Charlton slumped to a third straight defeat when Reading beat them 1-0 at The Valley on Saturday.
George Puscas’ third minute penalty was enough to take all three points back down the M4.
Puscas got on the wrong side of Deji Oshilaja, who bundled him over in the box. Bowyer blamed Albie Morgan for the goal, saying the youngster did not track back. Morgan was replaced by Jonny Williams at half-time.
But the game really hinged on two incidents involving the officials, one at the end of each half.
Chuks Aneke had an effort disallowed for offside just before the break. The decision was hotly disputed, and with only one camera angle and no slow motion replay it was difficult to be sure.
It was a desperately close call and any doubt should have gone in favour of the attacking side.
Five minutes from time, Jake Forster-Caskey was hauled back, only to be booked for diving. It was a clear foul, though initial contact seemed to be made just outside the area.
But it would be wrong to lay all the blame at the officials’ door. The Addicks were poor going forward, they do not have a player who can take the game by the scruff of the neck and make things happen.
Results elewhere largely went their way, but Bowyer’s side are precariously placed just a point above the drop zone.
Birmingham and Wigan are up next, before the season ends with a trip to Elland Road. There is still work to be done, Charlton will probably need another four points to be safe – unless points deductions for Sheffield Wednesday and Wigan come to their rescue.
Here are the manager’s post match thoughts:
”I’m disappointed again. It’s another game that we should have got something from. We haven’t really done much wrong.
“They get a penalty early on and then after that I thought we were the better side, we created more clear-cut chances again and decisions have cost us. The officials have cost us the game today, it’s plain and simple.
“Chuks Aneke, his goal is a goal. I said to the fourth official that the linesman can’t just guess, you have to be 100% right on these decisions. These are big moments. There are careers on the line, at this stage of the season.
“My players gave everything and they haven’t got their rewards. If their penalty was a penalty then so was ours, because Jake got dragged to the floor, and it is a penalty.
“You’ve got the offside, you’ve got the penalty and both times, for whatever reasons (the decisions have gone against us) – I would love to see what he puts in his report, because I know my report isn’t going to be good for him.
“Someone has to look at his decisions today and something has to be done because that wasn’t up to scratch All of them, the ref and the two linesmen were not good enough today.
“You can say that has cost us but Macauley has to score. We can’t keep missing chances like that.”
Bowyer is happy with the spirit and attitude of his squad though, and added this:
“They are a good group, they keep pushing and pushing and fighting for everything, right to the end, they don’t deserve what happened today. I’m very disappointed because we played well I thought.”Today’s game was a game that I was hoping we would pick up three points. We did enough to win the game, we did enough and for one reason or another we’ve come away with nothing again.
“We’ve got three games to go and we’ll keep fighting to the end. Wednesday becomes a game against Birmingham and hopefully we get a decision or two go our way.”
Charlton: Phillips; Matthews, Lockyer, Pearce, Oshilaja (Doughty 46); Cullen, McGeady (Hemed 79), Pratley (Forster-Caskey 84), Morgan (Williams 46); Aneke, Bonne.
Subs (not used): Amos, Sarr, Purrington, Field, Oztumer
Booked: Doughty (63 foul), Cullen (70 foul), Forster-Caskey (85 simulation), Phillips 90 (dissent).
Reading: Cabral; Osho (Gunter 74), Morrison, McIntyre, Blackett; Pele (Obita 46), Olise (Richards 61), Rinomhota, Swift (Moore 74): Meite, Puscas (Baldock 56).
Subs (not used): Walker, Miazga, McCleary, Boye.
Goal: Puscas 3.
Booked: Blackett (45 foul), Osho (73 foul), Baldock (77 foul).
Referee: Darren Bond (Lancashire).Attn: N/A.