Town 0-0 Charlton - Half-Time Tuesday, 5th Apr 2016 20:45 Town’s home game with Charlton remains 0-0 at half-time, Ben Pringle having gone closest for the Blues. 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 Jonathan 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 Nick 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 had created fewer opportunities, although Pringle would have scored but for Pope’s excellent save. Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Smith, Berra, Knudsen, Skuse, Douglas, Pringle, Feeney, Sears, Pitman. Subs: Gerken, Foley, Hyam, Bru, Bishop, Varney, McGoldrick. Charlton: Pope, Solly (c), Fanni, Teixeira, Fox, Diarra, Cousins, Gudmundsson (Motta 19), Lookman, Harriott, Sanogo. Subs: Henderson, Suk-Young, Lennon, Jackson, Vetokele, Makienok. Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands).
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