Charlton 2 Crystal Palace 2

CHARLTON salvaged something for their fans from a season that promised so much before fading away badly by relegating arch rivals Crystal Palace at The Valley on Sunday.

During a pulsating 90 minutes, the Addicks led at half-time, then conceded two goals to go behind, before Jonathan Fortune’s late header denied Palace, who were only eight minutes from survival, the victory they needed.

Throughout the second half, the Addicks fans chanted "Let's send the Palace down" and their side's success in doing that will help soften the blow of a dreadful run-in to the campaign.

The Addicks have only managed one win in 14 league games since January and they ended up falling well short of the European places.

Charlton boss Alan Curbishley made two changes to the side that was harshly defeated 1-0 by a late penalty at Chelsea last week.

Goalkeeper Dean Kiely returned in place of Danish youngster Stephan Andersen, while striker Shaun Bartlett made his first start since sustaining a cartilage injury in early April for Kevin Lisbie.

Palace edged the opening exchanges and it took a last ditch tackle by Luke Young after seven minutes to deny Fitz Hall as he closed in on goal.

The visitors came more and more into the game, but were unable to create further chances until Wayne Routledge let fly with a 30 yard half volley that Kiely spectacularly turned round the post on 28 minutes.

Against the run of play Charlton then hit Palace with a sucker punch on the half hour when Bryan Hughes got behind their defence, after playing a one-two with Radostin Kishishev, and managed to stab the ball home while under pressure.

It was Hughes' first league goal of the season and ended a Charlton run of 450 minutes without a goal.

The goal lifted Charlton and, within a few minutes, Jonatan Johansson went within a whisker of doubling their lead with a header that went narrowly wide of the post.

The home side finished the half strongly to take their lead into the break and Palace boss Iain Dowie waited only 11 minutes into the second half before switching to 4-4-2.

He threw on another striker Dougie Freedman for defender Danny Butterfield, and the change paid immediate dividends.

Before Charlton had time to adapt to the formation switch Freedman got away from the home defence, latched onto to a long ball and lobbed the on-rushing Kiely to score the equaliser only two minutes after coming onto the pitch.

Freedman was then instrumental in the second when his cross was handled by Fortune. Andy Johnson, who had a penalty saved by Kiely when the sides met in December, made no mistake this time to put his side in front.

But there was still time for one final decisive twist when substitute Jerome Thomas's free-kick was met by Fortune and he made amends for giving away the earlier penalty by powering a header into the net.

Kiely again had to deny Freedman with a low save as Palace tried desperately to regain the lead but they could not find a way through.

As news came through of West Brom's 2-0 victory over Portsmouth, it became clear the Addicks had done what their fans had asked of them - they had sent the Palace down.

Charlton: Kiely; Young, El Karkouri, Fortune, Konchesky; Johansson, Holland (Thomas 66), Murphy (Sam 75), Kishishev, Hughes; Bartlett (Rommedahl 79). Subs Not Used: Andersen, Perry.

Attendance: 26,870.