Charlton’s top two hopes are now over following defeat at Oxford United – Lee Bowyer

Charlton boss Lee Bowyer says his hopes of automatic promotion are now over after his side fell to a 2-1 defeat at Oxford United.

Lyle Taylor had put the Addicks into an early lead from the spot but strikes from Curtis Nelson and Luke Garbutt had turned the game on its head before the halfway point of the first-half.

The South Londoners had a man advantage shortly after the break as home goalkeeper Simon Eastwood was given his marching orders, but they were unable to find a leveller before Chris Solly’s dismissal evened the numbers up again.

The Addicks remained three points behind second-placed Barnsley after the early kick-off defeat, with the Tykes and fellow automatic promotion hopefuls Portsmouth and Sunderland all playing later on during Good Friday.

“That’s done now,” said Bowyer of Charlton’s top two hopes.

“Unless they all go and lose, but that’s not going to happen. We needed to win all four but that isn’t going to happen. It’s done, I think.

“A big blow. I can’t ask for any more from the players, they gave everything right to the end. Set-pieces have cost us today. On another day I think we score five or six goals. I don’t know how we didn’t score in the second-half. First-half we created chances. We got into good areas so many times. I’ve just said to them, we’ve got to learn from that. We cant keep getting into good areas and not having end product. That’s cost us today, plus switching off on set-pieces.

“Nothing changes,” he added, with his side now set to turn their attention to the play-offs.

“You just have to win games. That’s all we’ve ever tried to do. Just win every game we play. It’s not about preparing for the play-offs. We won’t tackle it any differently to how we have done today. It’s a game of football that two teams are going to try and win. Nothing is going to change.”