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Fulham give Charlton a draw ~ Ch. Match Report MD10

last updated Sunday 04th October 2015, 8:20 PM



Match Report

Charlton  (0) 2-2 (1) Fulham

Championship Match Day 10 1516 at The Valleyy

Sunday 04th October 2015    KO: 12:00

Ref: James Linington (Isle of Wight)

Sky 2



 Fulham midfielder Ryan Tunnicliffe
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Charlton 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.

Fulham striker Ross McCormack
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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 is. As 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.

Match Stats Charlton Fulham
Goals (0) 2 2 (1)
 
Scorers Jackson 81 Tunnicliffe 32
  Cousins 96 McCormack 59
 
Goal attempts 21 18
On target 7 8
Shooting Accuracy 33% 44%
Possession 50% 50%
Passes 447 459
Pass Success 81% 80%
Crosses 32 18
Crosses Success 22% 6%
Corners 10 5
Tackles 18 15
Tackles Success 78% 80%
Saves 6 5
Fouls 8 8
Offsides 2 2
Yellows 1 1
Reds 0 0
source: Soccernet/Fulham FC
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.

CHARLTON: Pope, Solly, Diarra, Bauer, Fox (Bergdich 65), Gudmundsson, Ba (Jackson 80), Cousins, McAleny (Moussa 71), Watt, Ahearne-Grant
Subs not used: Mitov, Sarr, Holmes-Dennis, Kennedy

Scorers:
Jackson 81 (header from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Karlan Ahearne-Grant with a cross.)
Cousins 90+6 (header from very close range to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Johann Berg Gudmundsson with a cross following a corner.)

Booked: Gudmundsson

FULHAM: Lonergan, Richards, Stearman, Ream, Husband, Christensen, Tunnicliffe, O'Hara (Mattila 90), Pringle (Garbutt 60), McCormack, Dembele (Woodrow 75)
Subs not used: Fredericks, Kacaniklic, Lewis, Dan Burn

Scorers:
Tunnicliffe 32 ( left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner following a set piece situation.)
McCormack 59 (left footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Ryan Tunnicliffe.)

Booked: Christensen (51,f)

Referee: James Linington

Attendance: 14662




















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