Fleetwood Town 1 Charlton Athletic 1: Honours even at Highbury

The hosts were in charge apart from when the Addicks opened the scoring early on, but they were unable to craft the second goal they thoroughly deserved following Paddy Madden’s equaliser.

It’s now just one win in 12 games for Town, but they have every right to head up to Sunderland in midweek high on confidence following a terrific 90 minutes.

Town boss Simon Grayson made two changes to the side beaten a week earlier at Plymouth Argyle.

James Hill was drafted in to replace the absent Charlie Mulgrew, while Mark Duffy stepped up from the bench in place of Callum Camps.

With the wind whipping around Highbury, conditions weren’t ideal, and it proved to be a less than perfect start for the hosts as Lee Bowyer’s visitors went in front after only six minutes.

Andrew Shinnie found space just outside the Town box and clipped in a cross for Jayden Stockley, who darted in and headed past Alex Cairns.

Town responded swiftly, however. Barely a minute after the goal, Janoi Donacien whipped in a cross for Madden, whose glancing header nestled on the roof of the net.

Donacien fed Kyle Vassell who, despite looking suspiciously offside, still failed to get his effort on target from 10 yards with only Ben Amos to beat.

Vassell did better midway through the half when he tested Amos with a shot on the turn from just outside the area.

The visitors appeared content to try and stifle Town as best they could, and Stockley’s ambitious volleyed effort from 30 yards was a rare foray forward.

Town grabbed a deserved leveller four minutes before the interval as Duffy crossed and Madden comfortably beat Amos from eight yards to register his ninth goal of the season.

Danny Andrew tried his luck from a 30-yard free-kick soon after the restart, while Vassell’s angled effort was superbly beaten away by Amos.

Bowyer made a triple change in a bid to re-energise his flagging side but it was the hosts who continued to press with Madden’s strike only just clearing the crossbar.

Vassell also brought another fine stop from Amos, and though Town were dominant as the 70-minute mark passed, they could not make a deserved breakthrough.

An ugly late melee following Stockley’s awful challenge on Jordan Rossiter – which culminated with both sides having two players yellow-carded – took the shine off an otherwise entertaining clash which finished with honours even.

Fleetwood Town: Cairns, Holgate, Connolly, Hill, Donacien (Burns 76), Batty, Rossiter, Duffy (Camps 90), Andrew, Vassell, Madden. Subs not used: Coleman, Morris, Saunders, Biggins, Rydel.

Charlton Athletic: Amos, Gunter, Famewo, Smith (Morgan 56), Maatsen (Purrington 61), Shinnie, Oshilaja, Millar, Pratley (Watson 56), Schwartz (Washington 56), Stockley. Subs not used: Harness, Pearce, Jaiyesimi.

Referee: Carl Boyeson.

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