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Mifsud denies Addicks

A late goal from Michael Mifsud and an agonising miss from Chris Iwelumo denied Charlton top spot in the Championship on Saturday.

The Maltese striker, a two-goal hero in the midweek win at Old Trafford, wriggled into space five minutes from time and lashed a low drive into the bottom corner.

With Watford drawing 1-1 with Blackpool a win would have sent Charlton to the summit on goal difference and Lloyd Sam's 15th-minute goal looked set to be the decisive factor.

But Coventry, under former Addicks chief Iain Dowie of course, plugged away after the break and got their leveller before Charlton's Chris Iwelumo dived full length to head wide near the end.

So a point was the net return from a spiky clash in the Midlands as Mifsud continued his dream week.

Sam had fired a low drive into the same spot in the back of the net to light up a quiet opening with his first ever Championship goal.

Charlton were the better side in the first period, but for a sloppy period when Mifsud rifled a shot against the post.

They may have had a penalty when Luke Varney went down under pressure from Ben Turner but after the break Coventry's persistence finally paid off with the Maltese man proving some light relief for the hosts.

The hosts had been tapping at the door rather than hammering and a succession of poor decisions and poor finishing inside the box looked to have let the visitors off the hook.

Mifsud then struck in fine fashion near the end but there was still time for a full length Iwelumo to meet a cracking Andy Reid cross and send a diving header agonisingly back across goal and wide in the closing minutes of regulation time.

And it left Charlton, now unbeaten in six league matches, with just a point to take into their midweek match at Hull City.

Pardew named an unchanged Charlton side for the third successive Championship clash as he pitted his wits against the man that led the Addicks at the start of last season.

Dowie, in charge at The Valley for 15 matches last term, is now in charge of the Sky Blues who were fresh from a famous win at Manchester United in the Carling Cup on Wednesday.

Charlton, of course, slipped out of the competition after extra-time at Luton Town 24 hours earlier, and Pardew reversed the ten changes he made in midweek.

That meant a return up front for the promising little and large partnership of Iwelumo and Varney while experienced duo Chris Powell and Danny Mills were back at full-back.

Algerian Madjid Bougherra was the only man to retain his place, in the centre of defence, with Matt Holland named on the bench after coming through a first two hours of the season in midweek.

He was joined on the bench by Sam Sodje and Darren Randolph with the attacking option of Svetoslav Todorov and Izale Mcleod also in reserve.

Old Trafford really was the Theatre of Dreams for City in midweek and their goal hero Mifsud took his place up front.

The Maltese international was partnered by Leon Best while Robbie Simpson, playing in non-league for Cambridge City not too long ago, started in midfield.

The action started in fast and furious fashion but goalmouth action was scarce until the Addicks took the lead with Sam claiming his second goal for the club on the quarter hour

The architect was Danny Mills, the right-back, not for the first time playing a big role in a Charlton goal.

Mills marauded into the Coventry half and collected a pass from Sam before slipping the ball back to the winger who showed impressive composure to slot home past Andy Marshall.

Two minutes later the visitors threatened again with Reid's angled cross met by Iwelumo whose sliced volley flew well wide.

Reid was then the victim of a late lunging challenge from Simpson that earned the Coventry man a yellow card midway through the half.

The visitors then had penalty claims turned down in the 24th minute as Varney chased a long ball through and tumbled in the box under heavy pressure from Turner.

Varney and Iwelumo were far from happy at the decision and Pardew also had a quiet word with the fourth official in the aftermath.

Varney warmed the hands of Marshall with a smart spin and shot in the 28th minute before the hosts fashioned their first opening seconds later, Doyle taking aim from the edge of the box with an effort that was comfortably pouched by Nicky Weaver.

David McNamee angrily squared up with Zheng Zhi before the hosts enjoyed their best spell of the game after the half hour mark.

First, after Jon Fortune appeared to be fouled in the build-up, the ball was switched to Mifsud, who capitalised on a slip from Bougherra and let fly with an angled drive that beat Weaver but thudded against the left upright.

Then, following a corner from the right, Simpson's header amid a packed goalmouth was punched out by Weaver and Jose Semedo twice put his body on the line to make brave blocks.

Having weathered the storm, Charlton came again at the end of the half and Iwelumo connected with a firm header from a deep free-kick that flew not far off target and Semedo took aim from 30 yards with a rising drive that sailed well over the bar.

Semedo's cynical tug back on Jay Tabb earned him a yellow card five minutes after the restart but the midfielder broke from the wall to put his body on the line again and make a key block at the free-kick.

It was getting a little prickly and ten minutes in a slip from Bougherra let in Mifsud but Weaver came to the rescue, dashing off his line to narrow the angle and then making a timely save.

Weaver saved a shot on the turn from Simpson as the hosts sought a way back into things and there was panic in the visiting penalty box again a minute after the hour mark as Jay Tabb's low cross eluded all and sundry before reaching Best on the right.

But all the striker could do was steer the ball back across the face of goal after a heavy first touch when he perhaps ought to have done better.

Coventry bought on the big presence of Dele Adebola in the 63rd minute and the frontman went close to a leveller within two minutes of arriving.

He met a corner from the right with a firm header but Mills was well placed close to the line to head the ball to relative safety.

McLeod replaced Varney a minute later and Hughes was booked for a foul on the newcomer.

Zheng had an effort saved low by Marshall and McLeod bounded through but saw the ball drop behind under pressure from the home keeper.

A late challenge on Zheng left the Addicks incensed on 74 minutes and some miss-communication between Bougherra and Weaver at a low Simpson cross almost let in the hosts before the Addicks rapidly broke upfield and Sam fired into the side netting.

Mills was booked nine minutes from time for a foul on Mifsud and Simpson missed his kick when well-placed and McLeod had another effort saved by Marshall as the seconds ticked down.

Holland replaced Sam for his first league outing of the season and just five minutes remained when the hosts drew level.

A high ball forward was flicked on by Adebola and the elusive Mifsud took advantage of two ricochets, the latter off Powell on the right of the box, and that gave him enough time to drill a low shot into the bottom corner.

There was still time for Charlton to spurn a glorious chance to level three minutes from time.

Reid received the ball out wide on the left and his measured cross picked out an unmarked Iwelumo who could only send his diving header wide of the left upright.

It was a golden chance and at the other end Tabb tested Weaver from range in the first of four minutes of injury time.

Reid jinked across the box and fired in a shot that was saved by Marshall in the second extra minute and a late corner came to nothing as Pardew's side had to make do with a point.

Charlton: Weaver; Mills, Powell, Bougherra, Fortune; Sam (Holland 81), Semedo, Zheng, Reid; Iwelumo, Varney (McLeod 66).

Subs (not used): Randolph, Sodje, Todorov.

Goals: Sam 15

Booked: Semedo 50 (foul on Tabb), Mills 81 (foul on Mifsud)

Coventry: Marshall; Borrowdale, McNamee, Ward, Turner; Simpson, Hughes, Doyle, Tabb; Mifsud, Best (Adebola 63).

Subs (not used): Konstantopoulos, de Zeeuw, Kyle, Thornton.

Goals: Mifsud 85

Booked: Simpson 23 (foul on Reid), Hughes 70 (foul on McLeod)

Referee: N Swarbrick

Attendance: 19,021

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