The Addicks extended their unbeaten return to the Championship to three games with a late 2-2 draw at Barnsley.
The home side, who haven't lost in 29 games at Oakwell, took the lead twice but Lee Bowyer’s men showed their fighting spirit with Conor Gallagher and then Lyle Taylor bringing Charlton level.
Gallagher, who won the penalty for Charlton’s second goal, now has two goals in his first two starts for the club while Taylor’s calm 89th minute spot-kick was his third goal in as many games.
Bowyer stuck with the same line-up that beat Stoke City 3-1 at The Valley last Saturday, however he set the team out in the 4-diamond-2 formation that finished that victory rather than the 4-4-1-1 that the Addicks began that game in.
That line-up meant a 300th career appearance for Charlton stalwart Chris Solly. The 28-year-old joined the club aged 11 and this year celebrated his testimonial. Unfortunately though Solly’s 300th appearance was one of his shortest, as the right-back had to be helped off after a nasty clash of heads with Barnsley’s Ben Williams in the 21st minute.
That came after an up-tempo start from the Addicks which had seen Ben Purrington drag a volley wide from a pinpoint Taylor cross in the fourth minute. Josh Cullen had a shot bound for goal blocked away from a cutback cross from Jonathan Leko just 10 minutes later.
The Addicks comical own goal curse nearly struck again when an attempted defensive header from Darren Pratley had to be headed over the bar by teammate Taylor just after the half hour mark.
The Tykes, who scored two wondergoals against Charlton at Oakwell last season, did then take the lead in typically spectacular fashion. A Charlton clearance fell to Cauley Woodrow whose first touch set him up perfectly for an arrowed volley into the top corner of Dillon Phillips’ goal, giving the Addicks stopper no chance, an early Goal of the Season contender.
Barnsley led for just six minutes before Charlton struck back through Chelsea loanee Gallagher. Cullen chipped a ball behind the Barnsley defence for the hard-working Jonny Williams who got to the byline and cut back for Gallagher. The 19-year-old controlled before cleverly poking into the bottom corner of the goal from 10 yards under pressure from the Tykes defence, five minutes before half-time.
Conor Chaplin put the hosts back in front shortly after the break as Barnsley counter-attacked quickly after a Charlton turnover. The former Coventry City man stepped inside his defenders onto his preferred left foot and slotted the ball into the goal.
With the lead Barnsley began slowing down the game but Charlton kept going and substitute Chuks Aneke caused an immediate threat, twice coming close to equalising.
The Addicks levelled with one minute of normal time remaining. A quick throw-in from Deji Oshilaja to Aneke caught Barnsley’s defence off guard. The former MK Dons man poked in the direction of Gallagher who got to the loose ball before Barnsley’s Bambo Diaby. Referee Mark Donohue had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Taylor stepped up and following his typically slow walk-up to the ball calmly dispatched into the bottom corner sending Samuel Radlinger the wrong way to secure a well-earned point for Bowyer’s men.
Barnsley: Radlinger, B Williams, Diaby, Andersen, McGeehan, Woodrow, Bahre (C), Chaplin (Thiam 78), Thomas, Sibbick, Wilks (Styles 90)
Subs (not used): Collins, J Williams, Cavare, Schmidt, Halme
Goals: Woodrow 34, Chaplin 48
Booked: Wilks (53, timewasting), Thomas (61, foul on Oshilaja), Woodrow (69, foul on Pearce), Diaby (90, foul on Bonne)
Charlton: Phillips; Solly (Oshilaja 24), Lockyer, Pearce (C), Purrington; Pratley (Bonne 84), Cullen, Gallagher, Williams; Leko (Aneke 70), Taylor
Subs (not used): Amos, Sarr, Lapslie, Forster-Caskey
Goals: Gallagher 40, Taylor 89 (pen)
Booked: Oshilaja (26, foul on Williams), Aneke (90, foul on Williams), Cullen (90, foul on Styles)
Referee: M Donohue
Attendance: 13,006 (788 from Charlton)