Zenden strike sends Boro into top four

Charlton 1 Middlesbrough 2

Middlesbrough moved into the top four of the Barclays Premiership after inflicting Charlton’s first home league defeat of the season at The Valley this afternoon.

A 20th-minute own-goal from Addicks defender Talal El Karkouri and a well-worked effort from Boudewijn Zenden in the second half proved enough for Boro to take all three points.

Charlton equalised through Jonatan Johansson on 46 minutes, but could not find a way back into the match for a second time.

The Addicks are now without a Premiership win in four games, and, following other results today, may start to soon look anxiously over their shoulder should another not follow soon.

The home side had started brightly enough, with youngster Jerome Thomas understandably hungry to see plenty of the ball in what was his first league start.

It was some 12 minutes, though, before either side created an opening of any note.

Gareth Southgate’s downward header caused a slight panic in the Charlton box after a corner from the right, but the ball was soon hacked clear.

Another good flag-kick from Stewart Downing then almost caught out Dean Kiely, who had to punch clear at his near post as the cross curled back towards goal.

Boro goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer was scrambling across his line on the quarter-hour when a 25-yard free-kick from El Karkouri deflected off Ray Parlour and flew just wide of his right-hand post.

Thomas skipped past Anthony McMahon down the Charlton left and burst into the area, but his cutback was intercepted by Zenden before support could arrive.

It was Boro, though, who took the lead on 20 minutes.

The impressive Downing latched onto a poor clearance from Kiely and carried the ball forward on the left, his centre into the danger area was only half cleared by Chris Perry.

The ball fell to Zenden on the edge of the box, his drive across goal hit Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink and then deflected again off El Karkouri before going past the wrong-footed Kiely.

Charlton stepped up the pace after going behind, and it needed a brave block from George Boateng to stop Thomas’ drive testing Schwarzer after 25 minutes.

Johansson went down in the Boro penalty area under pressure from Chris Riggott, but referee Mark Halsey was having none of the appeals for a spot-kick.

El Karkouri’s day got worse on 33 minutes when was cautioned for clattering into Boateng just a few yards from the Boro bench.

Steve McClaren was out of the dugout again a few moments later when Zenden was body-checked by Perry after he had released the ball out wide following another surging run down the middle.

The referee had waved play on, before stopping the action to allow the Dutchman treatment, and he was soon up on his feet again to return to the Boro midfield – the match restarting with a drop ball.

Charlton won a free-kick just outside the penalty-arc in the 43rd minute when Franck Queudrue caught Kishishev with a trailing leg. Hermann Hreidarsson made a good connection to take his effort over the wall, but was a foot or so too high.

Charlton, though, were level just a minute after the restart.

Jason Euell slipped a fine pass inside the centre-halves for Johansson to collect some 25 yards out.

The Finland striker drew the goalkeeper to the edge of the penalty area, before side-stepping Schwarzer and rolling the ball into the net for his first goal of the season, despite the attempts of a back-tracking Riggott.

In the 55th minute, Kiely came to Charlton’s rescue when he produced a brave save at the feet of Hasselbaink on the edge of the area after the Dutchman had raced onto Queudrue’s long throughball.

Middlesbrough did not have to wait long to regain the lead, though.

The visitors again broke quickly, this time Hasselbaink sweeping the ball forwards along the Charlton backline on 58 minutes.

Zenden collected coolly, before laying it out to Viduka. The Australian held off the attentions of two Charlton players on the edge of the area before slipping a lovely pass back to Zenden, who expertly chipped the ball over Kiely and into the far right corner.

Alan Curbishley used all his substitutes during the closing stages to try and breath some life back into his side.

But it proved to be to no avail as Boro looked more than comfortable in playing out time, while Charlton were booed from the pitch – not for the first time this season.