Kevin Nolan’s verdict on Boro 1 Charlton 0 – Addicks have forgotten how to win
Saville 1
CHARLTON 0
BY KEVIN NOLAN AT THE RIVERSIDE
Clueless Charlton’s breakneck nosedive into trouble showed no sign of slowing down with this depressing defeat by mediocre Middlesbrough.
Their performance, particularly during a jawdroppingly inept first half, surely ranks among the worst ever inflicted on their travelling support, 501 of whom made a 510-mile round trip to undergo this torture.
Without a win now in eight games, during which two painstaking points have been added, the Addicks are a pale shadow of the hustling, bustling team which set off on their Championship adventure by amassing 14 points from six games in August.
That breakneck start is largely responsible for the seven-point gap still cushioning them from the drop zone, but their deceptive advantage will be threatened by the visits to The Valley this week of relegation rivals Huddersfield Town and Hull City.
The nature of Boro’s winning goal, scored less than a minute after they had kicked off, fitted in perfectly with the general scruffiness which followed it.
There was more hope than expectation in the weak shot delivered on the turn by Britt Assombalonga but a slight deflection off Jason Pearce and the nuisance value of Ashley Fletcher’s looming presence caused Dillon Phillips to shovel the ball unconvincingly a few yards in front of him. Strolling through a catnapping defence, George Saville poked his first goal of the season between Phillips’ legs and Charlton were facing a deficit they never came close to cancelling.
That they stayed nominally in contention for over 90 more painful minutes had more to do with their hosts’ dreadful finishing than any urgency or ambition on their part.
As Boro squandered a handful of gilt-edged chances to seal the deal, it took their lethargic visitors until the closing stages to even mildly threaten Aynsley Pears’ goal.
Conor Gallagher, for whom little went right but who, to his credit, never stopped trying, cut inside from left to right but failed by inches to achieve enough curl on his shot to find the far corner.
As the Addicks sprang belatedly to life, substitute Albie Morgan’s crisp drive from outside the penalty area drew an excellent diving save from an underworked Pears.
It was a different story at the other end.
Shortly after Saville gave the Teessiders their decisive lead, the goalscorer turned sharply but narrowly missed the target; then a mix-up between Phillips and Pearce presented Hayden Coulson with a long-range potshot at an open goal, which the midfielder sent over the bar; Marcus Tavernier followed by making a point-blank hash of converting an inviting cross from debutant Dyed Spence when scoring seemed an easier option.
In response, Charlton contributed a selection of misplaced passes, surrendered possession and confirmation that right now they are the division’s most eagerly anticipated opposition.
In recent weeks, they have eased the relegation plights of Luton Town and Middlesbrough, with Huddersfield Town hovering in the wings tonight in hopes of similar largesse.
The interval replacements of Joe Ledley – a curious choice to start – by Lyle Taylor and an out-of-sorts Ben Purrington by Morgan brought marginal improvement with them, though Boro continued to control a dreadful game.
Taylor offered new initiative to a jaded side and did enough, despite obvious rustiness, to remind the Addicks what they’ve been missing. One expertly timed run off Dael Fry’s shoulder to catch up with a lofted pass was a blast from the recent past and though the defender tenaciously blocked his venomously-struck drive, his point was made.
Jonathan Woodgate’s men, meanwhile, seemed at pains to keep their hapless visitors interested.
Phillips was required to plunge full length to keep out Fletcher’s sidefooted effort but was no more than a concerned onlooker as Stephen Walker turned inside Adam Matthews to create a close-range shooting opportunity which he blasted wildly over the bar.
Charlton (4-4-2): Phillips 6, Matthews 5, Oshilaja 5, Pearce 5, Purrington 5 (Morgan 46, 6), Gallagher 7, Pratley 6, Ledley 4 (Taylor 46, 6), Doughty 5, Leko 4, Bonne 5. Not used: Maynard-Brewer, Solly, Sarr, Davison, Vennings.
PICTURES BY KYLE ANDREWS
