NEIL UPSET AS BLACK CATS FAIL TO POUNCE
SUNDERLAND manager Alex Neil was disappointed to leave Charlton with a draw. The Wearsiders were generally on top at The Valley, but were unable to find a winner.
The point leaves Sunderland outside the play-offs and prevented a backto-back win after a victory at Wigan last week.
Neil believed his charges were the better side for the most part in south London.
He said: “I think we deserved to win. Everybody could see that. For the first 35 to 40 minutes, we were completely dominant. We probably had four or five really good opportunities, but we didn’t quite take them.
“We created more chances today than what we’ve probably done in the last two or three matches. It’s frustrating because we’ve scored in every single one of them.
“What we’ve done now is given ourselves a platform to try to be successful.
“The performance, particularly in the first half, was as good as we’ve played since I’ve been here.”
League One top scorer Ross Stewart was guilty of a lack of accuracy, putting an early corner wide from just six yards out, then doing likewise just after the half-hour mark.
Charlton keeper Craig MacGillivray turned an Alex Pritchard free-kick over the crossbar after 33 minutes.
The hosts created their first chance just before the interval when Jayden Stockey directed a header just wide of a post.
Chris Gunter was forced to clear a Dennis Cirkin effort almost off the line after he was fed through by Pritchard after the break.
Charlton offered little, although Sam Lavelle put an Elliott Lee free-kick just wide after the hour mark. MacGillivray denied Stewart after 78 minutes, then kept out substitute Elliott Embleton with his foot with two minutes remaining.
The draw ended a run of five straight defeats for Charlton, leaving manager Johnnie Jackson content.
He said: “It was a tough, battling performance. They’re a very good team. They score a lot of goals and cause you a lot of problems.
“We knew going into it it would be tough, so to come away with a clean sheet on the back of shipping too many goals was really pleasing.
“We defended excellently. The team threw our bodies on the line and showed a real heart and spirit.
“It wasn’t a vintage Charlton, but that will come when we’re getting some guys back and getting the confidence of the losing run. It’s been tough, no getting away from it. It was a tough run of fixtures coinciding with us being at our most depleted.”
CHARLTON ATHLETIC: MacGillivray 8, Lavelle 7, Pearce 7, Gunter 7, Jaiyesimi 7, Fraser 6 (Gilbey 66, 6), Dobson 6, Lee 8, Purrington 6, Stockley 7, Burstow 6 (Leko 73, 6). Subs not used: Famewo, Morgan, John, Matthews, Harness.
SUNDERLAND: Patterson 7, Winchester 7, Wright 7, Xhemajli 6, Cirkin 7, Matete 7, Evans 6, Gooch 7 (Roberts 81, 6), Pritchard 7 (Embleton 75, 7), Stewart 7, Broadhead 6 (Clarke 70, 6). Subs not used: Doyle, Neil, Hume, Hoffmann.