Charlton Athletic 0-0 Reading FC: FLW report as Royals battle for a point | OneFootball

FLW report live from The Valley

Charlton Athletic and Reading saw their respective winning runs end at three matches as the two in-form League One sides played out a 0-0 draw at The Valley.

Chances and drama at both ends meant the goalless contest in South London was anything but boring. It was a hard-fought point on the road for the Royals, who battled hard defensively to keep out a string of Charlton attacks in the second half – with Joel Pereira making some key saves and Harlee Dean clearing Miles Leaburn's effort off the line.

The electric Tyreece Campbell, who had a goal disallowed, and Thierry Small had looked the most likely to create the breakthrough for the hosts while Sam Smith could not take a golden opportunity in the first minute of the second half.

The result leaves Reading sixth in the table after 24 games while the Addicks are seven points below them in 10th but have a game in hand.

Charlton Athletic 0-0 Reading

Charlton and Reading were quick to shake off any January frost in plunging temperatures at The Valley as both sides made a confident start – no surprise given their respective three-game winning runs.

Noel Hunt has made it no secret that in his team, working hard is a prerequisite and the Royals' industry made playing out from the back difficult for the hosts, who were forced to go direct more than they have in their recent upturn in form. The fact that goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer looked hesitant and uncomfortable in possession certainly didn't help.

Neither Maynard-Brewer nor his opposite number were kept particularly busy in the opening half hour. Small went closest for the hosts – firing a 30-yard strike just over the bar in the 20th minute and then jabbing an effort outside the back post a little later on – while Reading defender Tyler Bindon guided an Ahmed Kanu cross just wide midway through the first half.

Even when livewire Campbell did sting the gloves of Pereira 10 minutes before the break, it was a simple save. The Charlton forward should perhaps have teed up a teammate instead but with two goals in his last three games, he's clearly confident right now and that showed as he forced a diving save out of the Reading keeper not long after, wriggling free of defenders on the left before trying to squeeze a strike in at the near post.

More intent in the final third was likely the subject of the team talks in both dressing rooms and Smith clearly got the message. Less than a minute after the restart, he shrugged off Macaulay Gillespey to go through on goal and tucked the ball under the outrushing Maynard-Brewer, who did well to turn it wide.

There was more drama to come at both ends before the first 10 minutes of the half were up as the Royals saw penalty appeals for a handball waved away and then Campbell found the net only for the linesman's flag to cut short the home fans' celebrations.

The Addicks tightened the screw as we passed the hour mark but Reading showed the defiance that has helped them battle for the play-offs despite their ongoing ownership issues.

Bindon produced a vital header from a probing cross and Pereira denied Greg Docherty's ferocious volley but Dean produced the most important intervention of all, clearing Leaburn's shot off the line to keep the scores level after his keeper had fumbled it into the striker's path. Pereira atoned for his mistake minutes later by flying across to deny Lloyd Jones from close range after Small's cross had fallen to the defender.

With the hosts chasing a winner, Nathan Jones threw on Chuks Aneke and Matt Godden late on but neither could make the difference as Reading held on for a point with Charlton left feeling they should have won it.

Charlton Athletic player ratings

Ashley Maynard-Brewer - 6

Thierry Small - 7

Alex Mitchell - 6

Lloyd Jones - 7

Macaulay Gillesphey - 7

Josh Edwards - 6

Conor Coventry - 6

Greg Docherty - 6

Luke Berry - 6

Tyreece Campbell - 7.5 (Matt Godden (88) - 6)

Miles Leaburn - 6 (Chuks Aneke (81) - 6)

Unused subs: Will Mannion, Allan Campbell, Rarmani Edmonds-Green, Karoy Anderson, Gassan Ahadme

Reading FC player ratings

Joel Pereira - 6.5

Amadou Mbengue - 6

Tyler Bindon - 7.5

Harlee Dean - 7.5

Abraham Kanu - 6

Kelvin Abrefa - 6 (Ashqar Ahmed (71) - 6)

Lewis Wing - 7

Charlie Savage - 7

Andre Garcia - 6 (Jayden Wareham (86) - 6)

Harvey Knibbs - 6

Sam Smith - 6

Unused subs: David Button, Louie Holzman, Emmanuel Osho, Tivonge Rushesha, Tyler Sackey

Attendance

The attendance for Charlton v Reading at The Valley was 15,526.

Nathan Jones' post-match reaction

"I'm really proud of the performance," said Jones after the game. "I thought we were excellent. I really do. We've had enough chances there to have won comfortably. I think they had one chance, where they turn the ball over and Ash has to make a save but apart from that, I thought we were really, really outstanding, I really do.

"Probably just need a bit more quality in the final third and we win that game. It's a wonderful performance. These are a good side, they're beating sides, they're top six coming into the game, and I thought we were excellent. That showed with the reaction of the fans at the end, they clapped off a goalless. If you're going to draw the game, that's the way to draw the game. We were pushing, made positive changes, we were frontfoot, we were aggressive, another clean sheet. So many positives, I'm just a tad disappointed that we didn't win the game."

On Campbell's disallowed goal, he added: "It's really marginal and then the one for Godden after isn't offside but he gets flagged. Real disappointing but look, these things even themselves out I hope. We've had better chances than that and not taken them."

Noel Hunt's post-match reaction

Hunt heaped praise on his side after the game but admitted they had riden their luck at times in the draw at The Valley.

He said: "With the work they've put in and we've put in over the last three or four weeks, and before that, what they've done through the season, they deserve that little bit of luck.

"We got a little bit of luck that we deserved and maybe we haven't had in the last two or three games, when we've had penalty shouts and stuff but I thought the boys were amazing today."

Quizzed on Smith's chance early in the second half, he said: "We had two or three to be fair. We had one in the first half and two or three early in the second half. But the clean sheet was so important to us. I think it was April last year our last away clean sheet so that was a massive thing for us in terms of how we defend as a team. Tighten up a few things and like I said, the boys battled all the way through."