football.co.uk web
skip to content
Honours even at The Valley in an entertaining and open game, with a draw a fair result on balance.
A chance at the death for Luis Boa Morte, but the Cottagers' skipper volleys wide from an inviting position.
Good chance for the Addicks as a deflection falls to Hermann Hreidarsson, and his shot is deflected out for a corner which falls to Danny Murphy who shoots over.
Steed Malbranque enters the book for a foul on Jay Bothroyd.
The Addicks push on in search for a winner, but Dennis Rommedahl can't control his volley and blazes a good chance wide.
Collins John replaced by Brian McBride
Talal El Karkouri comes on for Radostin Kishishev
Free kick whipped in and Chris Perry heads just over from a good position inside the area
Moritz Volz fires just wide from a good position
Moritz Volz booked for unsporting behaviour
Jerome Thomas is replaced by Jay Bothroyd
Fulham have been rattled by the equaliser and are in danger of losing their nerve.
Steed Malbranque looks to restore the visitors' advantage with an angled drive which drifts wide of the near post.
Danny Murphy fires home from 15 yards to reward good early pressure by the Addicks after the break.
The action resumes in SE7 with no changes to either side.
Charlton finish the half the stronger with Hermann Hreidarsson prodding just wide, but it is Fulham who lead at the break.
At the other end, Claus Jensen's volley almost surpasses Jerome Thomas' effort two minutes previously!
Jerome Thomas looks to get the Addicks back in the game but slices his 30 yard effort almost over the stand.
The Cottagers look more like the home side as Tomasz Radzinski flashes a shot across the face of goal which flies inches wide.
Fulham win a free-kick on the edge of the 'D' but Niclas Jensen's effort drifts just over the bar.
Chris Coleman is forced to make a change, with Tomasz Radzinski replacing the hamstrung Philippe Christanval.
The Addicks look to rally and Danny Murphy finds space 25 yards out to release a low drive just wide.
More pressure from Fulham as Steed Malbranque fizzes a shot across the face of goal.
Collins John hits an impressive volley inside the far post, marginally against the run of play at The Valley.
First caution of the game handed to Radostin Kishishev for impeding Claus Jensen.
Corner to Charlton, but Hermann Hreidarsson cannot direct his header on target from Danny Murphy's centre.
More good possession by the home side sees the ball fall to Danny Murphy just outside the area, and his volley flashes just wide.
A great opening for the Addicks as Danny Murphy finds space on the right, but Darren Bent's lunge can only direct the Merseysider's low centre wide.
The game has developed into an open encounter, with both sides looking to press, but failing to really test either keeper thus far.
The visitors continue to press, this time on the left flank, but when the ball falls to Papa Bouba Diop 30 yards out, his effort is hit wildly over.
Fulham have found renewed confidence as Collins John is within inches of connecting with Luis Boa Morte's searching cross.
The Cottagers rally and good running by Moritz Volz on the right sees the German pull back for Collins John, only for the striker to scuff a shot wide from the 15 yards.
Charlton have settled into their game, while Fulham seem ruffled following their narrow escape two minutes ago.
The Addicks go within inches of breaking the deadlock, with Dennis Rommedahl crashing a shot off the far post after good work by Danny Murphy.
Jerome Thomas dashes down the left flank in a dangerous break for the Addicks, but his cross does not live up to expectations.
An end to end start in these early exchanges, it's shaping up to be an entertaining evening.
The Addicks look to press themselves, but Alexei Smertin's ambitious effort is well off target.
Early pressure by the Cottagers on the left flank, but nothing to concern Stephan Andersen.
Referee Mike Riley gets the action underway, with Fulham kicking off at The Valley.
Fulham will look back and wonder whether they might have stolen something further from the encounter, while Charlton will reflect that they could so easily, with a touch more composure in front of goal, stolen all three points. In truth, they both had a point. It was that sort of game. Never less than entertaining, and through its most frantic phases genuinely fascinating, this was a 'proper' London derby. Fulham, lacking in both confidence and success on their travels for much of the last year, found themselves battered and outplayed for much of the first half-an-hour, took the lead, pondered riding their luck for 15 minutes, got pegged back and then hung on. If it sounds simple, the reality was considerably more engrossing, as chances were created all over the place, and missed, saved and squandered with reckless abandon. Dennis Rommedahl had done his best to set the home side off to a flying start, clipping a left-footed effort against the foot of Mark Crossley's post after just eight minutes, having been played into space by Danny Murphy. Man of the moment, Darren Bent, saw a pair of chances skid the wrong side of an upright, before Rommedahl again went within a foot of the opener, all before the first 20 minutes of the game had been completed. And then, as Charlton looked to build further on a dominant start, Fulham showed a glorious lack of regard for the run of play and stole a splendid goal. Steed Malbranque swept onto Claus Jensen's quickly-taken free-kick, hurtled down the right flank and pulled back a cross which Collins John launched past Stephan Andersen with a perfectly judged right-foot volley. Their lack of confidence was all too clear however, in the way they reacted to the unexpected lead. Unsure whether to stretch out and look for a second, or sit tight and try to hold on to their advantage, they settled for a halfway house which left them looking vulnerable. Murphy saw a chance slide inches wide just before the break, and then, two minutes after, made no mistake when the Fulham defence allowed a cross from Chris Powell to bounce all the way across the area. Taking aim from 15 yards, Murphy buried the ball beyond Crossley to remind the watching Tord Grip of his qualities. For all their subsequent pressure though, and there was plenty of it, Charlton could not conjure the chance they needed to claim the result they needed to return to second place in the Premiership.
Corners
Fouls
Goal attempts
Shots off target
Offsides
advertisement
football.co.uk