CHARLTON manager Chris Powell felt Yeovil made the most of momentum after the Glovers fought back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw with the Addicks.

The visitors appeared to be in command at the break thanks to Cameron Stewart’s spectacular opening and a second just before the interval from returning skipper Johnnie Jackson.

Yeovil keeper Christopher Dunn pulled off a great save to deny Simon Church after the restart and the hosts capitalised as Michael Morrison’s own goal halved the deficit before Ishmael Miller converted from the spot four minutes later after Andy Hughes had fouled Joel Grant.

Things went from bad to worse on 78 minutes when Jackson was shown a straight red card for a late lunge on Luke Ayling, but the 10-men Addicks held on to secure a share of the spoils.

Powell said: “Momentum swings - that happens in football.

“We’ve seen it time and time again. We were very good in the first half, deservedly went in front and it was a real classic counter attack goal from Cameron, who I felt was very, very good.

“Then he sets up the second and the captain puts us 2-0 up.

“We’ve heard it is a dangerous score and all that kind of stuff but I felt we managed at the beginning of the second half, and I suppose the turning point was Dunn’s save from Simon Church which could have put us 3-0 up.

“Then they got a deflected goal.

“There is not much you can do about that, because we were looking quite comfortable, defending well as a unit but then Yeovil got their tails up from that deflected goal.”

He added: “Then they grab a penalty and we have a player sent off.

“Momentum happens in games and all of a sudden we have to hold out.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game with regards to how Yeovil have been recently but I felt we really approached the game in the right way.

“In the end it is a point shared, which I suppose on reflection is maybe two points lost from us but it is a point more than we had this morning so we have to remain as positive as we can going into our next game.”

Jackson will now be out for three games following his dismissal, but Powell refused to be drawn on whether referee Craig Pawson had made the right call.

“I’ve seen it again two or three times,” the Valley boss said.

“The referee has to make an instant decision. The player is not in danger, he didn’t go to ground. Maybe he would feel that John left the ground.

“It wasn’t over the top, it wasn’t with his knee or his leg, he tackles the ball but he has got to make an instant decision.

“He has made it, whether it is right or wrong he is not going to change it.

“It is a shame for Johnnie because he scored the goal and I strategically rested him on Tuesday at Reading with this game in mind and he obviously grabbed a goal for us.

“But the referee has made his decision. You want him to get some good decisions and make the correct ones. Whether he did all day or not, it is for everyone’s opinion.

“It is a blow because he brings goals to the team, he did that today but we are going to have to do without him now.”

The positives for Charlton in what ended up being quite a sombre afternoon were Stewart’s excellent goal to put the visitors ahead and the return of defender Chris Solly from injury as a late second half substitution for Church.

Powell said: “He has been out for a long while. He has been training, looking good and he is a class player.

“I just wanted to give him, the team and our fans a lift by including him. I said he would maybe be needed for 15 or 20 minutes which happened in the end but it is good because we’ve been without a lot of our key players in different periods so far.

“I’ve missed Jackson, Kermorgant, Cort, Hamer – they are top players in my squad. We get Solly back and now we lose Jackson.

“That’s a shame, but it creates an opening for other players and they are going to have to take it.”

And on Hull loanee Stewart’s latest top class strike, Powell added: “Not bad. He is a good player, he has made a bit of a difference to us because he is a real positive player – he beats players, he gets crosses in and he has scored a number of very good goals for us so far.

“I want that to continue. He is enjoying his football with us, he is a real likeable character.

“From what was happening with him at Hull, to come here on loan and get games and contribute like he has done I’m really pleased with him.”

When asked had there been any contact from Steve Bruce about his intentions for the player in January, Powell laughed: “It is very silent from Hull, we haven’t heard a thing so don’t say anything!”

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