Charlton 0 Middlesbrough 0
Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.
Stretching now to nine games, Charlton’s unbeaten record was extended in this dull encounter with Middlesbrough. Their recent progress has resembled not so much a glamorous cavalry charge as the painful footslogging of the Poor Bloody Infantry. But Boro joined eight other sides who, to date, have failed to lower the Addicks’ colours. Which is impressive but just a little misleading.
A sixth draw of this still embryonic season followed familiar lines. Over an hour was spent wearing down opponents wearied by their midweek Cup exploits before finally erupting into a period of steady late pressure, which had the Teessiders hanging on for the final whistle. But a recent lack of punch up front, where the early season threat of Igor Vetokele has been blunted, meant this goalless stand-off came as no surprise. And when a stroke of luck might have come in handy, Charlton ended up empty-handed.
The first half shouldn’t have been inflicted on either purist or philistine. Fully committed to their new, deliberate policy of keep-ball, Charlton passed ponderously among themselves, sporadically crossing the halfway line with all the momentum of trench-sapped veterans. At least this time they stepped on no self-laid mines. But during a tedious 45 minutes, the equally methodical if uninspired visitors looked marginally likelier to score.
Opening with the temporary confidence derived from taking Liverpool all the way to an epic penalty shoot-out, Boro made all the early running. Dangerous wide man Albert Adomah began a personally eventful afternoon by combining with Adam Reach to lash an inviting chance into the sidenet, then tested Stephen Henderson’s reactions from 30 yards. Sandwiched between Adomah’s efforts, Adam Reach was awkwardly brought down by Johnnie Jackson near the left byline; as The Valley gulped collectively, referee Gavin Ward took a benign view of a “seen “em given” penalty.
With the Addicks struggling to find a foothold, left back George Friend twice met inswinging corners from Adam Clayton but headed narrowly wide at the far post on each occasion. Hot prospect Patrick Bamford’s 25 yard snapshot on the turn was deflected too close for comfort while, before the break, Kike Garcia’s lob skimmed the bar. What sounds deceptively like incessant pressure amounted, in fact, to no more than a slight edge during which Charlton, for all their studied possession, failed dismally to trouble Dimi Konstantopoulos.
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No doubt feeling the effects of their Anfield exertions, Middlesbrough began to give ground in the second period, though initially the alert attentions of Andre Bikey were required to check Adomah, after possession was conceded by the disappointing Yoni Buyens. Franck Moussa had replaced desperately unlucky Johann Berg Gudmundsson at the interval but it was the introduction of George Tucudean for an out-of-touch Jackson, with Jordan Cousins moving infield from the left, which launched Charlton’s determined bid for all three points.
Hardworking Cousins had already created his side’s first chance by burrowing in from the right byline to deliver a low cross which Daniel Ayala hacked desperately clear before Vetokele could pounce. But it was aggressive Rhoys Wiggins who pierced Boro’s penalty box to provide Frederic Bulot with space for a cleverly improvised sideways-on volley which beat Konstantopoulos but rebounded harmlessly off the keeper’s left-hand post.
Boro were beginning to creak and it was Adomah who most notably succumbed to the pressure. Already booked for a clumsy foul on Cousins, the winger’s violent assault on Wiggins actually qualified for a straight red card but, alarmingly, referee Ward first indicated a foul by Wiggins before coming to his senses and issuing Adomah with a second, fateful yellow. With eight minutes remaining, the Northeasterners were in serious trouble.
Perhaps a little fortunate to be still around himself following a spiteful “elbowing” spat with Bamford, Bikey escaped the relentless booing of his former Riverside fans by advancing upfield for an abortive free kick from Buyens and being ordered to stay put by positive boss Bob Peeters. Showing nimble feet in unfamiliar territory, the big centre back picked out Bulot, who quickly transferred the ball to the onrushing Lawrie Wilson. Shooting on the run from 10 yards, the substitute’s apparent sure thing was denied by Konstantopoulos’ superb, spreadeagled block superb at his near post. Charlton weren’t quite finished yet and it took Clayton’s alert reactions to scrape Wiggins’ last minute header off the line.
So an unbeaten run, owing more to dogged determination than to seamless brilliance, continues. Peeters has knitted together a solid, unspectacular side in an impressively short time but before we get carried away, check this space on Wednesday morning, in the wake of a tricky visit to table-topping Norwich City. You never know, the Addicks might just turn out to be cats among canaries at Carrow Road. One thing’s for sure. Either fur or feathers will fly. Possibly both if they draw yet again.
Charlton: Henderson, Solly, Ben Haim, Bikey, Wiggins, Gudmundsson (Moussa 46), Buyens, Bulot (Wilson 85), Jackson (Tucudean 69), Cousins, Vetokele. Not used: Pope, Morrison, Fox, Ahearne-Grant. Booked: Solly.
Boro: Konstantopoulos, Nue, Ayala, Omeruo (Gibson 71), Friend, Adomah, Clayton, Tomlin (Wildschut 88), Reach, Bamford, Garcia Martinez (Leadbitter 76). Not used: Blackman, Fredericks, Ledesma, Husband. Sent off (two bookings): Adomah.
Referee: Gavin Ward. Att: 16,110 (1,967 visiting).