Charlton Athletic were left to rue a missed opportunity from Millenic Alli as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Portsmouth at The Valley. The result means Nathan Jones's side drop one place to sixth in the Championship, though their unbeaten home record this season remains intact.
Alli, who joined from Luton Town in the summer after a loan spell with Portsmouth, blazed a close-range effort over the bar in the 32nd minute after being found by Tyreece Campbell's cross. That proved the clearest opening in a game of few clear-cut chances, with both goalkeepers making important saves.
Chances at a premium
Arthur Okonkwo was called into action just before half-time to tip a Conor Shaughnessy header over the bar, and he was alert again 18 seconds after the restart to deny Abu Kamara. At the other end, Daniel Bielica used his legs to repel a fierce drive from Karlan Grant, while Conor Shaughnessy made a vital block from another Grant effort.
Portsmouth, who had scored in their previous 11 away league games, did not register a shot on target before the interval. Their best opening after the break fell to Colby Bishop in the 81st minute, but he could not apply a sliding finish to Ryan Kavuma-McQueen's cross.
Managers react
Nathan Jones felt his team created the better openings. "I thought the performance was really good," the Charlton manager said. "In the first half especially, I thought we were really fluid. I thought we created some excellent chances, some really good situations."
Portsmouth boss John Mousinho viewed it as a point gained. "I think it's a good point away from home, another clean sheet," he said. "In the second half, I thought it was a very strong performance and, when we look back at the chances we created, we were disappointed not to win the game."
Table position and what's next
The stalemate leaves Charlton on 11 points from six games, three points behind leaders West Ham. They have now drawn three of their last four matches, a sequence you can review on our standings page.
Attention now turns to a trip to face Cardiff City next Saturday. The Bluebirds currently sit 20th, offering Charlton a chance to get back to winning ways on the road.
