Charlton out of relegation zone
Darius Vassell and Luke Young do battle
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Friday, 06, Apr 2007 07:44
Charlton clawed their way out of the relegation zone after clinging on in a largely dull 0-0 draw against Manchester City at Eastlands.
The Addicks' single point lifts them out of the bottom three for the first time since September and, judging by the players' reactions at the end of the game, came as a great relief to Alan Pardew's team.
Charlton were lucky to escape a ferocious opening assault by the home side.
City crammed five corners into the opening four minutes as Emile Mpenza came close twice.
Further strikes on the Addicks' goal came from Joey Barton, who looked an ominous threat throughout, as he sent in several powerful attempts on goal from the right side of the box. None of them succeeded, however, leaving the score goalless at half-time.
The second half proved slightly less one-sided as the away side pressed forward in a more cohesive team effort.
First Nedum Onouha had an easy opportunity to give his team an unlikely lead but his header floated harmlessly over the bar on 59 minutes.
Then on 73 minutes it was Zheng Zhi whose misguided effort wasted what looked like a golden opportunity.
Despite these misses it was Georgios Samaras' missed header in stoppage time which proved the last serious attempt of the match, leaving the Addicks relieved that their survival campaign had taken a small step forward as the final whistle blew.