Charlton 1 Everton 1: Andy Reid's equaliser was not enough to lift Charlton off the foot of the Premiership but gave his new boss Les Reed reason to believe his team could soon be climbing the table.

As soon as Reid struck with an 18-yard rocket in the 68th minute, the Addicks were transformed and had chances to seal victory and climb out of the bottom three.

Everton had taken the lead when Mikel Arteta floated in a free-kick which was touched on by James McFadden and went in off the right leg of Charlton defender Hermann Hreidarsson.

That was in the 52nd minute after a first half which had bored a packed Valley crowd. But when Darren Bent robbed a dawdling Nuno Valente to lay on Reid's first goal for the club, the home side gave it all they had.

Bent, their only reliable scorer this season, could not make contact with Dennis Rommedahl's cross-shot and then Amady Faye's header bounced over the bar from Darren Ambrose's perfect cross.

Everton almost snatched victory when James Beattie and Simon Davies were both inches too high near the end but they let their best chances slip.

Without injured England striker Andrew Johnson, the visitors made a strong start and Lee Carsley's goalbound shot was deflected for a corner before Beattie's header from Arteta's free-kick was hacked clear.

And James McFadden, back after suspension, looked certain to open the scoring in the seventh minute when a clever change of pace took him into the Charlton area only for Talal El Karkouri to execute a timely block.

Charlton had early nerves on new boss Reed's home debut in the hotseat and even when Reid played a defence-splitting ball through to Rommedahl, the Danish winger took an unnecessary extra touch and goalkeeper Tim Howard was able to smother the threat for a corner.

Everton continued to look the more threatening side with Arteta and Leon Osman beavering away in midfield. Osman almost connected with Davies' pass in a promising position after a misguided dribble by Amady Faye gave the ball away.

Marcus Bent was employed as a lone striker in Reed's 4-5-1 line-up and almost stole a goal when sliding in to meet Darren Ambrose's header only for Howard to bravely beat him to it.

Then nine minutes before a much-needed half-time break, Rommedahl cut inside Valente's half-hearted challenge to work a clear opening but then scuffed his shot wide of the near post.

Charlton looked dead and buried again when Arteta's free-kick was helped on by McFadden and went in off the leg of Hreidarsson, who had just been booked for a foul.

And they could have trailed 2-0 when Osman went close after good work by Beattie six minutes later.

But Reid's precise finish brought a whole new complexion to the game with Charlton dominating.

In the end though it was just not enough to clinch all three points.