DALE Stephens’ fourth goal of the season was not enough for Charlton to record back-to-back wins for the first time in 2013-14 as they were held at home by Sheffield Wednesday.
The midfielder’s strike early in the second half had put the hosts in front, but they were pegged back by Connor Wickham’s 59th minute equaliser.
Wednesday were the better side for the majority of the second half, but Simon Church missed the best chance to win the game when he smashed over in stoppage time.
The result ensured the visitors did not gain any ground on the Addicks in the relegation scrap, but it will go down as an opportunity missed by the home side.
A neat piece of link-up play between Yann Kermorgant and Lawrie Wilson down the right on 13 minutes ended with the latter’s cross being sliced into the arms of Chris Kirkland by Wednesday defender Glenn Loovens.
Five minutes later Jordan Cousins’ dragged strike was almost latched onto by Church, but he failed to get a strong enough touch on the ball.
Kermorgant dispossessed Stephen McPhail on 23 minutes and slipped in Church, but a poor touch from the forward prevented him having an attempt on goal.
Roger Johnson’s looping volley clipped the top of the bar, while Ben Alnwick smothered well from Wickham on 38 minutes.
The keeper then grabbed a Wickham strike at the second attempt and on 41 minutes he had to dive to his left to palm the young striker’s free-kick away from danger.
Charlton broke the deadlock two minutes after the interval.
Stephens collected a quick Lawrie Wilson throw-in and cut inside of Loovens before dinking a shot over Kirkland to put the hosts in front.
Chris Maguire fired just wide with his left foot, having cut in from the right, and six minutes later the forward played a big role in Wednesday’s leveller.
He delivered a low cross from the right having collected a Atdhe Nuhiu flick-on and Wickham stabbed home at the far post after Kieran Lee had scuffed the original delivery goal-wards.
Wickham nodded over from six yards with 20 minutes to play, while at the other end Lee did well to charge down Cousins’ powerful strike.
Alnwick did brilliantly to keep out Roger Johnson’s header from a Maguire corner, and the forward’s secondary cross flashed right across the face of goal.
Wednesday looked the likeliest to find a winner, but one minute into stoppage time Loovens mis-judged a long ball forward that fell at the feet of Church.
He side-stepped Reda Johnson on the edge of the box, but with Kirkland out of position the Addicks striker could only blaze his effort into the stand.
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Charlton: Alnwick, Wilson, Morrison, Wood, Evina, Stephens, Jackson (Green 73), Cousins, Stewart (Dervite 73), Kermorgant, Church. Subs not used: Pope, Hughes, Sordell, Lennon, Pigott. Att: 16,377.
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