CHARLTON manager Phil Parkinson had no excuses after his side lost by a single goal to bottom-club Walsall at The Valley on Sunday.

After last Thursday's FA Cup victory at Luton, Charlton had just two days to recharge and prepare for a game which could have sent them to within a point of leaders Brighton had they won.

Parkinson said: “It was a terrible performance, I can’t hide away from that.

“It wasn't three or four players who had an off day, it was everybody.

“I thought we were flat from the first minute to the last and even the substitutes didn’t look right today.

“We looked like a team lacking in energy.

“I think the players know from games we’ve had against teams lower down, every game is tough and I’d like to think it wasn’t complacency against Walsall.

“We just could not get going and do the simple things.”

Parkinson was quick to say sorry to the fans but stressed there haven’t been too many bad displays so far this season.

He added: “Apologies to our supporters because it was a poor performance, and we haven’t given them too many of those in recent weeks, but today was not a good one.

“We should have been able to withstand what Walsall had to offer and be more of a threat going the other way.

“At the end of the game we had all of our attacking players on but didn’t look like creating anything.

“It was a bad day at the office and the players need to forget the game.”

This was Charlton's first defeat in all competitions since the heavy 4-0 home loss to Brighton on October 16.

But Parkinson has to rally his troops for an away game against Hartlepool on Saturday, before Southampton come to The Valley on Boxing Day.

He said: “This is a team that’s had a terrific run lately and got us up to the second in the table, but they’re an honest group of lads and we need to pick ourselves up and go again.

“I can’t make excuses really. It’s not like we’ve lost when we should have got something out of the game.

“We didn’t deserve anything and the lads know we were second best.

“Credit to Walsall, they put in a professional away performance.”

Charlton sit fourth in the league after yesterday’s shock defeat but they are only a point away from the automatic promotion places with a game in hand over second-placed Sheffield Wednesday.