.

Newcastle 0 Charlton 0

Charlton produced an excellent defensive display to claim a point on their travels at Newcastle.

The Addicks started the game rooted to the foot of the table, but they did not look a side short on confidence as they matched Newcastle throughout.

Newcastle had chances to claim victory, but they were wasteful in front of goal on more than one occasion and the final whistle was again met with a chorus of boos at St James' Park.

The visitors may not have improved their position on Saturday, but they must surely have increased belief that they can climb away from trouble.

Charlton did not start the game like a side rooted to the foot of the table as Darren Bent headed just over the bar early on.

Newcastle started the game without strikers Shola Ameobi and Obafemi Martins, but this handed a Premiership bow to Giuseppe Rossi and he was involved inside the first two minutes as he collided in the area with Addicks keeper Scott Carson.

Scott Parker has relished being handed the Newcastle captaincy and he went within a whisker of breaking the deadlock against his former club as his dipping volley drifted just wide of Carson's right-hand post.

Damien Duff was asked to play off Rossi in attack, but the Irishman contrived to thwart his partner on 15 minutes as he ran across the path of the teenager's shot and deflected the effort wide of goal.

Dennis Rommedahl raised the tempo for Charlton on 27 minutes when skipping past Celestine Babayaro and delivering a cross which was collected under pressure by Harper.

The St James' Park crowd were brought to their feet on the half hour as Duff dashed clear before tumbling in the box under pressure from Souleymane Diawara, but the penalty appeals were waved away by Mike Dean and replays proved the official to be correct.

Newcastle appeared a lot more confident than in recent Premiership outings and Rossi was almost rewarded for some tenacious play when crashing a volley against the bar, having refused to allow Talal El Karkouri to shepherd the ball out of play.

The Magpies were the first to threaten after the break and Carson had to be alert to clasp a shot from Duff who did well to wriggle free from the attentions of Diawara.

Chances were traded at the start of the second half, as Andy Reid tested the handling of Harper with a neat curler, while Parker fired a rising drive just over the bar from 35 yards.

Duff carried a real threat at the start of the second half, but on three occasions he failed to take advantage of decent chances - each time shooting tamely with his weaker right foot.

Newcastle have so often contributed to their own downfall and Titus Bramble's slip 30 yards from goal let in Darren Bent, but the England striker lashed wildly over the bar seemingly unaware that he had acres of space to set himself.

Rossi was extremely bright throughout and he came close to lifting the mood on Tyneside 11 minutes from time when firing a free kick just over the crossbar.

Charlton were restricted to shots from distance in the second half and one such effort almost dealt a killer blow to The Magpies. Rommedahl appeared to have run out of space when he shifted play to Bryan Hughes and his neat volley flew just wide.

Charles N'Zogbia was denied late in the day by a diving save from Carson, as Newcastle failed to build on their midweek Carling Cup heroics.

posted by giusepperossi.blogspot.com @ 7:35 PM