Bent the Addicks ace as Curbishley plays down England talks

Charlton 2 Middlesbrough 1

Pictures published yesterday showed the Charlton boss meeting with FA chief executive Brian Barwick on Friday at the home of the Addicks boss’s brother, Bill, manager of rock legends The Who.

However, the 48-year-old insists no decision has yet been taken by either party, as he and the FA “consider (their) respective positions”.

He said: “It seems after seeing the headlines this morning it was all a bit shady, a bit cloak and danger. It was far from it.

“The FA asked permission to talk to me, Richard Murray gave me permission to talk to the FA. It was, and I stress, a very, very informal chat if you like, it was no interview. I was not the first person, and am definitely not going to be the last. I was just the one who got caught. For me, it was an opportunity to see the face behind the name, and for them to see me, but it was all very informal.

“I am on no list, I do not think, at the moment, and I think they will be setting about speaking to some more people - they might not get caught, they might, but how else do you do it?

“I woke up to those headlines, but that is life. I guess it might be a taster.

“We will have to see if it progresses, I do not think there was a shortlist, there may be a very long list.”

If yesterday’s clash at The Valley was a glimpse into England’s future, it was hardly the most inspiring encounter.

Two second-half goals from Darren Bent, which took his tally to 19 for the season, secured victory after Mark Viduka’s spectacular individual effort looked to have earned the visitors what would have been a deserved point.

It had taken Charlton 73 minutes to break Boro’s resistance. Veteran full-back Chris Powell charged down the left and got to the byline before looping a cross into the area.

Bent got up above Emanuel Pogatetz to head in his 18th goal of the season.

Boro, though, were level with nine minutes to go, through a fine effort from Viduka. The Australian, his back to goal, held off Hermann Hreidarsson before flicking the ball over the Icelander, controlling it on his knee and looping a 25-yard strike over Myhre.

Charlton, however, snatched victory when Bent bundled in Young’s cross at the far post in the 86th minute.

CHARLTON: Myhre, Young, Perry, Hreidarsson, Powell, Kishishev, Holland, Hughes (Thomas 45), Ambrose (Bartlett 75), Darren Bent, Bothroyd (Euell 45).

MIDDLESBROUGH: Schwarzer, McMahon (Davies 13), Ehiogu, Pogatetz, Queudrue, Maccarone (Yakubu 76), Parlour (Cattermole 69), Doriva, Taylor, Johnson, Viduka.

Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire).