Bristol Rovers and Charlton fought out a goalless draw at a wet, windswept Memorial Ground on Saturday.
The conditions made good football impossible, though there was no lack of effort from either team.
Lee Bowyer opted for a 3-5-2 formation, and made five changes to the the team that beat Burton on Tuesday, including restoring Jason Pearce to the back line at the expense of Naby Sarr.
Both sides had efforts ruled out for offside, with Josh Cullen’s ‘goal’ being the most contentious.
Though the Addicks were the more dominant team, Dillon Phillips was the busier of the two keepers. One save, just before the break, from Jonson Clarke-Harris was breathtaking.
Charlton’s now have a two week break before thay face Bradford at The Valley. The gap has enabled Bowyer to give the player’s a few days off.
Here are the manager’s post-match thoughts:
“We go into every game wanting to win, so we’re leaving disappointed because we haven’t won, but conditions were so difficult and this is quite an open ground – the wind was unbelievable.
“On another day I think we could have won it. But it’s a good point, really. They’ve been doing well recently, they won three on the spin before today so it’s not a bad result,” explained the boss before discussing Cullen’s disallowed goal and his team selection:
“It was onside, I said to the fourth official at half-time walking off that he was onside. I’ve seen it back and he was level but it’s just a decision that’s not gone our way.
“I had to freshen things up and try and combat what I knew would happen today – terrible conditions and a tough physical game.
“I freshened things up as best as I could and, to be fair, we kept a side who has been doing well very quiet today. So everyone that came in has done their jobs.
“All the lads have been great – all of the players that came out of the side – it was nothing against any of them. It was purely about what was best for the team.
“It was tough playing Saturday and Tuesday and a lot of them were tired on Tuesday, you could tell that from watching the game. So to ask them to go again today may have been too much of a gamble.
“I just said to them ‘go and enjoy your break, you’ve earned it’. When we come back in at the end of next week, then we’ll get ourselves going and be ready for Bradford.”
Charlton: Phillips; Bauer, Bielik, Pearce; Dijksteel, Pratley (Aribo 66), Cullen, Reeves, Purrington (Fosu 77); Taylor, Vetokele (Parker 62).
Subs (not used): Maxwell, Sarr, Solly, Lapslie.
Booked: Taylor 76 (foul).
Bristol Rovers: Bonham; J Clarke, Lockyer, Craig, Kelly; Upson, O Clarke, O Clarke, Sercombe (Sinclair 90); Clarke-Harris, Nichols (Jakubiak 68).
Subs (not used): Smith, Holmes-Dennis, Lines, Reilly, Kilgour.
Booked: Upson 83 (foul).
Referee: Dean Whitestone (Northamptonshire).
Attn: 8,343 (1,146 Charlton).
