lyle Taylor coolly converted, and it needed a great save by Ben Hamer to deny Ben Dempsey a late equaliser.
It was Derby’s first victory since November 23 and now Cocu can call on Rooney for the first game of 2020 when he has Bielik and Tom Lawrence suspended.
He said: “If a player with the qualities, career and the experience of Rooney (is available) you have to be very happy and glad he is here, so I don’t need a suspension to consider him in the first XI to be honest.
“He’s fit, he can start but he will need a few games. Expectation will be high when he starts playing but we have to give him a few games to build up his minutes and get in the team.
“So maybe not perfect from the start but it’s important he will get in the team as soon as possible so we get a certain shape in our team.”
On the victory, Cocu said: “I’m extremely proud of how we performed in tactical discipline, how we defended and also how we played football with 10 against 11.”
Charlton manager Lee Bowyer was less pleased, saying: “I’m disappointed. They had Krystian [Bielik] sent off early and in my eyes we should go on and win the game. We didn’t for a number of reasons
“In possession we were poor. We didn’t create anything at all. Second half until the penalty we didn’t really have a shot.
“Our final ball was poor all night long. Defensively again we conceded another two goals and Derby deserved to win. We weren’t good enough and got exactly what we deserved and that was nothing.”
Derby County 2-1 Charlton Athletic - Match Highlights
With player-coach Wayne Rooney watching on ahead of his imminent debut for Derby, 18-year-old Knight pounced in each half to earn the Rams – who had Krystian Bielik sent off for a bad foul on Conor Gallagher in the 17th minute – a first victory since November.
An 83rd-minute penalty by Lyle Taylor gave the Addicks hope, but the home team hung on to move nine points clear of the Sky Bet Championship’s bottom three.
The game was only 20 seconds old when Knight played in Martyn Waghorn but Dillon Phillips blocked his shot.
There was a good tempo about Derby and Charlton were punished in the 10th minute when Naby Sarr’s loose pass allowed Andre Wisdom to cross and Waghorn’s deflected shot was headed in by Knight.
Replays suggested Waghorn was offside but, with no VAR, the goal stood, although Derby’s celebrations were short-lived as Bielik was dismissed for a lunge on Gallagher.
It was a wild challenge by the former Charlton loanee but, despite going down to 10 men, Derby remained on the front foot and the visitors did not threaten until the half-hour mark when Ben Hamer had to turn behind a Tom Lockyer cross.
Derby went close again when Jack Marriott’s shot was deflected over and, although Charlton were getting into some good positions, their final ball lacked quality and Ben Purrington’s dreadfully over-hit cross just before the break summed up their first half.
Hamer was forced into a diving save by Alfie Doughty at the start of the second period before Marriott had a great chance at the other end in the 50th minute when a ball over the top caught Charlton cold, but his lob was well wide.
Addicks midfielder Albie Morgan volleyed wide from the edge of the area when the ball dropped invitingly to him but the hosts went close on the break in the 57th minute when Marriott’s low shot was saved by Phillips.
Gallagher had been booed constantly after Bielik’s red card and there were loud cheers when he was booked for a foul as Charlton’s frustration at failing to create so little against 10 men showed.
It was Derby who looked more likely to score again and they did so in the 77th minute when Max Bird’s cross from the left fell to the unmarked Knight, who side-footed past Phillips from eight yards.
But Charlton were back in it six minutes later when Gallagher was tripped by Curtis Davies and Taylor sent Hamer the wrong way from the spot.
Suddenly the red shirts were swarming around the Derby box and Ben Dempsey thought he had equalised in the 89th minute, but Hamer made a great save low to his left and the Rams held on.
Phillip Cocu ready to start Wayne Rooney in Derby’s clash against Barnsley
Derby manager Phillip Cocu revealed Wayne Rooney is set to give his team a New Year boost after they ended a seven-match winless run by beating Charlton 2-1 at Pride Park.
Rooney is eligible to face Barnsley on Thursday, January 2 and Cocu hinted the former England captain is likely to be in the starting line-up.
He watched from the dugout as Derby started well with Jason Knight scoring his first senior goal in the 10th minute when he headed in a deflected Martyn Waghorn shot.
Derby were reduced to 10 men seven minutes later when Krystian Bielik, who spent last season on loan at Charlton, lunged in on Conor Gallagher and was shown a red card.
The visitors made little impression despite that numerical advantage and Derby created chances before Max Bird’s cross in the 77th minute found Knight unmarked to side-foot his second.
A Curtis Davies trip on Gallagher six minutes later gave Charlton a penalty, which Lyle Taylor coolly converted, and it needed a great save by Ben Hamer to deny Ben Dempsey a late equaliser.
It was Derby’s first victory since November 23 and now Cocu can call on Rooney for the first game of 2020 when he has Bielik and Tom Lawrence suspended.
He said: “If a player with the qualities, career and the experience of Rooney (is available) you have to be very happy and glad he is here, so I don’t need a suspension to consider him in the first XI to be honest.
“He’s fit, he can start but he will need a few games. Expectation will be high when he starts playing but we have to give him a few games to build up his minutes and get in the team.
“So maybe not perfect from the start but it’s important he will get in the team as soon as possible so we get a certain shape in our team.”
On the victory, Cocu said: “I’m extremely proud of how we performed in tactical discipline, how we defended and also how we played football with 10 against 11.”
Charlton manager Lee Bowyer was less pleased, saying: “I’m disappointed. They had Krystian [Bielik] sent off early and in my eyes we should go on and win the game. We didn’t for a number of reasons
“In possession we were poor. We didn’t create anything at all. Second half until the penalty we didn’t really have a shot.
“Our final ball was poor all night long. Defensively again we conceded another two goals and Derby deserved to win. We weren’t good enough and got exactly what we deserved and that was nothing.”