ANYONE who has watched Charlton versus Middlesbrough matches in recent years cannot have expected anything other than a goal-less draw at the Riverside Stadium on Sunday.

The fixture between the two sides earlier in the season also finished goal-less and with only one goal scored in the two games last season, the few Charlton fans who travelled north cannot have done so in the hope of seeing an end-to-end thriller.

Sunday's match was another stale, chanceless affair, but coming after the 1-0 win against Derby at The Valley durign midweek, the draw allowed the Addicks to move up into eighth place and Charlton manager Alan Curbishley was satisfied with the point.

"We lost 4-1 at Blackburn recently in a very open game and so we went to Middlesbrough determined not get beaten, and I don't make any apologies for that," he said.

"If we had won 4-1 at Blackburn then it might have been different on Sunday, but the pressure has been on us to get points.

"On another day we might have got the winner, but I'm very pleased with a draw and over a 38-game season not every match can be pretty."

The first chance fell to Jonatan Johansson in the eighth minute, but he failed to connect cleanly with the ball as it ricocheted around the Boro penalty area.

In a tame first half, though, the home side also failed to create anything meaningful, and Noel Whelan's diving header past the far post after 25 minutes was the closest Middlesbrough came to anything that could be remotely labelled a scoring opportunity.

The match sparked briefly into life as half-time approached, perhaps as the players realised they were nearing a 15-minute break from the torrid affair.

Graham Stuart's lofty drive and a low free-kick by substitute Paul Konchesky, who had replaced the limping Mark Fish, looked dangerous, but at the other end Dean Kiely had to be alert to tip a long-range free-kick from Franck Qued-rue over the bar.

Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren swapped defender Robbie Stockdale with striker Andy Campbell at half-time, but Charlton's defence remained unduly troubled.

A note of excitement entered proceedings just after an hour had passed when Chris Powell suddenly found himself unmarked in the penalty area. The unfamiliar surroundings seemed to confuse him, however, and a woeful first touch meant the chance was lost.

Curbishley introduced Mathias Svensson and Kevin Lisbie for Johansson and Jason Euell as the half progressed, but it was more in hope that something might happen than a strategic plan to grab all three points.