Charlton Athletic 2-2 Cardiff City: Addicks pegged back after holding two-goal advantage

BY LOUIS MENDEZ

Charlton threw a two-goal half-time lead away as former Millwall boss Neil Harris began his Cardiff tenure with a point at The Valley.

The Addicks had led at the break thanks to goals from Conor Gallagher and Jonathan Leko, with Dillon Phillips making a save from a Junior Hoilett penalty soon after the restart.

Nathaniel Mendez-Laing did halve the deficit a few minutes later, with Lee Tomlin completing the comeback with less than a quarter of the game to go.

To make matters worse, the injury-hit Addicks lost Josh Cullen to a nasty looking knock on his ankle – with just days before Lee Bowyer has to take his depleted squad to Luton Town on Tuesday.

Charlton are now winless in five, having tasted victory just twice in the last eleven outings, although will feel they should have had a maximum return today.

Neil Harris had never lost a game as a Millwall player or manager against Charlton but his new charges fell behind early on in this lunchtime kick-off.

Callum Paterson had already rippled the side-netting for the visitors before the South Londoners went down the other end, with Macauley Bonne breezing past two defenders to fizz an inviting low-ball into the Bluebird’s six-yard box.

Leko miscued but the ball fell into the path of Gallagher, who finished superbly to edge into the lead in the Charlton scoring charts as the Chelsea loanee’s tally reached six for the campaign.

The Welsh outfit felt they may have had a penalty as Deji Oshilaja pressured Paterson inside the Addicks’ box – but the referee waved play on and the hosts almost doubled their lead moments later.

Erhu Oztumer had a go from range, with his shot deflected into the path of Adam Matthews. The right-back laid it off for Leko, who saw his effort charged down – but the West Brom man did have his goal just before the break.

Cullen halted a Cardiff attack before Bonne took over and fed Oztumer. The former Bolton man threaded the ball through and Leko finished calmly beyond ex-Addick Neil Etheridge in the Cardiff goal.

It had been a harsh awakening for Harris on his return to South London, but his side exploded out of the blocks after the restart.

They had a huge chance to halve the deficit as Ben Purrington laid hands on Paterson in the area. Phillips was equal to Junior Hoilett’s tame spot-kick, but could do nothing to prevent the visitors getting a foothold in the game just minutes later.

Mendez-Laing was quickest to react as a ball fell loose inside the Charlton box and he pulled one back with a fierce drive – and Charlton soon lost yet another key man to injury to rub salt into their wounds.

Lee Bowyer was already missing ten senior bodies from his squad before today, with Josh Cullen making it eleven after being stretchered off midway through the period.

The game had opened right up as the visitors went in search of a leveller. Phillips adjusted superbly to keep out a deflected drive from Leandro Bacuna, before substitute Albie Morgan tested Etheridge twice in quick succession at the other end.

With the amount of chances being created, it felt like another goal was always likely – and it went to the Bluebirds.

Substitute Tomlin was afforded space on the edge of the Charlton box and side-footed into the bottom corner with fifteen minutes left.

Charlton regrouped and looked the more likely as they headed towards seven minutes of added time.

Oztumer had already whistled a shot narrowly off-target, before Bonne nearly won it in the closing stages.

Alfie Doughty, making his league debut off the bench after returning from a loan at Bromley, broke away down the right and squared for Bonne – with Lee Peltier blocking well to preserve a point for his side.

PHOTOS: KYLE ANDREWS