Controversial Di Canio seals point for Charlton

Leicester 1 Charlton 1

Paolo di Canio sparked uproar at the Walkers Stadium after rescuing Charlton with a controversial penalty eight minutes from time.

The Italian fell in the box under pressure from Steve Howey but was accused of diving by furious Foxes players who surrounded referee Graham Barber.

Di Canio kept his cool to hit the equaliser low to Ian Walker’s right and was hustled past Leicester’s angry boss Micky Adams after being substituted two minutes from time.

The late drama lit up a dull match which appeared to be heading Leicester’s way after Les Ferdinand’s 29th-minute header.

Marcus Bent hit the post in the 68th minute with a shot which would surely have sealed the Foxes’ third consecutive Premiership win.

But the Addicks produced a late rally with Graham Stuart also rattling the woodwork before di Canio’s intervention after what television replays appeared to deem a dive.

Charlton had started the day in fourth place but a mounting injury list put them under the cosh after their bright opening spell had subsided.

Di Canio had the first chance, pouncing on a Jordan Stewart error to race over the halfway line and fling in a cross from which Jason Euell shot straight at Ian Walker in the visitors’ goal.

Two minutes later Leicester were almost gifted an opener when Mark Fish’s bad back-pass let in Les Ferdinand who was denied by a good save from Kiely.

Kiely also saved close up from Marcus Bent in the 15th minute after the Foxes striker had wriggled through the left side of the visitors’ box.

Di Canio and Euell again came close for Charlton while substitute Mathias Svensson had the ball in the net but fouled Walker in the process.

The visitors’ best chance fell in bizarre fashion in the 38th minute when Ben Thatcher scythed a Graham Stuart cross inches wide of his own goal.

Thatcher immediately responded by picking out Ferdinand and the veteran striker outjumped Chris Perry in the box to head home the Foxes’ opener.

The Foxes showed their intention to keep pressing forward at the start of the second half with Stewart hurtling down the left and bringing a low save out of Kiely.

And Stewart had a second chance in the 59th minute when he got on the end of Andy Impey’s cross into the box but shot straight at Kiely again.

But Leicester began to settle and Muzzy Izzet’s free-kick from wide on the right forced a frantically back-pedalling Kiely to palm the ball over the bar.

Izzet almost created Leicester’s second in the 68th minute with a fine cross from the right which found Marcus Bent in the box.

The striker hit a powerful right-foot shot which beat Kiely but clattered off his right-hand post and out of play.

Izzet should have made the game safe himself in the 75th minute when Bent returned the favour but he flashed a shot from eight yards across the face of goal.

Stuart almost made the Foxes pay for their missed chances one minute later when he seized on Impey’s poor backward header to lash in a shot which hit Walker’s right-hand post.

And substitute Carlton Cole headed into Walker’s arms as the visitors belatedly began to threaten.

Di Canio won his controversial penalty in the 82nd minute and scored low to Walker’s left after furious Leicester protests.