This Leeds star endured afternoon to forget in defeat at Charlton

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Leeds United striker Billy Sharp will want to quickly forget about his woeful performance at The Valley.

Leeds United striker Billy Sharp endured a torrid afternoon as his side were defeated by 2-1 by fellow Championship mid-table contenders Charlton Athletic at The Valley.

The former Nottingham Forest loanee got the nod to start the game up front, largely thanks to six first-team stars pulling out of the encounter through injury.

While those so-called injuries may cause the Leeds fans a little discomfort, their anger may well be directed at Sharp throughout Saturday night after seeing the striker put in a nightmare performance.

Aside from missing a penalty, the 29-year-old failed to get the basics right and often Leeds’ attacking ventures in the final third all-but ended whenever the ball reached Sharp.

As per the table provided by Opta Stats, the striker struggled to create anything of note and managed to test the goalkeeper on just one occasion – the penalty which was ultimately saved.

Moreover, he came off second-best in aerial battles and frustratingly found himself caught out in an offside position on two promising occasions.

Sharp, once a feared striker at Championship level, remains on just five goals for the season despite appearing in 31 games for the Whites.

The Elland Road side have suffered a disappointing campaign, and their fifth straight defeat leaves them in 16^th position in the table – an alarming 23 points behind the play-off positions.

Neil Redfearn has to make a number of changes this summer, though after spending a fair bit on acquiring Sharp’s services nine months ago, the striker will likely remain in Yorkshire for at least another campaign.