DARREN Bent was beaten to the Professional Footballers' Association's Young Player of the Year award by Manchester United's Wayne Rooney on Sunday night. The Addicks striker grabbed his 22nd goal of the season against Bolton Wanderers the previous day and was shortlisted alongside United winger Cristiano Ronaldo, Tottenham Hotspur's Aaron Lennon, West Ham United' s Anton Ferdinand and Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas.

LIMITED tickets still remain on sale for Charlton's final home game of the season against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday (5.15pm), priced from £20 adults, £15 over 60s and U18s, and £10 U16s. Seats are also currently available to all season-ticket holders with Voucher I for the final match of the season against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday, May 7th (3pm), priced £32 adults and £16 seniors and U16s. Get more details at www.cafc.co.uk or on 0871 226 1905.

JUST weeks after expressing his delight at his fully fit squad for the run-in, Alan Curbishley had injury problems prior to Saturday 4-1 defeat to Bolton Wanderers. Jonathan Spector returned to Old Trafford last week for an operation on the dislocated shoulder he suffered against Portsmouth on Easter Monday, while Luke Young (ankle) and Jerome Thomas (knee) are both sidelined. Marcus Bent will also not feature again in 2005/06 due to his hamstring problem. "Marcus has got a back injury which keeps affecting his hamstring, so we've decided to shut him down and make sure he gets himself fit for next season," said Alan. "Jonathan has gone back to Man Utd because he's their player and they'll take control of the operation."

WITH speculation rife that the Football Association will this week announce the identity of the successor to Sven Goran Eriksson in the England managerial position, Alan Curbishley confirmed last Friday that he had taken part in a second interview but refused to discuss the situation any further.

HERMANN Hreidarsson served the first game of his three-match suspension last Saturday following a video panel ruling that means he is ruled out for the rest of the season. The Icelandic international was banned following an elbow on Fulham's Luis Boa Morte on Easter Saturday. "I thought the referee missed a lot of things at Fulham and if he had seen the pulling and tugging before the incident he may have given us a penalty," said Alan Curbishley.

"As it was, Hermann's been punished for something that has happened after the event."

PROLIFIC reserve and academy striker Alex Varney and utility man Mark Ricketts will leave Charlton at the end of the season after not being offered new contracts by the club. "They have tried their hardest and put everything into it, but we felt they weren't going to make the progress that was needed for them to reach the first team," said Addicks boss Alan Curbishley.

ALMOST three years after his first Charlton appearance, Osei Sankofa finally made his full Addicks debut on Saturday against Bolton Wanderers. The 21-year-old right-back spent time on loan with Bristol City earlier this season.

A BUSY week was planned for Charlton's reserve side with two games in three days on Monday and Wednesday to conclude their season. The Addicks took on Portsmouth away two days ago and face Crystal Palace at Hayes Lane, Bromley tonight (Wednesday - 7pm) following their 2-0 victory against Watford last Wednesday when Rurik Gislason and James Walker were on target. Midfielder Gislason will play for Iceland U21s against Andorra in a European Championship qualifier next Monday.

THE Charlton women's team travels to Everton on Sunday in a match the Addicks must win to claim the league runners-up spot and a place in next season's Community Shield match. Katie Chapman and Amanda Barr, meanwhile, both started as England beat Austria 4-0 last Thursday night in their latest World Cup qualifier.

A CHARITY match between Charlton and Tonbridge Angels Veterans in memory of 1950s Addicks left winger Billy Kiernan raised money for the Kent Air Ambulance on Sunday. The game featured the likes of Paul Mortimer, Sasa Ilic, Garry Nelson and Colin Walsh, and was also in remembrance of Charlton season-ticket holder Philip Russell, who was killed in the London terrorist bombings last July.

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