Youri saves the day

They created nothing in the game and had to rely on a super show by their keeper and poor finishing by Charlton to avoid heavy defeat.

But they emerged with a point and that is to their great credit.

They deserved to get something out of this game for the sweat, endeavour, dedication and immense character they showed in the face of an uphill struggle.

Charlton outplayed them for long periods, passed and moved better and carved open Sam Allardyce's defence with worrying ease.

But they could not score, thanks to Jussi Jaaskelainen, some resilient defending and their own failings in front of goal, and while that remained the case Wanderers were always in the hunt.

Had Wanderers lost we would have been talking about a performance lacking cutting edge up front and exposing Jaaskelainen far too much at the back.

But there were great signs of hope in this performance that Wanderers have what it takes to keep their heads above the relegation water. Notably their desire and character.

It would have been easy for some players to go into their shells with little happening up front and Charlton running through them effectively.

But there was not a player who lost his focus or let his workrate slip.

Charlton were as lively and creative as you would expect of a team which had gone eight Premiership matches unbeaten before their unhappy day out on the Stamford Bridge beach last time out.

Wanderers were regimented and determined to make life difficult for them.

Anthony Barness, Mike Whitlow, Gudni Bergsson and Simon Charlton were solid and organised at the back. Per Frandsen, Ricardo Gardner and Kevin Nolan hunted in a pack in front of them, Youri Djorkaeff and Henrik Pedersen never stopped running in support of Michael Ricketts going forward and helping out the midfield when defending.

Four times Charlton found a way through in the first half and four times Jaaskelainen was on hand to keep them at bay.

Jaaskelainen was superb in that first 45 minutes and now looks to be every inch the keeper who was being hailed one of the Premiership's best last season.

He got down excellently to deny former team-mate Claus Jensen when the Danish midfielder had the freedom of the left wing on a counter attack.

Jaaskelainen swooped to the same left side even quicker to parry a thumping header by another former Reebok team-mate Mark Fish around the post.

He stood strong to turn a Kevin Lisbie rocket around the same post from close range and was in the right place to stop Lisbie's eight-yard strike when, thankfully, the striker failed to get hold of his shot properly.

At the other end Wanderers created precisely nothing.

One cross produced a weak back header by Henrik Pedersen which rolled tamely to Charlton keeper Dean Kiely while their only dangerous moment came when Kevin Nolan attacked the ball on the edge of the area only for Chris Powell to throw himself in the way of his crashing shot and deflect it wide for a corner.

Wanderers had been up against it in the first half but that was nothing compared with the test facing them after 67 seconds of the second period.

Jaaskelainen blotted his copy book by sliding a foot outside the penalty area while holding the ball and David Elleray gave a free kick.

It was ironic that such an unusual decision was given by the same official who controversially awarded Newcastle a free kick against Jaaskelainen for holding the ball longer than the permitted six seconds.

Unlike that decision last season there was no argument about this one.

From the free kick Jaaskelainen's punched clearance was headed back in, got stuck between the unlucky Mike Whitlow's legs and Mark Fish pounced to stab the ball in off the post and celebrate as if he had won the World Cup. Anyone would have thought he did not like Bolton very much.

Now we would see the character of Allardyce's team and they did not disappoint.

They refused to buckle, became increasingly more adventurous and stuck to their task.

The impeccable Charlton performed one vital piece of defending when he was alone facing two attackers on a counter attack, jockeying and blocking the pass for a corner, and Whitlow, Bergsson and Barness were rocks.

Djorkaeff became more influential, Gardner began to go at defenders rather than tackle midfielders and Allardyce got more and more ambitious with his formation.

The addition of Bernard Mendy and a switch to 4-4-2 added pace to the right then the manager threw on Delroy Facey leaving three up front and Mendy and Gardner bombing down the flanks.

It deserved a reward and it got it with the best goal the 1,500 travelling Wanderers fans will see this season.

Those fans were still heaving a mighty sigh of relief after Whitlow's uncharacteristic slip allowed the excellent Jason Euell in only to place his shot wide of Jaaskelainen and the post.

Charlton deserved to pay for being so wasteful and Djorkaeff did so in the most extraordinary fashion.

With only five minutes remaining Charlton launched a long ball forward to be knocked down to Frandsen whose lofted pass to Djorkaeff got the world class treatment.

With his back to goal, no room to turn or time to assess, he chested the ball up, launched himself upside down and scissor kicked a beauty that Kiely got a hand to but had not chance of keeping out.