Charlton rescue point in late drama at The ValleyCharlton dramatically rescued a point with a stoppage-time equaliser in a 2-2 draw at home to London rivals Fulham.In what was a strangely uncompetitive affair until the final 10 minutes between two teams bereft of confidence, Fulham appeared destined for victory after taking the lead through goals from Ryan Tunnicliffe and Ross McCormack.However, Charlton captain Johnnie Jackson, on as a substitute, inspired an unlikely comeback by scoring with his first touch before Jordan Cousins headed home their second.The shared points will do little to ease the pressure that had been building on either manager.Fulham's Kit Symons knows his team are expected to improve on their present position of 13th while opposite number Guy Luzon knows Charlton should be more than two points above the bottom three.A decade ago Charlton against Fulham represented a Premier League fixture between two promising teams but on Sunday it was a match-up of two Sky Bet Championship sides in need of an identity.There is little question each hope to return to the Premier League in the near future but what is less clear is how realistic that ambition actually isAs they had 12 months ago, Charlton began this season encouragingly but they have since lost five of their last seven.Fulham are similarly unpredictable
Two games ago they defeated QPR 4-0 but a 3-0 home defeat by Wolves four days later had left them demoralised.Had Charlton's Conor McAleny converted the gilt-edged first-minute chance that came his way, therefore, Fulham's heads would again have dropped and the home team could perhaps have capitalised by earning a convincing victory.Instead, despite both time and space following Cousins' superb pass, the forward, on loan from Everton, somehow managed to send his shot wide of the left-hand post.Fulham's greatest threat early on had come from distance when both Jazz Richards and Jamie O'Hara, playing as though aware of goalkeeper Nick Pope's error-prone form, attempted to score from midfield.Richards' shot was heading towards the top-left corner, where Pope unconvincingly saved, and the goalkeeper tipped O'Hara's effort around the post.Perhaps inevitably, though, another costly mistake gifted the visitors the lead
Fumbling McCormack's 32nd-minute free-kick, Pope spilled the ball to Tunnicliffe who tapped in with ease in front of goal.Their second, in the 59th minute, also came after a touch of good fortune
Charlton remained static as Tunnicliffe sent a left-wing cross towards the lively McCormack
His control deserting him, the forward sent the ball yards ahead of him but was still able to reach it first before impressively shooting first time with his left foot across the area and beyond Pope into the bottom-right corner.Jackson, one of the few survivors from Chris Powell's reign before Roland Duchatelet's January 2014 takeover, scored with a header from Johann Berg Gudmundsson's 81st-minute corner and Charlton responded with greater intensity.Chances came at both ends in the closing stages before, in stoppage time, Cousins read Karlan Ahearne-Grant's left-wing cross to powerfully head beyond Andrew Lonergan from close range in stoppage-time to seal a 2-2 draw
Source : PA
Source: PA