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Alan Irvine's side continued their pitiful record on the road to remain outside the play-off places after a dreary afternoon at The Valley.

In fact it was the Addicks, seemingly resigned to life in League One next season, who enjoyed the game more, having the bulk of the chances and only being denied victory by a couple of excellent saves by Andrew Lonergan.

The keeper fingertipped a header from Tresor Kandol over the top and also beat out two difficult shots from China skipper Zheng Zhi.

When Billy Jones very nearly headed into his own net in stoppage time, boss Irvine looked happy to take a point.

There were few real openings at either end in the first half, Preston's finest coming after just three minutes when Stephen Elliott wriggled through down the right channel but pulled his shot across the face of goal.

With North End's midfield resources stripped to the bone with the loss of skipper Paul McKenna before the game, there were fears the situation had got even worse after just nine minutes when Ross Wallace went down clutching his left knee following a challenge.

Hammer

But the little playmaker recovered after treatment on the sidelines and was able to return.

It wasn't long before the winger was back in the thick of the action, charging in on the left-hand side following a lovely move from North End to hammer in a shot which Danny Butterfield managed to block.

Charlton, looking relaxed despite their precarious league position, started to take a hold of the game after the opening quarter of an hour and Mark Hudson was not far away with a glancing header which flashed wide of the far post.

Jonjo Shelvey nodded on to the roof of the net and then tested Andrew Lonergan with a curling shot after cutting in from the left.

On the half hour mark the home side had a loud penalty appeal rejected by the splendidly-named referee Darren Deadman after striker Tresor Kandol claimed he had been pushed in the back by Eddie Nolan as the two challenged for a high ball just inside the Preston box.

Tempers began to get a bit frayed after a clash between Elliott and Nicky Bailey, the two receiving a stern lecture from the referee but neither being booked.

Pressured

Youl Mawene put a header wide following a corner and fellow defender Eddie Nolan was wide with a daisy-cutter from 25 yards when he too got up to help the attack.

Three minutes before the break North End had a lucky let off when Shelvey crossed from the left and China skipper Zheng Zhi looked certain to score with his head, but St Ledger pressured him into fluffing the chance and Lonergan was relieved to mop up.

Straight after the restart Lonergan was called on to make his most difficult save of the afternoon when a shot from Zheng Zhi bounced awkwardly in front of him, but he was able to palm it to safety.

Then the keeper had to dash out to save at the feet of Kandol as the striker burst through a static back four.

At the other end Whaley was unlucky when he caught a cross from Wallace full on the volley, but defender Kelly Youga managed to block.

Carter was well wide from the edge of the box and when Wallace's teasing cross from the right was headed back across goal by Parkin, Elliott was a yard short of applying the finishing touch with the goal gaping.

Tipped

With an hour gone neither side really deserved to take the lead and the few chances that cropped up were mostly wasted.

Racon snatched at his shot after being put through by Zheng Zhi. Lonergan got down well to block an effort from the same player. And the keeper acrobatically tipped a header from Kandol over the top.

With Chris Brown now on to partner Parkin on the ground where he scored twice last season, North End started to ask Charlton more questions in the air.
P
arkin showed skill to drag a cross down at the far post and control before trying to curl a shot with the outside of his boot towards the far corner, but the shot went sailing wide.

Brown showed his commitment for the cause by getting his head in the danger zone and paid the price with blood streaming down his face. But he continued wearing a bandage after treatment.

Deep into stoppage time Billy Jones very nearly put the ball into his own net as Charlton threw everything forward in search of a winner.

Bailey's cross to the far post was met by the full-back at full stretch, but his header flew inches over the bar.

Shuffle

Earlier, skipper McKenna was a shock omission when the teamsheet came out at The Valley, presumably as a result of a training injury.

So manager Alan Irvine, already having to cope without Richard Chaplow and Barry Nicholson, was forced to shuffle things about ahead of the game against the Championship's bottom club.

Chris Sedgwick moved inside to partner Darren Carter, with Simon Whaley returning on the right flank and Ross Wallace occupying his regular slot on the left.

There were no other changes in both defence and attack, meaning Callum Davidson failed to make a comeback after a fitness test.

The trip to South London was a big day for central defender Liam Chilvers who made his first appearance in the squad in more than a year - on the same ground where he snapped his Achilles tendon in the warm-up last season.

There was also a place in the 16 for highly-rated youngster Adam Barton in the absence of any other senior players.

Charlton, looking doomed to League Two football next season, made three changes to their line-up from a 2-1 defeat at Wolves last weekend.

Darren Ward replaced Matt Holland, Darren Ambrose came in for Tom Soares and Jonjo Shelvey took over from Matthew Spring.

Charlton Athletic: Elliott, Youga, Hudson, Ward, Butterfield, Ambrose, Racon, Shelvey, Bailey, Zheng Zhi, Kandol.

Substitutes: Randolph, Holland, Dickson, Sam, Burton.

Preston North End: Lonergan, Jones, Mawene, St Ledger, Nolan, Whaley, Sedgwick, Carter, Wallace, Elliott, Parkin.

Substitutes: Neal, Brown, Chilvers, Mellor, Barton.

Referee: Darren Deadman (Cambridgeshire).