Plucky Dagenham & Redbridge were cruelly denied a history-making FA Cup win at Charlton as John Salako's late goal earned the hosts a replay.

The Conference side were just four minutes away from becoming the first-ever non-Leaguers to dump a Premiership team from the competition after Junior McDougald's header three minutes before the break had given them a deserved lead.

Both sides will go into tomorrow's fourth-round draw, however, as Alan Curbishley averted a first-ever cup shock.

And one fan would have been feeling even more depressed having staked £1,000 at 18-1 on his beloved team to be victorious.

The away side's performance made a mockery of Charlton's good home form - they have lost just once in 11 Premiership games at The Valley - and Salako's effort staved off total humiliation for the top-flight side, who had been knocked out of the Worthington Cup by Stoke.

Dagenham's collection of semi-professionals were cheered on by 3,000 fans, who had made the short trip from east London, and the players received a rapturous response at the final whistle during their customary lap of honour.

The idiosyncrasies associated with the world's oldest knockout competition brought a family affair to the tie with Paul Konchesky up against his brother-in-law to be Paul Terry, brother of Chelsea's John, and a former Charlton trainee.

The Conference side, managed by Garry Hill, also included former Wales international goalkeeper Tony Roberts.

In the absence of Mark Kinsella and vice-captain Graham Stuart, who was suspended, Alan Curbishley handed Richard Rufus the skipper's armband.

Leading scorer Jonatan Johansson succumbed to an injury niggle, providing Martin Pringle with a start alongside Shaun Bartlett up front.

The minnows appeared far from overawed against the Premiership's seventh-placed side and carved out a number of early chances.

Dean Kiely smothered at the feet of striker McDougald inside the first minute and Terry scuffed a shot straight at the keeper moments later.

But the best early opportunity fell for the hosts as Pringle volleyed straight at Roberts from six yards after Claus Jensen's free-kick had bobbled into the Swede's path.

Almost immediately the visitors had a chance down the other end with Steve Heffer powering a header over the bar from an Ashley Vickers cross to inspire a tailored rendition of the recent chart hit "Who let the Dags out" by the away fans behind Kiely's goal.

Roberts was forced to turn away a Scott Parker shot from 20 yards, following a good break from the midfielder, although the former QPR stopper was rarely tested in a positive opening from the unlikely lads.

Yet it was Dagenham who continued to press with Kiely forced to hold Danny Shipp's deflected shot low to his right.

The part-timers' aggressive tackling was stifling Charlton's forays forward at source and Terry's was booked for a heavy challenge on Pringle.

Kiely was then forced to claw Dagenham's first corner, taken by Terry in the 38th minute, out from under his own bar.

But the keeper could do nothing about the next ball swung into his six-yard box as Mark Janney, scorer of the winner at Lincoln in the previous round, found the head of McDougald.

The former Millwall and Leyton Orient forward nodded the ball back across Kiely and into the corner of the net.

Charlton showed more urgency at the start of the second period and only the woodwork denied them an immediate equaliser.

Jensen's free-kick from the right cleared the melee gathered around the penalty spot and Pringle stole in at the far post to send a diving header along the goalline and off the opposite upright.

Roberts was then forced to hold a stinging 25-yard drive from Radostin Kishishev before Jensen sent another long-range effort just wide.

Curbishley sought to revitalise his shell-shocked side by replacing defender Mark Fish and the largely ineffective Pringle with John Salako and Matt Svensson shortly after the hour.

But the more attack-minded line-up was so nearly exposed as the visitors caught them on the break, Rufus nodding Shipp's goalbound header to safety.

With the non-leaguers clearly tiring, Janney and Lee Goodwin were booked for clumsy challenges on Konchesky and Salako respectively.

Substitute Rob Haworth could have sealed the tie with his very first touch but lifted his shot over the bar.

And Hill's side's brave defending was epitomised by Vickers seven minutes from the end as he cleared under pressure from the chasing Bartlett and was clattered by goalkeeper Roberts in the process.

But the visitors' hearts were broken three minutes later as Salako staved off a major embarrassment.

The ball broke for the former England man and his left-foot volley from the edge of the area was deflected to wrong-foot Roberts, who readjusted and got his hands to the ball but could not keep it out.

And Charlton pressed for a winner during six minutes of injury-time but Bartlett dragged the best chance wide as Dagenham earned a deserved replay.

Teams:

Charlton: Kiely, Fish (Salako 61), Rufus, Todd, Konchesky, Kishishev (Newton 73), Jensen, Parker, Robinson, Bartlett, Pringle (Svensson 62).

Subs Not Used: Brown, Ilic.

Goals: Salako 86.

Dag & Red: Tony Roberts, Cole, Vickers, Lee Matthews, Terry (Matt Jones 73), Janney (Hamsher 90), Goodwin, Daryl Heffer, Broom, Shipp, McDougald (Haworth 79).

Subs Not Used: Cobb, Lomas.

Booked: Terry, Janney, Goodwin.

Goals: McDougald 42.

Att: 19,059

Ref: A Wiley (Burntwood).