ADDICKS LACKING A CUTTING EDGE
CHARLTON head coach Bob Peeters could find little fault with his side as they did everything but score in their goalless draw with tenman Middlesbrough.
The stalemate, the Addicks’ sixth of the season, came closest to being decided by Frederic Bulot’s second-half volley, which struck the post.
The biggest talking point, however, came when Albert Adomah was sent off for two bookings.
And Peeters, whose side now sit eighth in the Championship table, was disappointed that Charlton were unable to make the most of their numerical advantage.
“I thought the referee gave a straight red and I was shouting because I thought it was a foul for us,” he said.
“It is the referee’s decision whether it is a yellow card but first of all he gave the decision against us, and that was when I went a bit angry.
“He apologised and says ‘Ok, it is a foul for you’ and I was not shouting for a card or whatever, I was just shouting for a foul in our favour.
“After the card we pushed a bit more and at the end we played three at the back. We pushed Bikey up front and he nearly set up a goal.
“I’m very happy with the performance in the second half because that’s what we were working on.
“We’ve been working on our second-half performances because before we were playing very well against Watford,Wolves and Rotherham but lost our leads.
“We pushed them all the way and in the second half we had a lot of good chances.”
Adomah fired wide for Boro after Patrick Bamford teed him up, and the winger shot tamely at Stephen Henderson ten minutes later.
Charlton began to build some momentum after the break, which started with in-form striker Igor Vetokele smashing into the side netting.
Middlesbrough wanted Charlton reduced to ten men on 72 minutes when they believed Andre Bikey had flung an elbow into the face of Bamford. Referee Gavin Ward gave nothing and the Addicks almost took advantage five minutes later when Bulot connected with Rhoys Wiggins’ cross to volley against the inside of the post.
And Wiggins was involved on 82 minutes when he was caught late by Adomah, giving referee Ward no choice but to send the winger off for a second bookable offence.
Dimi Konstantopoulos came to Boro’s rescue in stoppage time as he used his legs to deny Wilson from close range before, from the resulting corner, George Tucud- ean saw a header cleared off the line.
And afterwards the Teesiders’ boss Aitor Karanka praised his team’s character, especially after playing 120 minutes against Liverpool in midweek.
He said: “I cannot understand our red card, but this is the kind of game that we would have lost in the past from a set piece.
“We were not only physically tired, but it affected our mentality. When you play the way that we did at Anfield, it is difficult to come back in the league.
“Everybody was very excited after our game at Anfield and when you are excited then you can lose your concentration, but we were brilliant again.
“I told my players after Tuesday that I was very proud of them and I am again. It was difficult for us because Charlton is a good, unbeaten team and big sides have lost points here. Others will as well.
“I am very happy with the performance because I knew how difficult this game would be.
“Now we have to keep going in this way and adding more points to our total, starting on Tuesday at home against Blackpool.”