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Derby honours even as Lions bite back

It was a South-East London derby 13-and-a-half years in the making, and Charlton and Millwall served up a pre-Christmas classic at The Valley on Saturday.

And it was the 10-man Lions who were celebrating at the final whistle after substitute Danny Schofield struck in stoppage time to seal an astonishing 4-4 draw.

After Steve Morison's double had put the Lions ahead, two penalties from Deon Burton, the latter following a red card for Nadjim Abdou, hauled the hosts level at the break.

Bailey volleyed Charlton back in front seconds after half-time, but David Martin pulled the visitors level.

An own goal from Morison five minutes from time looked to have earned Charlton the bragging rights, but Schofield squeezed in a low shot in added time at the end.

It was a thrilling end to a topsy-turvy game which swung one way and then the next, but Charlton will be furious after allowing their short-handed local rivals back into it.

Indeed, there were long spells in the second period when the Lions shrugged off their numerical disadvantage to hunt for a way back into the game.

It was incredible stuff, with a sleigh-full of action on the last Saturday before Christmas.

Morison set the ball rolling in the 12th minute when he capitalised on a mix-up between Scott Wagstaff and Sam Sodje to fire the visitors in front.

He steered home a second in the 27th minute after a disputed corner was initially fired against the bar by Andy Frampton, who would become a central figure in the game.

The defender was lucky to escape a red card - he didn't even see yellow - after fouling Mooney as he burst into the box, but Burton halved the deficit from 12 yards on the half hour.

The striker netted from 12 yards again seven minutes later after Abdou's foul on Sam was deemed a professional foul by erratic referee Mike Jones.

This time he found the bottom left corner for his 12th goal of the season, and when Bailey smashed home a volley less than a minute into the second half, Charlton had completed a remarkable recovery.

A man down the visitors were, but their spirit remained unrelenting, and after spurning two decent chances, boyhood Charlton fan Martin squared matters 10 minutes from the end, hooking home from a narrow angle after an initial brilliant save from Rob Elliot.

Charlton reclaimed the lead five minutes later when Morison completed an unwanted hat-trick, as the ball cannoned off him at a Basey corner.

But the hosts were vulnerable at the back all afternoon, and as the temperature visibly dropped, their hopes of victory were dashed at the death.

Schofield proved Millwall's saviour, the substitute collecting the ball in a busy box and dribbling into space before drilling home a low shot.

It was all the visitors deserved for their efforts in adversity, and although Charlton maintained their long-unbeaten run on home territory, this would have felt like a loss to Phil Parkinson, his players and all the fans leaving the ground.

In terms of team news, Parkinson selected an unchanged side.

Following a fourth successive League One win against Stockport County last week, not to mention the news that full-backs Frazer Richardson and Kelly Youga remain injured, the same starting XI were thrown out to the Lions.

Elliot Omozusi and Basey continued in the full-back berths against a Millwall side that had won just once on the road this season.

The derby was dedicated to the memories of the late Rob Knox and Jimmy Mizen, both fans of the Addicks and the Lions, as the clubs came together to promote awareness of street violence.

The families of both were on the pitch before kick-off to further promote a powerful message that has been long embraced by both clubs - and in terms of entertainment the match was a fitting legacy.

From a playing point of view, Parkinson continued with Elliot between the posts a year and four days after tossing the youngster the gloves against Derby County for his first league start.

Omozusi and Basey flanked central-pairing Christian Dailly and Sam Sodje, the latter fresh from a third goal of the season at Edgeley Park.

Across the midfield last week's man of the match against the Hatters, Wagstaff, continued on the left with Lloyd Sam supplying the width on the right.

Burton partnered Mooney up front as Akpo Sodje again waited patiently on the bench.

The reserve ranks were completed by keeper Darren Randolph, Miguel Llera, Matt Spring, Jonjo Shelvey and Leon McKenzie. Izale McLeod, who spent a spell at the New Den last season on loan, replaced Therry Racon.

