Hull City were denied a fourth straight league win by Luke Berry’s stoppage-time equaliser, just as it looked like the Tigers would hold on for victory, with the game finishing 1-1.
City took the lead early in the second period when Matt Crooks won the ball and fed Joe Gelhardt to crash in the opener to make it three goals in as many games.
In a game where City had to grind it out against a side in terrific form of their own, Jakirovic was moments away from a fifth home win before Berry stepped up to head in from a corner.
A big negative was yet another injury to a key man, with Liam Millar coming off the bench before being forced off with what looked like a hamstring injury, at a time when so many players are unavailable, but the point keeps their unbeaten run going.
Jakirovic made one change from Tuesday’s win over Leicester City with John Egan coming in for Liam Millar, who played 100 minutes-plus on his first start. It also saw a change in shape with the Tigers going with three central defenders and two wing-backs in Ryan Giles and Cody Drameh in a 3-4-1-2 formation. Despite an ongoing shoulder issue, Matt Crooks was fine to play. As expected, there was no Oli McBurnie, John Lundstram, Kasey Palmer or Mo Belloumi.
Inside the opening three minutes, the visitors have two glorious chances from deep crosses to the back post, which City failed to deal with. Ivor Pandur turned the first over from Tyreece Campbell, and the second he blazed over.
City, struggling with a new shape, eventually worked their way into the contest and had a flurry of openings with Ryan Giles firing wide, Ajayi forcing a smart reaction save from Thomas Kaminski, before brilliant work from Gelhardt put Crooks through on goal, and he was forced wide but did make ex-Luton stopper Kaminski work.
Giles was a constant threat, and it was his fizzing ball to the back post which found Ajayi, but he could only prod towards goal and into the grateful arms of Kaminski, City continuing to be a threat.
Just before the break, Hughes was booked for a challenge on Harvey Knibbs before Crooks dragged wide. A chance which summed City up in the opening 45 minutes. They were getting in some great positions but lacked the quality to make their dominance pay.
That all changed at the start of the second half when Crooks pinched the ball on the edge of the box to feed Gelhardt, who drove a shot across Kaminski and into the far corner.
Joseph was booked after rightly halting a break through midfield, moments after Conor Coventry and James Bree came on for the visitors, barely 10 minutes into the second period.
Liam Millar and Lewie Coyle were introduced for Drameh and Crooks shortly before Enis Destan replaced the hard-working Joseph in the closing stages as City closed in on a fourth win on the spin.
Millar’s cameo was cut short with what appeared to be a hamstring problem, his frustration apparent as he limped off the pitch and was consoled on the bench as he headed down the tunnel.
City were to be denied when Berry stepped off the bench to head in from close range after a late corner, and halt City’s winning run, but seven points from the nine available in the past week represent a very good return.
City: (3-4-1-2) Pandur, Giles, Egan, Hughes, Ajayi, Giles, Drameh (Coyle 68), Amir, Slater, Joseph (Destan 77), Gelhardt, Crooks (Millar 68). Subs: Phillips, Coyle, Millar, Ndala, Gyabi, Williams, Destan, Shehu, McCarthy.
Charlton: (5-3-2) Kaminski, Ramsay, Jones, Gillesphey (Kelman 70), Apter (Bree 53), Docherty (c) (Berry 70), Knibbs (Coventry 53), Carey (Hernandez 86), Bell, Leaburn, Campbell. Subs: Mannion, Burke, Bree, Coventry, Rankin-Costello, Berry, Hernandez, Olaofe, Kelman.
Referee: Andrew Kitchen
Man of the Match: Joe Gelhardt
Attendance: 20,804 (1,500 from Charlton)
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