There was stalemate at the Valley when Charlton Athletic hosted Queen Park Rangers in a Sky Bet Division Championship. 

Missed chances in a dominant first half almost cost the Addicks dearly when the visitors finished strongly and Thomas Kaminski was forced into making a great save late on having hardly been troubled for most of the game.

Nathan Jones gave four transfer window signings their home debuts, all of whom had impressed in Charlton’s victory at Leicester City. He had to make one change with Charlie Kelman returning to the starting line up in place of the injured Myles Leaburn.

After the visitors had started brightly, Charlton took command and dominated the first period. Kayne Ramsey headed wide from a Sonny Carey free kick then former Ranger Lyndon Dykes’ clean strike took a slight deflection off Steve Cook to help it past the post.

Dykes was again in action when he fired over from the edge of the penalty area then Carey’s free kick clipped a head in the defensive wall and also went just over. Another Carey shot was off target before Luke Chambers finally worked goalkeeper Joe Walsh. He curled a free kick around the defensive wall and Walsh got across and down well to push it round the post.

Conor Coady then got on the end of Ramsey’s flick on only for Walsh to make a stunning save to keep the close range shot out.

Immediately after the break, Kelman had a fierce angled drive from just inside the area tipped over by Walsh before the visitors had a couple of sights of goal. First, Charlton’s defenders made a succession of blocks before it fell for Cook who lashed his effort over from the edge of the area. Then Kone turned well but dragged his effort wide.

Further opportunities went the way of the hosts but they couldn’t make them count. Kelman found Chambers on the left and his low shot was beaten out by Walsh, then Dykes got through and Walsh blocked his first effort. Defenders converged quickly on the Australian striker forcing him to prod his follow-up the wrong side of the post. Finally, Ramsay flicked an effort over when the Rangers’ defence struggled to clear a set-piece.

Kaminski was finally called into action when the visitors pressed the Charlton back line into making a mistake giving Kone a sniff but the Addicks’ goalkeeper reacted quickly and hacked it away.

Madsen met a corner and headed wide of Kaminski’s near post before Harvey Vale broke clear down the left but drilled his shot over.

Jones reacted by replacing Chambers with Tyreece Campbell and he almost made an immediate impact when slinging over a cross that Carey could only divert it wide at full stretch.

As the game became more stretched, Kone and Madsen drew comfortable saves out of Kaminski before Carey twice blasted wide.

Eight minutes of stoppage time were signalled and the Addicks were forced to hang on. Ronnie Edwards headed over from a Madsen corner before Kaminski made a stunning point blank save to thwart Rayan Kolli. Jimmy Dunne came close again when his header from Madsen’s cross was cleared of the line by Dykes before Kone flicked a header just over from a Rhys Norrington-Davies diagonal cross.

Referee James Bell called proceedings to an end with both teams trooping off thinking what might have been.

Charlton Athletic: Kaminski; Clarke, Ramsay, Jones, Bell, Chambers (Campbell 75); Carey, Docherty (Berry 90); Coady; Dykes, Kelman (Godden 70).

Subs not used: Mannion, Gillesphy, Coventry, Rankin-Costello, Sichenje, Fevrier.

Goalscorers: None

Yellow cards: Chambers (47 foul), Clarke (90+6)

Queens Park Rangers: Walsh; Edwards, Dunne, Cook, Norrington-Davies; Hayden, Madsen, Saito (Bennie (58); Vale, Smyth (Kolli 77); Kone.

Subs not used: Hamer, Adamson, Morgan, Mbengue, Alemayehu, Esquerdinha, Smith. 

Goalscorers: None

Yellow cards: Vale (4 high boot)

Referee: Tom Nield

Assistant Referees: Matthew Smith and George Byrne

Fourth Official: Lewis Smith

Attendance: 21,290 including 3,300 away supporters.

Pictures supplied by Keith Gillard.