Charlton collapse at home

After holding Middlesbrough 1-1 at half time, Charlton collapsed in the second half, conceding three goals and losing the match 1-4. Charlton's defeats up to now in the Championship have always been by just one goal. The Addicks are now just one place above the relegation zone with Ipswich winning at Birmingham under new manager Mick McCarthy.

The Addicks started well and within two minutes came close to taking the lead when Bradley Pritchard headed Bradley Wright-Phillips’ left sided cross inches over Jason Steele’s crossbar.

Boro’s sluggish start continued and they were made to pay when Charlton took a 13th minute lead. Josh McEachran lost out to Pritchard in the middle and he played in Hulse, who fired low in to Steele’s near post.

The equaliser came in the 27th minute when Jonathan Woodgate got on the end of Grant Leadbitter’s free-kick to send his unmarked header past Ben Hamer. The goal gave Boro life and unnerved Charlton, who had been relatively untested before. However, Charlton continued to look dangerous on the break and Hulse came close to adding his second when he headed Lawrie Wilson’s cross over the bar.

Boro again looked vulnerable from an Addicks corner when Steele challenged Leon Cort for the ball. The Boro keeper couldn’t get his hands on it but luckily for Boro a deflection took it out for a goal kick.

Within ten minutes of the restart Mowbray’s men took the lead. McEachran robbed Morrisson in the middle and sent McDonald free down the left channel. The Australian looked as if he had ran the ball too far, but he finished across Hamer in to the bottom corner.

Two became three for Boro on 63 minutes when McDonald flicked on a long ball in to the path of Ledesma and after setting himself up, the attacker sent a lob over Hamer from outside the area.

The visitors were firmly in control and McDonald, who now has five goals in his last seven games, almost made it four with an angled first time strike that forced a good save from Hamer.

Substitute Lukas Jutkiewicz almost made it four when he collected McDonald’s pass inside the area and cut inside but his shot hit the far post and just missed the advancing McEachran.

A fourth goal did come in added on time when Richie Smallwood finished from Leadbitter’s cross at the back post.

The attendance was 17,744, of which 1,694 were Boro supporters.

Charlton now face another tough test at The Valley on Tuesday when they face Cardiff City.