Town 0-0 Charlton - Match Report Tuesday, 5th Apr 2016 21:52 Town’s play-off push looks all but over following a 0-0 home draw with relegation-threatened Charlton Athletic. Ben Pringle came closest for the Blues in the first half with a strike well saved by Addicks keeper Nick Pope, while Jonathan Douglas headed and then shot over in the second. Boss Mick McCarthy named an unchanged side the same 4-3-3 system they utilised during Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Wolves with Pringle in a central midfield role ahead of Cole Skuse and Douglas with Liam Feeney on the right and Freddie Sears on the left and Brett Pitman in the middle. Teddy Bishop returned to the bench for the first time this season, alongside David McGoldrick, who made his first appearance since mid-December as a sub late on at Molineux. The Addicks included one-time Town schoolboys Pope in goal and Morgan Fox at left-back and ex-Blues loanee Stephen Henderson on the bench. The visitors struck the game’s first shot in the fourth minute but Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s effort was straight at Bartosz Bialkowski. Two minutes later, Sears seized on a loose ball on the right of the area and from a tight angle sent a low strike not too far wide of Nick Pope’s right post. There was a big scare for the Blues on 12 when a mix-up between Bialkowski and Christophe Berra saw the keeper rush off his line as the defender looked to head it back to him from the edge of the box. In the end, both left it and the Scotland international was able to get back to clear ahead of Yaya Sanogo before the on-loan Arsenal man could make anything of the error. Three minutes later, Jonas Knudsen was booked for clattering into Gudmundsson late as they challenged for an aerial ball. After treatment, the Icelander was eventually replaced by Marco Motta. Charlton threatened again in the 21st minute when Sanogo teed-up Callum Harriott on the left of the area, the former Colchester loanee hitting a low strike which Bialkowski did well to stop. Douglas was first to the loose ball but took too long to clear and was dispossessed but Sanogo’s effort was snuffed out. Moments later, Pringle found himself some space just outside the area and hit a curling left-foot shot which looked bound for the top corner until Pope somehow got across to superbly tip the ball wide. In the 26th minute Sears cut in from the left and hit a low shot which Pope was able to claim. But Charlton, quick and incisive going forward, were having the better on it and almost carved their way through the Blues in the 35th minute, skipper Luke Chambers cutting out Jordan Cousins’s final pass through to Sanogo when he might have shot, before Ademola Lookman screwed wide from the edge of the box. Three minutes before the break, with Town by now having moved to 4-4-2 with Pringle on the right and Feeney the left, a move down the Blues left saw Knudsen cross and the ball eventually fall to Sears, who looped a bouncing ball over. On 44, after Charlton had surrendered possession in their own half, Pitman shot wide having brought the ball forward towards the edge of the box. As the half moved into four minutes of injury time, Lookman whipped over a corner from the right and Jorge Teixeira flicked a header at the near post, which Bialkowski tipped over his bar. Town won a late corner after Pope had punched a Knudsen long throw out, but neither side threatened again before the break. The visitors will have gone in at half-time disappointed not to have been in front having looked the more dangerous side, particularly on the counter-attack. Town created fewer opportunities, although Pringle would have scored but for Pope’s excellent save. Ex-Addick Luke Varney replaced Pringle ahead of the second half with the Blues continuing in a 4-4-2 system. Town started the half brightly and Teixeira picked up an early yellow card for pulling back Sears as he took the ball towards the area. From the resultant freekick, Chambers hit the wall. Charlton again threatened on the break in the 50th minute and Berra made an important block from Harriott after he had been found in space on the edge of the area by Lookman. Two minutes later, the Blues went close when Skuse stood up a cross from the right of the box but Douglas couldn’t get over it and his header looped into the stand. On 55, Sears, now out wide on the left, cut in and skipped past a defender but saw his shot blocked. From the resultant corner, the ball fell to Douglas on the edge of the box, but the Irishman shot over. Town were beginning to create chances more regularly and three minutes later Sears crossed from the left and Douglas laid it back to Pitman, whose low shot was saved by Pope down to his left. As the game moved towards the hour mark, Harriott shot high and wide from a tight angle on the right. With 26 minutes remaining McGoldrick made his entrance in place of Feeney with the crowd singing the striker’s name. Pitman moved to wide right. Town were having most of the ball but without being able to create a chance, however, on 69 Cousins struck a powerful effort from the edge of the Blues box which Bialkowski batted away. Three minutes later, Harriott hit a low shot into the side-netting from wide on the right. McGoldrick made his first impact on the game in the 72nd minute when his shot from the right was deflected over. Following the corner, Douglas won the ball and fed Sears, who cut in and crossed deep but just too high for Pitman. As the game moved towards its final 10 minutes the Blues were looking less threatening and only a brilliant double save from Bialkowski prevented the visitors from claiming the lead, first blocking from Lookman and then after Town had failed to clear from Sanogo. In the 82nd minute Bishop made his long-awaited return to action, replacing Pitman and taking up a role behind what was now a front three of Varney, Sears and McGoldrick. With five minutes remaining Cousins was booked for stopping Bishop from taking a quick freekick. On 88 Varney did well to divert a corner whipped in from the left just wide of his own post from a couple of yards out. In the final seconds of scheduled time McGoldrick brought the ball in from the left and hit a shot straight at Pope. Neither side was able to find a goal in three minutes of injury time, in which Charlton did most of the pressing, and boos again greeted the final whistle. A point apiece was probably a fair reflection of the game, neither team having been particularly convincing with Town’s best second-half chances both falling to Douglas, but with Bialkowski the busier of the two keepers and Charlton always the more dangerous-looking side going forwards. The Blues have now gone 273 minutes since they last scored a goal, the second in the 2-0 victory over Blackburn last month. Town last drew back-to-back games in December 2009 when Roy Keane's side recorded a stalemate at Bristol City and then at home to Peterborough. A 0-0 draw was little good to either side and the play-offs now look well beyond the Blues, who are still eighth but seven points from the play-offs, while Charlton are still 23rd, seven points from safety. Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Smith, Berra, Knudsen, Skuse, Douglas, Pringle (Varney 46), Feeney, Sears, Pitman. Subs: Gerken, Foley, Hyam, Bru, Bishop, McGoldrick. Charlton: Pope, Solly (c), Fanni, Teixeira, Fox, Diarra, Cousins, Gudmundsson (Motta 19 (Makienok 86), Lookman, Harriott (Vetokele 74), Sanogo. Subs: Henderson, Suk-Young, Lennon, Jackson. Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands). Att: 17,787 (Charlton: 552).
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