Goals from Emily Simpkins and Melissa Johnson helped Charlton fight back from two goals down to nick a point against Blackburn Rovers at The Oakwood on Sunday.
Blackburn went into the interval with a two-goal lead thanks to strikes from Millie Chandarana and Saffron Jordan, but Charlton bagged a brace in the second half to complete a comeback.
Blackburn had the first chance of the game from a corner that, after appeals for handball inside the penalty area from both sides, was flashed well wide by Natasha Fenton.
The Addicks came into the game soon after a deep Simpkins corner was just out of the reach of Elisha N’Dow, while an Angela Addison cross to the back post narrowly eluded Heidi Logan, who was forced off early in the clash through injury.
Addison was tripped by Shanell Salgado in the penalty area but had been flagged for offside before the referee could point to the spot. Logan’s injury came after a last-ditch defensive tackle denied her the chance to have a go from close range.
It was Blackburn, though, who shocked the hosts with two goals in the space of five minutes. Chandarana first struck from an acute angle on the left flank before Jordan found herself unmarked just inside the area and volleyed over Sian Rogers in the Charlton goal.
The home side tried to claw their way back into the contest before half time, but Simpkins could only side-foot straight at Salgado and Johnson poked a Tegan McGowan cross wide of the near post.
In between those chances, Jade Richards headed a corner against the crossbar for the away team.
Charlton got a key goal back early after the restart when Freda Ayisi was bought down in the penalty area and skipper Simpkins sent Salgado the wrong way to tuck it in the corner.
The Addicks were resurgent from then on. Salgado had to be on top form to first deny McGowan at the near post and then brilliantly back-pedal to tip a Simpkins long-range drive over the bar. Ayisi ws then foiled by the former Charlton stopper.
She could do nothing to avoid the equaliser, however. Simpkins turned provider when her corner was headed into the six-yard area by N’Dow and poked home by Johnson from inches out.
The final stages were fast, furious and even, with both sides having chances and plenty of yellow cards handed out. The key chances were Blackburn’s Richards flicking a free kick wide and McGowan firing into the side netting.
Salgado then made her most important stop of the afternoon, smothering on the goal line after an N’Dow cross had almost been sliced into her own net by Helen Seed.
Charlton: Rogers, N’Dow, Johnson, Simpkins, Ayisi, Addison, Logan (McGowan 24), O’Rourke (Rutherford 80), Roe, Henson, Ross. Subs (not used): Soper, Bashford, Bell.
Blackburn: Salgado, Coan, Fenton, Seed, Richards, Crompton (Thomas 90), Jordan (Leek 77), Chandarana, Murphy, Worthington, Nokuthula. Subs (not used): Brooks, Dixon, Hornby, McDonald, Smith.
Attendance: 269
The Addicks return to The Oakwood on Sunday, October 30th to take on Bristol City, click here to get tickets.