For the Lions in form striker Morison had netted four times in his previous four games, including a brace last time out against Walsall. He was supported up front by Lewis Grabban.

Defender Darren Ward, who played 16 times for the Addicks on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers last season, was on the away bench.

Both sets of fans were in fine voice when the action begun and Millwall fashioned the first real opening with nine minutes on the clock.

Following a foul by Omozusi on Martin, the subsequent free-kick from the left was headed back across goal only for Morison and Ali Fuseini to get in each other's way in the middle.

Neither managed to make contact and an eventual deflected shot made its way to Elliot.

The visitors, who had started well, did take the lead three minutes later, however, after a real mix-up in the Addicks rearguard.

As a ball flew forward Wagstaff tracked back to attempt to usher it back to keeper Elliot before being inadvertently blocked off my his own man Sodje.

The net result saw Morison race clear, and his finish was as sublime as it was comprehensive.

Sam and Martin, warned moments earlier after a coming together, were both booked soon after following another collision.

Charlton were on the ropes, struggling to find the composure that had paved the way for their fine recent form.

A number of passes went astray and the lively Morison got away from Sodje on 21 but could get little purchase on his shot as Elliot saved comfortably.

Frampton got across well to block a Burton shot after Mooney's hooked pass fell invitingly across the box.

While this was going on a small - but rowdy - group of Lions fans that had sneaked into the east stand, was eventually escorted off the premises after showing their true colours following the goal.

The departed dozen or so missed out on a second goal after 27 minutes, but Charlton will have complaints at its legitimacy.

Under pressure from Martin out on the left, Omozusi saw the ball out for what he believed was a goal-kick.

Indeed, he had kicked the ball back towards Elliot before being bamboozled at the decision to award the visitors a corner underneath the Big Screen.

Picky referee Jones first checked the ball was in the arc, and then confronted some players in the box before the set-piece was taken - and perhaps Charlton, no doubt still furious at the set-piece decision, lost their concentration in the aftermath.

As the ball was only half-cleared Frampton lashed a shot against the woodwork and as the hosts still couldn't clear their lines the ball fell to Morison who gleefully turned it into the back of the net.

Charlton's response was a quick one, and they were back in the game three minutes later.

Wagstaff's hooked ball forward from the left sent Mooney behind the last defender, Frampton, and clean through on goal.

The Irishman opted to take a touch and that allowed Frampton to slide in with a desperate challenge that resulted in the striker crashing to the turf.

Jones immediately pointed to the spot and it looked ominous for Frampton as the centre-back was summoned across.

Incredibly, Jones contented himself with just a lecture when a red card would have surprised few. Parkinson shook his head in dismay as Frampton trotted to the edge of the area.

So it remained 11-versus-11 but the deficit was halved as Burton smashed the spot-kick into the top-right corner.

And things got even better eight minutes before the break as the hosts were handed the opportunity to level.

After a loose back-pass Lions keeper David Forde, under real pressure from Mooney could only slice a ball out to his left and the Irishman sped to retrieve it.

His curling shot by-passed the keeper but spun off the left upright and just eluded Sam in the middle. As the winger attempted to get a shot in he was sent to the turf by another desperate challenge as a host of Blue shirts dived in.

Jones again pointed to the spot and immediately brandished a red-card to Nadjim Abdou.

If anything the midfielder's tackle was more amateurish than Frampton's earlier effort, but he was trudging off down the tunnel for a professional foul.

Burton again kept his composure as all in Blue were losing there's and this time dispatched a terrific shot into the bottom left corner.

The onus was now with the hosts and after Dailly was patched up on the sidelines after an earlier aerial altercation, Jack Smith was booked after sending the marauding Sam Sodje flying.

The Lions had penalty claims for hand-ball against Sodje turned down while Sam was handed a final warning after sending Smith tumbling at the other end.

