Summary: City could count themselves desperately unlucky to not leave south-east London with at least a point after a string of great saves from Scott Carson and the woodwork denied them. Richards and Trabelsi hit the post in either half, but Lady Luck just did not smile on City.
Team news: City were unchanged from the win over Middlesbrough.
The Match:
The hosts went on the attack straight from the kick off, with Reid bursting through and shooting just wide with the outside of his left boot.
Joey Barton’s well-timed interception denied Reid again on eight minutes, with the Addicks unable to make anything from the resulting corner.
City’s first corner in the 13th minute saw Sinclair’s header cleared off the line by a Charlton boot, this coming just after Dickov had nearly linked up with his striking partner Samaras from a neat chip by Thatcher.
Weaver was forced into a save on 25 when Bent latched onto a through ball, but the England striker rolled his shot straight at the City keepr.
City had their best chances immediately afterwards, Richards’ header at a corner being cleared off the line, followed quickly by Sinclair bouncing a shot in from the edge of the area at Scott Carson.
But the Blues were behind on 28 minutes, Darren Bent finding space inside the box to rise to a cross from the left, his header going across Weaver and into the bottom corner of the net.
Dickov was denied by a good challenge from El Karkouri on 40, and from the second corner afterwards a Richards header struck the outside of the post.
Jerome Thomas made Weaver work again just before half time, his low shot from an angle making City’s stopper drop to his left on his near post.
Samaras brought a superb save out of Carson in stoppage time, the big Cumbrian diving to his right and palming the Greek striker’s volley away. In the aftermath, Amady Faye seemed to pick a fight with Samaras, Reyna and then Barton but referee Foy calmed things down.
Half time Charlton 1-0 City
City came out of the blocks after the restart, with Beasley racing through into the box, but Scott Carson dived at the American’s feet to keep the scores intact.
The Blues had looked dangerous at corners all afternoon, and Richards went close again after 55 minutes, his downwards header stopped on the line by Carson’s feet this time.
Reyna gave away a free kick on the edge of his box two minutes later, and El Karkouri’s shot rifled just wide of Weaver’s right post.
Weaver, the target of abuse from the home fans behind his goal, made two great saves within seconds from Reid and Bent, before a superb Richards challenge denied Bent the chance to head goalwards.
Substitutions gave City an extra impetus, with Vassell and Trabelsi’s pace more of a worry to the home defence, with Carson having to come out of his area to clear the ball from Vassell’s path.
Corradi was also on now, and it was his turn to be denied by Carson with 10 miknutes left when the keeper dived to push the Italian’s header away, another great save.
Trabelsi tried his luck from 20 yards out with five minutes left, and no-one could believe it when his shot eluded Carson but rebounded back into the keeper’s arms off the post!
We were just into the four minutes of stoppage time when Hasselbaink’s header, from a Bent cross, flashed across the goalmouth but thankfully for City wide of the post.
Trabelsi whipped in a cross on 92 minutes, but Vassell’s header from six yards flew over the bar.
The former Villa man was also just inches away from a Sinclair touch-on in the box seconds later, but that was City’s last chance as referee Foy blew for full time to the relief of the home fans.
