Charlton grind out another draw

Teddy Sheringham's 40th birthday party failed to go with a bang after stubborn Charlton ground out a goalless draw at West Ham.

The former England striker, who played the second 45 minutes, was denied the winner the home fans craved by a fine save late on by Addicks goalkeeper Thomas Myhre.

Otherwise he was hardly in the game as Alan Curbishley's side demonstrated why they are the no-score draw specialists of the Premiership.

The two sides could meet again later in the month, in an FA Cup semi-final should Charlton overcome Middlesbrough in a replay brought on by yet another stalemate, but with a place in Europe at stake the entertainment content could have been higher.

West Ham had started as though they intended to trouble the scorers however and Dean Ashton fired an inviting chance over the bar from close range in the fourth minute, with Charlton having been exposed by a near-post flick-on of Yossi Benayoun's long throw.

Strike partner Marlon Harewood, the other man keeping Sheringham on the bench, also looked keen and saw first a long-ranger deflected behind and then an effort from a more inviting position blocked by Chris Perry.

That early promise was a short-lived as the downpour that had preceded kick-off however and Charlton eventually began to get a grip on the game.

Sheringham was allowed to unwrap himself at half-time to replace Ashton and again the Hammers started the half strongly, with Benayoun stabbing the ball just wide after making a speedy arrival in the danger zone.

Pardew made another change with just under a quarter of an hour remaining and it was an attacking one, with striker Bobby Zamora replacing midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker in a switch which saw Harewood move to the right wing and Benayoun to the centre.

It almost paid off as the newcomer sent a header from a corner past Myhre only to see it cleared off the line by the perfectly-placed Radostin Kishishev.

Sheringham had been given mostly scraps despite a barrage of corners being forced by the Hammers, most by Matthew Etherington on the left.

But at last the chance he had been waiting for came his way - and he was unable to take it as Myhre made an impressive reflex stop to keep out a well-struck back-post connection from just five yards out.

It was that sort of game, that sort of day and not even ageing superstars could change it.