Addicks head coach Bob Peeters was left to ponder what might have been after substitute George Tucudean was denied a last-gasp winner in today’s derby with Millwall.

With the game evenly poised at 0-0 deep into stoppage time, the substitute looked certain to end Charlton’s 18-year search for a victory over their neighbours by lifting the ball over David Forde, only for it to be scrambled behind by Alan Dunne.

Igor Vetokele then volleyed straight at the Lions stopper from the resulting corner, but it was Tucudean’s initial chance which had Peeters’ talking immediately afterwards.

“That’s game ball,” the Valley chief admitted.

“That’s what it is all about in football. In the first half even the supporters had stress, it has been building up already for weeks – especially with the international break – and you saw it with the players as well.

“Both sides they were under a lot of pressure, they also know that it was 6,832 days ago since Charlton beat Millwall so it was all over the news.

“Especially the first 15 minutes there was a lot of stress involved, but then we started to play football a little bit better.

“At half-time we changed the shape a bit, we said OK we are going to press the midfield trio of Millwall high.”

Peeters added: “At that moment they were struggling but then they put Fuller on and start kicking long balls and you know one ball might fall right.

“Then they get one chance where Nick Pope saves it. We got some good chances, then you need to wait for game ball.

“Like I said at Reading, you put Tucudean on because you know he is always going to get a chance and normally he puts it away.

“Yesterday in training he was scoring for fun.

“Also his missus gave birth to a son so I thought he was in a momentum and it would have been brilliant if he could score that goal.”

And Peeters pointed out there would have been no comebacks for Millwall had it gone in.

“That was 94 minutes and 30 seconds so I think at that moment the game is finished and you win the game,” he said.

“That’s all about what if but again I think we did everything to try and win the game.

“You knew that it was going to be one-goal decision, so tight.

“We had it in the last seconds of the game and we didn’t punish them.”