1 min
Charlton Athletic dropped into the Championship relegation zone for the first time this season following a 1-0 defeat to Middlesborough at The Valley.
The Addicks could have opened the scoring in the 14th minute as Lyle Taylor’s flicked header found Andre Green who was unable to convert.
Three minutes later Boro punished the home side’s wastefulness – Rudy Gestede latching onto a poor pass from Ben Purrington before finding Paddy McNair to tap home.
Charlton could have equalised in the 40th minute with Green slipping in behind the visitors’ backline once again, only to find Boro keeper Dejan Stojanovic equal to his effort.
The second period saw Charlton on the front foot with a series of half chances – the best falling to substitute Macauley Bonne who seemed to rush his effort, allowing Stojanovic to gather.
Although manager Lee Bowyer brought on striker Tomer Hemed in the final quarter in search of an equaliser it was too little, too late as Charlton drop to 22nd in the table, two points from safety.
Key Points
Check out all the key talking points and reaction from London Football Scene below…
Key Moment
In a relegation “six-pointer”, Paddy McNair’s early goal proved the difference between the two sides.
Moan of the Match
Lyle Taylor’s bizarre dive in the early stages of the second-half annoyed both sets of supporters, particularly Charlton fans as he was well placed to take a strike.
Talking Point
Charlton drop into the bottom three at the worst part of the season – surely big decisions and performances are needed in the last nine games.
Man of the Match
Andre Green – constantly threatened the Boro backline with his pace and agility and was not afraid to test the keeper with good efforts throughout.
Tweet of the Match
Referee Watch
Steve Martin (Staffordshire) – found himself reaching for his pocket too often with four yellow cards issued in a game which had no controversial decisions to make.
Atmosphere
The Valley was noticeably low-key with Charlton’s performance on the pitch offering little to raise the decibels.
Verdict
A massive game for Charlton where a big home performance was needed against a fellow struggling side – but Lee Bowyer’s side simply didn’t show enough.
