No re-Ward for Darren
Addicks defender Darren Ward had a number of reasons for disappointment after his effort against Birmingham City on Saturday was ruled out - wrongly, as it turned out - for offside.
Not only did the disallowed goal prevent loan club Charlton from claiming a deserved Valley victory, defeat for promotion-chasing City would also have been a fillip for the centre-half's parent club, league leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers.
What's more, it would have added to Ward's tally in his goalscoring competition against his brother, Coventry City's Elliot, whom Darren could face when the two sides meet on Easter Monday (3pm).
"It was very disappointing," admitted Darren, who pounced on Tresor Kandol's nod down to crash a left-footed shot into the roof of the net before being flattened by advancing City goalkeeper Maik Taylor.
The referee agreed with the flag raised by his assistant, but the television replays later showed that Birmingham full-back Stephen Carr had been playing Ward onside.
"My first thought was that the referee had blown for a foul, but there you go," added Darren.
"I got crunched by their goalkeeper at the same time, which didn't help, but we just have to keep going.
"It's a massive shame because it would have done the club a world of good - and Wolves a world of good as well."
As it was, City still dropped two points in their race to reach the Premier League, but Ward was still frustrated that the Addicks had been unable to claim all three points.
A pulsating second half saw Lloyd Sam hit the crossbar, and although Rob Elliot had to be alert to twice deny Kevin Phillips and Keith Fahey, Taylor was by far the busier goalkeeper.
One save from a deflected Jonjo Shelvey effort was the pick of the bunch, but he also denied Nicky Bailey and Kandol, while, when his goalkeeper was stranded, Carr blocked Zheng Zhi's instinctive goalbound effort.
"If I can do my bit, then great, but it's for both teams," added Ward, who admitted he struggles to equate the club's current position at the bottom of the table with the team he's represented since arriving from the West Midlands.
"It's a good result for Wolves but it could have been a better one for Charlton.
"I've been here 12 games or so and it's scary. I can't believe where we are in the league because there are so many good players here. You saw today what we can do, and I can't get my head around it."
The Addicks could be relegated to League One on Easter Monday if results go against the club, but Ward is still focused firmly on the present rather than the future.
"I'm sure people are understandably thinking about the future, but what we're trying to do as players - and the manager is stressing to us - is just to get on with the game. We just want to concentrate on football," he said.
"I came here to do a job and that was to keep Charlton up, and I've really put it in, on and off the pitch. I didn't come here for a bit of banter - I feel I should be playing at Wolves, but I'm not, so that's the way it is.
"There are quite a few lads here out of contract at the end of the season and who might be wondering, but my position is a bit different. Myself and Danny Butterfield, for example, both have a year on our contracts, myself at Wolves and Danny at Crystal Palace, but it's not nice to see the position the club is in, especially one the size of Charlton."
Ward is on loan at Charlton until the end of the season, but was unable to answer whether he might stay at The Valley beyond that deadline.
"Who knows?" said Darren, who came close to joining Charlton last summer in a swap deal for Chris Iwelumo. "There are so many if and buts in my situation, I've really not thought about it.
"I'm just focusing on keeping Charlton up, that's my priority, and then we'll see what happens in the summer."
Before then, Charlton take on Coventry on Easter Monday, when family rivalry will again be at stake.
And Ward was left to reflect on the further disappointment caused by his disallowed goal against Birmingham.
"My brother and I have a goal competition every year, so I needed that!" he explained. "Unfortunately, it wasn't to be."
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