Charlton suffered a blow to their hopes of survival as their defeat at home to relegation rivals Middlesbrough saw them drop into the Championship’s bottom three.

Paddy McNair’s goal inside 17 minutes at The Valley proved decisive and came on the back of another defensive mistake.

The Addicks improved on a poor first half to try and rescue an equaliser, but missed chances late in the game to at least take away a point.

Charlton, who have won just two of their past six games, have now slipped to 22nd in the table with nine games remaining.

Darren Pratley returned from injury, following a month out with a back problem, as Lee Bowyer made three changes to the team which was hammered 4-0 by Huddersfield Town.

Purrington and Jonny Williams were also drafted into the starting 11, while Alfie Doughty and Aiden McGeady were both moved to the bench. Erhun Oztumer, who also started in Yorkshire, was not in the squad.

Charlton knew that only a win would suffice but they went close to conceding inside the first few minutes.

Adam Matthews denied Hayden Coulson an easy tap-in at the far post as he looked poised to connect with Jonny Howson’s inviting right-wing cross.

Boro eventually took the lead against the run of play when Purrington’s pass was picked off from a throw-in, enabling Rudy Gestede to find McNair in the box for a close-range finish.

And they could have gone even further behind, only for Gestede to miss a teasing cross by inches inside the box.

Howson nodded Coulson’s delivery off target, and Boro goalkeeper Dejan Stojanovic spilled Green’s ferocious shot, as Charlton went into the break a goal down.

Sensing the need to turn things around, Bowyer looked to his bench and brought on Macauley Bonne in place of George Lapslie for the second half.

Charlton came out for the second half in search of a revival and did put Boro under pressure with some early chances.

Deji Oshilaja headed straight at goal from Williams’ delivery in the box before Pratley missed the target from inside the box following some neat play down the left side.

But it was Boro’s profligacy in front of goal which perhaps let them off at times, going close through Marcus Tavernier, Coulson and Lewis Wing.

The Addicks had another crucial chance to equalise, when Taylor’s driven cross finding Bonne in the box, only for the tame effort to barely work Stojanovic.

And substitute Tomer Hemed’s head was in his hands when he could not get a touch on Pearce’s flick-on from a throw-in.

But the best chance of the lot arrived in five minutes of added time when Bonne glanced Oshilaja’s cross over the bar from inside the box.

Boro held on for all three points as Charlton slipped into the relegation zone.

Charlton (4-3-3): Phillips; Matthews, Oshilaja, Pearce, Purrington (Hemed 82); Pratley, Cullen, Lapslie (Bonne 45); Green, Williams (Doughty 66); Taylor.

Subs not used: Amos (GK), Davis, Smith and McGeady.