Charlton 0 Southampton 0: Charlton goalkeeper Dean Kiely produced a fine performance - his stunning save from fellow Irish international Rory Delap's second-half screamer was right out of the top drawer - while some swift reactions also bailed his side out of trouble on two other occasions in an otherwise dismal encounter at The Valley.
Denmark winger Dennis Rommedahl provided Alan Curbishley's men with tremendous pace down the left, but his final delivery was often found wanting and he was replaced in the 75th minute by Talal El Karkouri.
The match improved ever so slightly after the interval, but the bright spell midway through the second half quickly disappeared among the mediocrity being produced by both sides, although Southampton edged the contest on chances.
Swede Andreas Jakobsson made his Saints debut, partnering Claus Lundekvam in the centre of defence following his £1 million move from Brondby, while winger Fabrice Fernandes started after shaking off a hamstring strain.
Francis Jeffers forced an early save from Antti Niemi after the former Arsenal striker had been played in by a slick ball from Jason Euell.
Rommedahl finished a marauding run with a tame right-footed shot which trickled into the arms of Niemi when he should have been looking to offload to the unmarked Jason Euell.
Rommedahl's lightning pace wreaked havoc down the left wing in the 23rd minute, but his final pass was scrambled away by the Saints defence.
When the interval whistle sounded the jeers from the crowd were well deserved. It wasn't much better after the break, but there was some excitement when Kevin Phillips teed up Anders Svensson in the 60th minute and his blocked effort rebounded to Delap who unleashed a blistering drive which drew a magnificent acrobatic save from Kiely.
Both managers made substitutions in a vain bid to breath some life into the match which had given the 24,263 crowd such little entertainment, and one of the newcomers nearly provided that.
Peter Crouch fired a strong shot at goal which Delap looked to hook into the net, but Kiely saved and Euell cleared - the last act of a game which ended among a crescendo of jeers.
CHARLTON: Kiely; Young, Perry, Fortune, Hreidarsson, Murphy, Euell, Kishishev (Hughes 58), Rommedahl (El Karkouri 75), Lisbie, Jeffers (Johansson 67). Subs not used: Andersen, Konchesky.
SOUTHAMPTON: Niemi; Kenton (Nilsson 73), Lundekvam, Jakobsson, Le Saux, Fernandes (Crouch 84), Prutton, Delap, Anders Svensson, Beattie, Phillips. Subs not used: Smith, Higginbotham, Best.
Referee: N Barry (N Lincolnshire).
