TO lose one striker may appear unfortunate, to lose two could definitely be considered careless.

Newcastle will begin this week facing up to the prospect of at least one game this month without both talisman Alan Shearer and speedster Craig Bellamy.

Shearer was dismissed for only the second time in his career on Saturday for elbowing substitute Jon Fortune; Bellamy picked up his fifth caution of the campaign for a foul on Mark Fish.

Add to that a late equaliser for the Addicks and the Magpies' woe in London continues.

The game count has now reached 28 without a win and for the thousands who made the trek to the south of the capital the joke is wearing very thin.

With Chelsea away in the Worthington Cup, the Magpies then have Arsenal and Tottenham left in the league .

By then the joke will be as fresh as the one about the mother-in-law being fat.

The truth is that Newcastle should have had the game tied up by half-time.

If they had then it would be unlikely that Shearer and Bellamy would be facing up to lengthy absences.

Shearer's dismissal, should it stand, would rule him out of the visit of his former club Blackburn to St James' Park on December 15 and the difficult trips to Arsenal and Leeds the following week. Bellamy will definitely miss the Blackburn game.

The Welshman's ability to skip clear of defences is becoming one of the most talked about aspects of the Premiership this season - unfortunately his inability to convert most of the chances he creates is doing likewise.

Three efforts straight at the impressive Charlton keeper Dean Kiely, one tipped over and one off the post was his return at the Valley.

Newcastle's return was one point - and it should have been three.

One person who certainly didn't see the joke was a visibly enraged Bobby Robson who couldn't hide his anger at his skipper's sending off. "The decision has insulted a player who has graced the game," said Robson. "We shall appeal.

"Alan Shearer has done that 40,000 times in his career, he's held the ball up. He didn't even know the player was there." Charlton manager Alan Curbishley revealed the extent of his opposite number's wrath.

''I was trying to calm him down because he was going off and he was only going to get himself into bother,'' said Curbishley. ''I told him he was not going to win this one at the moment, that he wouldn't be able to do anything about it until Monday. ''But that just shows you the passion Bobby has got for the game. He was ranting and raving last time he was here when we beat them 2-0, but I think that's what keeps him going.''

Robson felt the game itself should have been won long before Charlton equalised.

"Maybe today was going to be the day when we might break the voodoo or hoodoo," he said.

"We got the goal and we edged it over the 70 minutes, and I thought finally that we would do it. "But we've now lost Bellamy, and we've probably lost Shearer!"

Bellamy's absence will no doubt diminish the number of chances Newcastle create.

The Welshman was denied as early as the sixth minute, exchanging passes with Shearer on the left-hand edge of the box before his effort was collected by Kiely. On 28 minutes the two linked up on the opposite side of the box, with Bellamy again creating space only to see his shot again find the midriff of Kiely.

Ten minutes later and a good move on the left saw Solano release who else but Bellamy, this time Kiely stayed standing to tip his effort over the bar. With headed efforts by Shearer and Gary Speed that flew wide of the target and poor final balls, Newcastle should indeed have been at least two up at the break. Charlton's main threat appeared to be caused by defensive errors, with Nikos Dabizas and Andy O'Brien both guilty of making the wrong decision at the wrong time. Fortunately Shay Given was ready and able when called into action.

The goal which appeared inevitable eventually came on 73 minutes.

Laurent Robert's cross was half-cleared to Speed on the edge of the box, and his mis-timed effort crept past Kiely.

That should have been that, but nothing is plain sailing for Newcastle in the capital.

Charlie MaDonald replaced Graham Stuart on 80 minutes and three minutes later he was the hero of the Valley. A speculative effort from John Robinson was charged down on the edge of the box by Dabizas. It fell for MacDonald to fire home.

Read more about Newcastle FC here.