Stalemate at Boro

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Middlesbrough 0-0 Charlton

Middlesbrough secured their seventh successive Premiership clean sheet to beat a 28-year-old club record.

But Boro's remarkable run of 11 hours and 39 minutes since last conceding a Premiership goal will hardly be celebrated by a Riverside crowd who remain starved of goals.

Though Boro have addressed their defensive frailties, the suffocating lack of goals at the other end remains something of an enigma for boss Steve McClaren.

The Boro manager gave Massimo Maccarone another chance to silence the critics that again made themselves heard at the Riverside.

And, but for Charlton goalkeeper Dean Kiely, the Italian striker may well have obliged.

RIVERSIDE KEY MOMENTS 25 MINS: Maccarone volley brilliantly saved by Kiely 30 mins: Controversial Mills challenge leaves Di Canio with facial injury 66 mins: Stuart volley superbly kept out by Schwarzer

Kiely did well to keep out a left-foot volley from Maccarone after Boudewijn Zenden had teed him up midway through the first half.

Maccarone then turned another Zenden assist onto a post, though a linesman's flag suggested the effort would have been ruled out in any case.

And Kiely was on hand to deny Boro again 10 minutes before half-time when he instinctively beat away Gaizka Mendieta's thumping free-kick.

Chances at the other end were rare, but Paolo di Canio was involved in the game's most controversial incident when Boro defender Danny Mills appeared to step on him during a tussle near the corner flag.

The home fans felt Di Canio had dived under a challenge from Mills but the Italian striker emerged with blood pouring from a head wound and was quick to point out the injury to referee Howard Webb, who missed the incident.

BORO'S RUN OF CLEAN SHEETS Tottenham (Away) 26 Oct Wolves (Home) 11 Nov Aston Villa (Away) 8 Nov Liverpool (Home) 22 Nov Man City (Away) 30 Nov Portsmouth (Home) 6 Nov Charlton (Home) 13 Nov

The Boro fans' frustrations continued in the second half, not least when Zenden wasted the best chance of the game.

Mendieta created the opening and cut the ball back invitingly for the midfielder, only for Zenden to virtually pass the ball back to keeper Kiely.

At the other end, Graham Stuart showed Zenden how to treat such chances when he brilliantly volleyed Herman Hreidarsson's cross, only for Mark Schwarzer to brilliantly deny him.

That was as close as Charlton came to wrecking Boro's proud defensive run.

But not even the introduction of substitute Michael Ricketts for the disappointing Maccarone could end the frustrations at the other end.

Ricketts had a glorious chance to end those frustrations in stoppage time, but saw his bundled effort well saved by the impressive Kiely.

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Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Mills, Riggott, Southgate, Queudrue, Mendieta, Boateng, Greening (Downing 76), Zenden, Nemeth, Maccarone (Ricketts 71).
Subs not used: Nash, Ehiogu, Davies.

Booked: Ricketts.

Charlton: Kiely, Kishishev, Fortune, Perry, Hreidarsson, Parker, Jensen, Holland, Stuart, Euell, Di Canio. Subs not used: Royce, Powell, Johansson, Turner, Cole.

Booked: Hreidarsson.

Attendance: 26,721.

Referee: H Webb (S Yorkshire).