Charlton 2 v 1 Middlesbrough

Barclays Premiership

For more pictures, click on Charlton Pictures

WHILE Darren Bent's double strike sank next week's FA Cup opponents, the football fraternity was more interested in Alan Curbishley.

Speculation over the Addicks' boss and the soon-to-be vacant England manager's position exploded after he was pictured with FA chief executive Brian Barwick.

Under the headline Got him' the Sunday Mirror published grainy pictures of Curbishley with Barwick and suggested he was the new hot favourite.

In reaction Curbishley said: "It looked a bit cloak and dagger but the chairman Richard Murray gave me permission to talk to them.

"It was very relaxed, very preliminary. I don't think it was an interview at all."

He added: "I'm not used to these sort of headlines.

"The FA were speaking to people before me and people after me but someone was going to get caught and it was me."

There was more unsettling news when Charlton reserve team coach Glynn Snodin left to become first team coach at Southampton.

Snodon told the Addicks' website: "While Southampton are lower it's a step up in terms of first-team coaching."

Snodin added: "Over the last six months or so I've had the feeling in the back of my mind I wanted to challenge myself again, to see how far I can go."

Against Middlesbrough a dire match sparked into life on 73 minutes as Darren Bent's header off Chris Powell's cross beat Mark Schwarzer.

Mark Viduka equalised on 81 minutes with a stunning 30-yard strike before Darren Bent secured the points with four minutes to go, scoring his 19th goal of the season into the bargain.

MATCH FACTS: CHARLTON: Myhre; Young; Perry; Hreidarsson; Powell; Kisishev; Holland; Hughes (Thomas, 45); Ambrose (Bartlett, 75); D Bent; Bothroyd (Euell, 45).

SUBS NOT USED: Andersen; Spector.

ATT: 24,830.