Joy turns to disappointment

According to many fans and Lee Bowyer it was the best 45 minutes of football Charlton have played under him as manager, but Charlton were unable to hold on to a first half lead. A moment of inattention at a corner and led to a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest at The Valley tonight. The Addicks are now 5th in the Championship table.

Aro Muric made a series of early saves for Forest, denying Jonathan Leko and Conor Gallagher, before Lyle Taylor beat the on-loan Manchester City goalkeeper with a finely-placed header into the bottom corner. The visitors failed to get a shot on target before the break, their best chance being a loose ball that fell kindly for Lewis Grabban in the box but it was superbly cleared by Tom Lockyer as the striker shaped to shoot.

Forest had a penalty shout, as Sam Field brought down Sammy Ameobi with a challenge that appeared to be just inside the area but it instead resulted in a free-kick outside the box.

Forest, who triumphed under Sabri Lamouchi for the first time just five days earlier against Birmingham City, struggled to deal with Charlton's free-flowing attack for long periods of the first half. They didn't have any answers to Charlton's play.

For Charlton, former Addicks academy player Erhun Oztumer made his senior bow, having returned to his childhood club last week after being granted a release by financially-stricken League One side Bolton Wanderers. The forward created the first chance of the game, delivering the corner for Leko to test Muric at his near post.

The keeper went on to deny Gallagher from close range, with Michael Dawson then throwing his body in the way of a fierce shot from Leko on the rebound. Minutes later, however, Leko teed up the opener for Taylor with a neat cross from the edge of the box to complete a slick 22-pass move from the Addicks.

Lockyer ensured the Addicks led at the break with his fine piece of defending, but he was not quick enough to react from a corner as Adomah pounced on a poor first touch to level with 12 minutes remaining.

Lee Bowyer commented after the game: 'I said to them at half-time that that was the best 45 minutes I have witnessed since I have been in charge. We were frightening and created numerous chances and should have been two or three up. We suffered at the end because we got tired. We are all disappointed but I am proud because to put in a performance like that, in and out of possession, was great to watch. You can get punished easily and Forest score a goal from a corner that hits someone and drops down.'

Report from Louis Mendez: Excellent Addicks pegged back late on

Jonathan Leko says that the Charlton were disappointed not to get the win. They try to press as high as they can: Leko's verdict