Mooney was also yellow-carded for hand-ball in injury time at the end of a frantic opening period.

But the Valley was rocking less than a minute after the restart as skipper Bailey put the hosts ahead.

There was just 35 seconds on the clock as Omozusi fed Sam on the right and when the ball was half headed out Bailey arrived on the edge of the box to crash home a superb volley.

It was the perfect start to the half, but Millwall quickly responded and had more penalty claims - for an alleged hand-ball against Dailly - waved away.

The action swung back to the other end and Basey's brilliant cross from the left was met by Burton in the middle only for his shot to come off the post.

The ball looked to be trundling over the line but Forde got back to scoop the ball to safety, and six minutes in Martin met a free-kick with a glancing header that flew just over the bar.

Laird was booked after catching Bailey, and despite their numerical disadvantage the shorthanded Lions continued to probe as the match approached the hour mark.

And they ought to have levelled on 61 minutes as they broke swiftly before Laird teed up an unmarked Martin to his left.

The winger, a boyhood Charlton fan, fluffed his lines, however, lashing a volley back across goal and well wide.

Mooney required treatment, and although a stretcher was brought onto the field, it was not required as he hobbled off.

And when he was unable to continue, Akpo Sodje came on in his place on 66 minutes.

The striker couldn't connect in the middle after good work between Omozusi and Sam on the right, and after chasing down Frampton and winning the ball his shot was saved low by Forde.

After the masked Tony Craig and Danny Schofield replaced Frampton and Grabban, Fuseini fired high over the bar for the visitors.

After a free-kick was flicked into the box Forde's dive at the feet of Sam Sodje was deemed fair by Jones as the hosts looked to the official.

As the temperature continued to plummet, Basey dragged a shot wide after the ball was worked across the edge of the box

Akpo Sodje was booked after kicking the ball away the hosts were breached for a third time ten minutes from time.

When a free-kick, disputed by Semedo, bounced around in the box, Elliot saved brilliantly to foil Dunne, but it squirmed loose to the impressive Martin who scooped the ball into the back of the net from an acute angle.

Back came Charlton, and they were back in front five minutes from time.

After a string challenge in the box by Craig conceded a corner, Basey sent in a terrific flag-kick and amid a sea of players the ball thumped against the unwitting Morison and in for an own goal.

Fuseini sliced a shot from the edge of the box wide at the other end while Akpo Sodje could not find an unmarked Burton in the middle after latching onto a pass from big brother Sam.

A goal there would surely have wrapped things up but the never-say-die Lions hit back again in the second of five added minutes.

After the ball again bounced around in the box, it fell to sub Schofield and he took a touch before squeezing in a low shot from a narrow angle on the right.

There was still time for the visitors to break through again through Morison but after the ball squirmed loose of the striker the chance eventually passed.

And it was the Lions fans that were celebrating at the final whistle as an incredible game ended all square.

Charlton: Elliot; Omozusi, Basey, S Sodje, Dailly; Sam (Spring 89), Semedo, Bailey, Wagstaff (McKenzie 83); Mooney (A Sodje 66), Burton.

Subs (not used): Randolph, Llera, Shelvey, McLeod.

Goals: Burton pens 30, 37, Bailey 46, Morison og 85

Booked: Sam 16 (scuffle with Martin), Mooney 45 (hand-ball), A Sodje 77 (kicking ball away)

Millwall: Forde; Dunne, Smith, Frampton (Craig 71), Robinson; Grabban (Schofield 71), Laird (Bolder 90), Abdou, Fuseini, Martin; Morison.

Subs (not used): Sullivan, Ward, Grimes, Price.

Goals: Morison 12, 27, Martin 80, Schofield 90

Booked: Martin 16 (scuffle with Sam), Smith 44 (foul on S Sodje), Laird 54 (foul on Bailey)

Sent off: Abdou 36 (professional foul)

Referee: M Jones

Att: 19,105

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