Valley of squinting strikers
The two sides must go through it all again in a Riverside replay on April 12, by which time both sets of fans will know whether a clash with Chelsea, Liverpool or West Ham awaits the winners.
Not since 1947, when they went on to lift the trophy, have Charlton made it as far as the semis - at least they will now feature in tomorrow’s draw.
Cup runs have become a commonplace for Boro, although they have yet to win the FA Cup, while the beaten 1997 finalists also have the UEFA Cup quarter-final first leg with Basle next week to look forward to.
As the scoreline suggests, last night’s match was the least glamorous of the four midweek ties, and few neutrals will be relishing watching it all over again next month.
Steve McClaren made no fewer than seven changes from the side that lost to 10-man Blackburn last week and the new-look Boro made the better start.
Aiyegbeni Yakubu wasted an excellent early chance, however, heading over in the third minute after Franck Queudrue had found him unmarked - just eight yards out.
Matt Holland soon established himself as the home side’s most influential man in the middle and sent a rasping long-ranger just wide as well as trying to supply the ammunition for strikers Darren Bent and the recalled Shaun Bartlett.
Both were busy but kept in check by the experience of Gareth Southgate and Ugo Ehiogu and it was their Charlton equivalent, Hermann Hreidarsson, who came closest to breaking the deadlock before the break.
First the Iceland defender saw goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer dive to collect a 20-yard free-kick that the wall had failed to block and then, in the 36th minute, the Australian produced an even better stop to deny him.
Hreidarsson had slid in behind the Boro defence to deflect a cross goalwards but Schwarzer made a reflex stop with his left glove.
Radostin Kishishev, meanwhile, had sent a volleyed shot into the upper tier of the stand behind the goal.
Schwarzer appeared to jar a knee and collapsed in his goal after making a valiant punch to stop a Bent effort that dropped just wide, but the flag up anyway - just before half-time.
He was able to continue following treatment and so was Ehiogu after he cut his head, just after the restart, in a clash with Bartlett - whose use of an elbow was deemed accidental by referee Mike Dean.
The first change of the night saw Charlton’s Dennis Rommedahl replace Kishishev, in the 62nd minute, and Boro followed suit, a minute later, with James Morrison replacing Gaizka Mendieta.
Mark Viduka came on for Yakubu in the 68th minute and Jay Bothroyd for Bartlett, eight minutes later, as both sides sought a goal.
Rommedahl came close with a swerving effort, from the edge of the box, that cleared the crossbar, while Bryan Hughes saw a snapshot, on the turn, saved - as time ran out for Charlton to enjoy home advantage.
Queudrue was booked for a foul on Rommedahl before Morrison dragged a passable chance wide for Boro, but the substitute did better with his next effort, which required a near-post tip round from the previously underemployed Thomas Myhre.
Queudrue was perhaps lucky to remain on the pitch after he punched the ball goalwards in a melee, but Rommedahl had been on the line to hack clear in a game that seemed destined to remain scoreless.
: Myhre, Young, Perry, Hreidarsson, Powell, Kishishev (Rommedahl 62), Holland, Hughes, Thomas, Darren Bent, Bartlett (Bothroyd 76).
: Schwarzer, Parnaby, Ehiogu, Southgate, Queudrue, Cattermole, Boateng, Mendieta (Morrison 64), Downing, Hasselbaink, Yakubu (Viduka 68).
: M Dean (Wirral).
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