Eight minutes later Warnock's side should have taken the lead, with captain Chris Morgan flicking a long throw from Leigh Bromby into the six-yard area. But leading scorer Hulse, with four to his name this season, headed narrowly wide with the goal at his mercy.

Then against the run of play the rock-bottom Addicks opened the scoring as United fell asleep in the 17th minute. Andy Reid seized control of the ball and surged towards the edge of the area before playing in a wide-open Darren Ambrose to his left. Ambrose dawdled over his shot, allowing Rob Kozluk to slide in, only to mistime his tackle and give the striker the opportunity to score.

Although Paddy Kenny made a superb save to deny Ambrose, Reid was on hand to sidefoot home the rebound from five yards for his second goal in consecutive games after previously failing to score at club level for 18 months.

United soon responded, only for Carson to again save his side with a clawing stop to his left in denying Morgan with a downward header.

United continued to control proceedings, but when Hulse flicked a shot wide and Phil Jagielka screwed a volley high, it had all the hallmarks of being one of those days for Warnock's men. Pressing forward, United were almost made to pay again two minutes before the interval as a break from Darren Bent enabled him to set up Ambrose again, but his shot was straight at Kenny.

United started the second half as they finished the first, in the ascendancy, with Morgan at first back-flicking a header from eight yards into the arms of Carson. Carson was at full stretch four minutes later, pushing aside a shot from Hulse following a low curling cross from Rob Kozluk.

United fans became more exasperated in the 55th minute when Derek Geary directed a free header from Gillespie's delivery across the six-yard line with the net gaping. Reid then turned aside a drilled close-range volley from Morgan before finally United's skipper grabbed a deserved equaliser in the 64th minute. Gillespie delivered an outswinging corner and Morgan towered above his markers to power home a header for his first goal since the final day of last season.

Charlton manager Les Reed made his first substitution three minutes later, replacing Marcus Bent with Dennis Rommedahl.

In pursuit of victory, Warnock brought on strikers Danny Webber and Colin Kazim-Richards in the 71st and 77th minutes for Nade and Quinn. Then just under two minutes from time Djimi Traore's attempt at a clearance ballooned in the air to Gillespie who thundered a 20-yard right-footed volley beyond Carson.