The level of quality was everything we are asking for

Charlton have been having a difficult time of late and Alan Pardew explained he'd had to change things round a bit ahead of the game and again at half time. He said: "There's been a lot of pressure on us and I tried to set the team up so we were stronger.

"It didn't work out in the first half and took away what we were about in terms of passing and movement. We've had a tough week and we had some tough decisions to make. I did feel it was my duty to the squad to make changes and I did that.

"I felt the squad needed a shake up but coming in at half time in the dressing room we could see we hadn't got the balance of the side right. We got the group together, made a couple of changes, and in doing so maybe we reached the bottom of the barrel and in the second half we were terrific."

"I left Matty Holland out, and brought in Josh Wright because I felt the academy deserved that, let alone Josh. Izale McLeod has been terrific in training. I genuinely felt his pace would cause problems but he played very deep. His lack of game time was evident but he will still be a big player for us and he should some nice touches in the game.

"I leaving Andy Gray out I felt it just needed to shake that front line up a bit, but he will feature again in this team and very, very soon."

Pardew said of the game: "We didn't plan to be as bad as we were in the first half so the draw feels like a win. It could have been won by either side. Unfortunately for us Luke Varney didn't take the big chance and they didn't take theirs either. On another day Luke slides that in first time. In the end, what he bought himself was fear and apprehension and the chance went away."

Owen Coyle wasn't happy with the referee's performance, particularly the disallowed goal, but there were also the two incidents in the second half when we had played fouled on the edge of their box, but he was happy enough about the game we played in.

"I think when you analyse it, this was a terrific game," he said. "I felt the first half we certainly dominated and really the game should have been out of sight by half time. The level of quality we showed was everything we are asking for. But again, when you are only one goal up you are always at risk and so it proved.

"Ultimately we have switched off at a set play and paid a heavy price. Their keeper has made a great save from Joey and Luke Varney had a chance at the end, but I felt we deserved the three points.

I am looking ultimately at the level of performance and commitment that my players are trying to give and that was everything we are after. It is a measure that we are leaving Charlton disappointed at only one point."