There were no goals and little quality play to cherish as West Brom marked their 100th Premiership match with a goalless draw at Charlton.

The corresponding fixture last season sparked the run which saw the Baggies escape relegation and it was perhaps been unrealistic to expect a repeat of that 4-1 away win.

Rob Earnshaw netted a hat-trick on that occasion but he was absent this time after Albion accepted a £3.5million bid from Norwich on deadline day.

After a scrappy start West Brom's Jonathan Greening decided to liven up proceedings with the game's first moment of note in the 25th minute.

He fired in a low 25-yarder which would have found the net had not home goalkeeper Thomas Myhre, guilty of letting in a soft goal in Saturday's narrow FA Cup win over Leyton Orient, dived smartly to his right to keep it out.

Three minutes later it was Charlton's turn to come close although Darren Bent will know he really should have scored after a huge punt downfield from Myhre had bounced invitingly off strike partner and namesake Marcus.

The England hopeful was quicker to the loose ball than any defender but spoiled it all by firing weakly across goal.

The Addicks' 14-goal top-scorer was undeterred however and, having left Curtis Davies trailing embarrassingly near a corner flag, cut back to fire in another effort.

But although he was on target this time the frame of goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak was in the way to parry.

Charlton sensed it was time to take a grip on the game and fit-again midfielder Alexei Smertin, the Russia captain, burst forward to plant a 25-yarder wide.

Albion might have taken the lead before the break but Geoff Horsfield could not convert either of the chances that came his way.

The first, in the 40th minute, was the better as a cross from the left from Paul Robinson found him at the back post with marker Bryan Hughes nowhere.

The former bricklayer met it with a firm, close-range header but saw the ball bounce off the upright and across goal. Myhre was stranded but Hermann Hreidarsson, playing his 100th game for Charlton, hacked away unconvincingly.

Horsfield's second chance, after Matt Holland had limped off to be replaced in the home midfield by Radostin Kishishev, was a passable one too and all his own work as he showed quick feet in the box to elude two challengers before firing wastefully wide at the crucial moment.

The Baggies' other striker, Kevin Campbell, had hardly been in the game and was replaced in the 55th minute by Nathan Ellington.

Charlton came close to breaking the deadlock through Hughes, who saw a well-struck shot palmed away by the goalkeeper and then sent a free header from a set-piece wastefully over the bar.

Albion survived a penalty appeal when Robinson appeared to have pushed Marcus Bent at the vital moment as he sought to convert Darren Bent's ball across goal but the defender was punished in the 62nd minute with a booking for a foul on Luke Young.

Charlton sent Jerome Thomas on in place of Darren Ambrose for the final 17 minutes and there was another scare for the away side when Marcus Bent went down in the box under a Neil Clement challenge.

Referee Peter Walton gave it a long, hard look but waved for play to continue.

Davies made a point-saving challenge on Darren Bent just as the striker was about to pick his spot and there was to be no late breakthrough despite the late arrival of Jay Bothroyd, who had provided a last-gasp cup winner at the weekend.

Charlton Myhre, Young, Fortune, Hreidarsson, Powell, Hughes,Holland (Kishishev 43), Smertin, Ambrose (Thomas 72),Darren Bent, Marcus Bent (Bothroyd 83).

Subs Not Used: Andersen, Spector.

West Brom Kuszczak, Albrechtsen, Curtis Davies, Clement,Robinson, Greening, Inamoto, Johnson, Carter,Campbell (Ellington 55), Horsfield.

Subs Not Used: Kirkland, Chaplow, Kozak, Nicholson.

Booked: Robinson, Albrechtsen, Greening.

Att: 25,921

Ref: P Walton (Northamptonshire).