George Saville scored inside a minute to extend Charlton’s winless run to eight games and hand relegation-threatened Middlesbrough a vital win.

After Britt Assombalonga tested goalkeeper Dillon Phillips at close range, the former Millwall midfielder put away the rebound just 55 seconds into the Riverside Stadium clash.

But Boro could have won the game by a comfortable margin and spurned golden opportunities to finish Charlton off through Stephen Walker and Marcus Tavernier.

Here are five things we learned…

About as bad as you will see this season

You have to feel for the Charlton fans who made the long trip up to Teesside, only to witness their side put out a completely abject display that afternoon.

The goal Charlton conceded was bad itself, but the response to it was a shocking contrast to what has been usually produced this season.

But considering how rare they are, Lee Bowyer will be keen to ensure there is no repeat of that again.

Should Bowyer have gone 3-5-2?

It was evident that Charlton could not get their rhythm going in the opening 45 minutes, but part of it might have been down to the system which was chosen.

Boro were comfortably outnumbering them on counter-attacks in their own 3-5-2 setup, with their wingbacks springing free down the flanks to whip in dangerous crosses.

Bowyer has made the change in the past, so why it was not done here was a little strange as it would have at least matched his side up with them.

New and old faces

Joe Ledley and Lyle Taylor’s inclusions into the travelling party for the trip were a welcome boost for a team ravaged by injuries.

It didn’t quite go to plan for the former – having played his first competitive game since August 2018 – and was hooked at half-time. The latter, meanwhile, got his own 45-minute cameo for the first time since returning from the sidelines and looked okay.

While Ledley will take time to shake off the rust, Taylor’s return comes at a crucial time when Charlton are peering over their shoulders at the relegation zone.

How do Charlton get out of this malaise?

You’re on an eight-game winless run, injuries are piling up and, after a long trip up north, play two more teams in four days. Not least the fact you’re seven points off the drop. How do you fix this?

Injuries aside, I think the problem is several small ones (though fixable) that have snowballed together. For example, dropping points from winning positions, defending set-pieces and giving away unnecessary fouls in dangerous areas.

In isolation they do not seem to be that bad but when you’re fighting to put points on the board they can be more troublesome than they usually would be. If they can be solved one by one then the rest should follow.

What can we expect from Huddersfield?

Huddersfield themselves are on a miserable run of form, having not won in their last five, and sit two points above the relegation zone.

With former Charlton striker Karlan Grant leading the way with 11 goals, all eyes will be on him to drag them over the line and get the three points they desperately need.

The Leeds defeat, while damaging, was against much stronger opposition and this test will give them confidence despite their own circumstances.