Tore Andre Flo's goal looked like giving the former Football Association technical director victory in his third game in charge of the Wearsiders.

But Gary Rowett's leveller - his first goal for Charlton - denied him and left Sunderland in the Premiership drop zone.

Both the visitors - who made four changes from Monday's 1-1 draw at Bolton - and Charlton began the day in the bottom four and appear set for a long fight against relegation.

With USA international Claudio Reyna out for six months with a cruciate ligament injury, Paul Thirlwell started in midfield.

Jurgen Macho was in goal, with Thomas Sorensen and Thomas Myhre both injured, while Swedish defender Joachim Bjorklund and Flo earned recalls.

Charlton, who won for the first time at home since March a fortnight ago, welcomed back Chris Powell, who missed the defeat at Newcastle with a stomach bug.

Charlton actually lost their first four home Premiership games of the season but began the brighter of the teams with Claus Jensen prominent.

The Danish playmaker was involved in the third-minute move which led to Jason Euell dragging a left-foot shot wide from just inside the area.

Jensen was then isolated on a swift Charlton breakout, which ended with Gavin McCann hauling him down and gaining a yellow card from referee Dermot Gallagher.

Flo was on the end of Sunderland's first chance but his header from Michael Gray's cross lacked power and Dean Kiely gathered comfortably.

But the Norwegian displayed clinical finishing from his next opportunity, putting Wilkinson's men ahead after 14 minutes.

Robbie Mustoe lost the ball to Thirlwell just outside the Charlton area and when McCann's shot found Kevin Phillips with his back to goal, his lay-off was struck powerfully past the diving Kiely from just inside the box.

Drawing confidence from their opener, Sunderland gained the upper hand and poured forward at every opportunity, Kevin Kilbane shooting wide from one such breakaway.

They could have been two goals ahead shortly before the half hour when Phillips' deflected header from a corner was cleared off the line by Scott Parker.

But Sunderland were thankful for a similar intervention by Stephen Wright, who flung himself to block Jensen's goal-bound attempt after Euell and John Robinson combined down the right to tee up the midfielder.

	Gavin McCann slides in on Charlton's Mark Fish (StuartFranklin/GettyImages)

The lively Jensen then offered Parker a sight of goal with a neat back heel and Macho scrambled across his line to touch around a post.

They should have been pegged back just six seconds into the resumption when Shaun Bartlett lofted over the visitors' defence for Jensen, whose delayed shot was palmed away for a corner by Macho.

Another Jensen run was then brought to an abrupt halt when Bjorklund hacked him down to become the second caution of the afternoon - and Gary Rowett curled the free-kick just wide from 20 yards, so close to the target in fact that sections of the home support celebrated as the ball ran along the back of the net.

Jensen then curled a free-kick from a similar position into Macho's midriff and Mustoe volleyed over as Charlton pressure grew.

Yet it was Sunderland who might have altered the scoreline on a 58th-minute raid when Kilbane strode forward to take aim from 25 yards and his Republic of Ireland team-mate Kiely turned his fierce drive on to the crossbar.

That began another positive period for Sunderland as they quietened the Valley crowd.

Michael Gray and Jensen had long-range attempts held at either end before Charlton found an equaliser 13 minutes from time.

Mark Fish headed Powell's free-kick into Euell's stride and the striker's centre across the six-yard box was met by Rowett, who beat team-mate Robinson to force the ball in.

And Sunderland, who had four players booked in all, could have left with nothing had substitute Kevin Lisbie not got the ball stuck under his feet six yards out in the closing seconds.

Then, right at the death, Kiely extended himself to grasp Flo's header on his line.