Paul Mortimer hit a post with a 55th-minute penalty and Richard Rufus was sent
off nine minutes later as battling Charlton had to settle for a single survival
point against lucky Leeds to stay out of the bottom three.
It means they have won only one of their last seven League games but the way
they outfought and often outclassed high-riding Leeds showed, surely, just how
much the modest south-east London side deserve to retain their top-flight
status.
New #1.1million striker Graham Stuart's excellent 20th-minute strike was
minimal reward for Charlton's dominance and Leeds must have been as surprised as
their hosts when defender Jonathon Woodgate stole an equaliser four minutes
later, taking full advantage of some naive ball-watching by the home defence
following an Ian Harte free-kick.
But Mortimer should have clinched a plucky victory 10 minutes after half time
when Woodgate brought down Martin Pringle. Goalkeeper Nigel Martyn was beaten by
the spot-kick but the ball hit a post.
It was Charlton's second penalty miss in three home games, costing vital
points.
Rufus, who was sent off in the opening game of the season at Newcastle,
compounded Charlton's anguish when he saw red after a clash with Leeds young
substitute Matthew Jones in the 64th minute, but the depletion of their forces
barely seemed to affect them and they were the dominant force right to the end.
It would have been a travesty of justice had Harry Kewell, lucky to be only
booked for an off-the-ball kick at Charlton's Danny Mills, managed to covert a
couple of breakaway half-chances right at the end.
Leeds arrived at The Valley on an unbeaten Premiership run of eight matches
and still in contention for a Champions' League place despite manager David
O'Leary's public view that they are not in the same class as Manchester United,
Arsenal and Chelsea.
And in all fairness to the Irishman who is accused in some quarters of selling
his side short, they were made to look desperately ordinary in the first half by
bubbling Charlton who had already suffered single-goal home defeats by all the
top three championship contenders.
Andy Hunt fired in two good shots to test Martyn and Lucas Radebe had to make
a pair of vital interceptions to deny Hunt and Pringle before Stuart hooked the
Addicks ahead in the 20th minute.
Full-back Mills' muscular right-wing runs were a constant threat but it was a
nimble knockdown header by Hunt from Chris Powell's left-wing cross which opened
the way for record signing Stuart to score.
Leeds had to adjust their aim after losing midfielder David Hopkin and striker
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to injuries after little more than the first half-hour,
but they had made few inroads into Charlton's defence and their equaliser, four
minutes after Stuart's impressive strike, by young defender Woodgate was a total
surprise.
Harte swung over a long free-kick from the right and Charlton striker Hunt
failed to pick up on Woodgate's run as the Leeds man nipped in to jab his first
goal of the season past bemused and static goalkeeper Andy Petterson.
Charlton could have doubled their lead a minute earlier when Radebe again
showed quality defending to stop Mark Kinsella's drive from a Mills cross.
And after Stuart just failed to reach another fine ball from Mills with the
goal gaping after Kinsella had outfought David Batty to set up the full-back's
run, Mills provided another anxious moment for Martyn, this time with a
surprising left-foot blast which the keeper was happy to scramble away.
Kewell, pushing forward after Hasselbaink had to be replaced by the promising
Jones, broke clear down Charlton's right just before half-time and sent in a
tempting low cross which Alan Smith would have undoubtedly converted but for
Rufus' timely intervention.
United's uncertainty revealed itself again in the early stages of the second
period when the names of Batty and Smith were added to referee Wilkie's notebook
to join that of Leeds' former Charlton midfielder Lee Bowyer who was yellow
carded just before the break for dissent and seldom had any other kind of impact
on the game.
But it was clear that it was not quite Charlton's day when Mortimer's penalty
bounced away off a post after Woodgate had impetuously brought down Pringle when
the Swedish striker had nowhere to go, tight to the byline, in the 55th minute.
And a point looked the most they could hope for after Wilkie's decision to
send off Rufus nine minutes later after Leeds sub Jones was flattened on their
left-wing touchline.
But the 10-man Londoners tore at the over-worked Leeds rearguard right to the
end and veteran substitute Mark Bright headed inches wide soon after replacing
the exhausted Pringle.
Teams
Charlton: Petterson, Mills, Rufus, Tiler, Powell, Stuart,
Kinsella, Jones, Mortimer (Bowen 68), Pringle (Bright 82), Hunt.
Subs Not Used: Brown, Barnes, Salmon.
Sent Off: Rufus (65).
Goals: Stuart 20.
Leeds: Martyn, Woodgate, Radebe, Wetherall, Harte,
Hopkin (Haaland 14), Bowyer, Batty, Kewell,Hasselbaink (Jones 32), Smith.
Subs Not Used: Wijnhard, Ribeiro, Robinson.
Booked: Bowyer, Batty, Woodgate, Smith, Kewell.
Goals: Woodgate 24.Att: 20,043
Ref: A Wilkie (Chester-le-Street).
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