Derby County were given a taste of their own medicine yesterday and did not find it to their liking. After nurturing a talent for improbable feats of escapology Jim Smith's team found the task of protecting a two-goal lead beyond their limited means.

Having created what should have been a winning margin through first-half goals from Malcolm Christie and Simo Valakari, the Premiership's comeback kings were dethroned by goals from Claus Jensen and Jonatan Johansson in the space of three second-half minutes.

Smith's team have so far this season salvaged draws from being three down against Middlesbrough and two down to Everton and Southampton. This time they were to finish on the receiving end. Charlton were fortunate to survive a late penalty appeal but they were good value for their draw during a match in which the case for both defences was indefensible.

Derby's breakthrough came in the seventh minute courtesy of Christie's third goal since beginning his season belatedly as a second-half substitute against Middlesbrough last Wednesday. Bjorn Otto Bragstad hoofed the ball into Charlton's penalty area and when the ball fell Christie was the only player to react to drive a leftfoot shot into the far corner of Dean Kiely's goal. Derby's second came with frills attached, Valakari starting and finishing an intricate move with a left-foot drive from the edge of the penalty area.

Charlton's frustration was palpable. For most of the opening 45 minutes they had produced the more cultured football only to be let down by some feeble finishing. But in the second half they found their range, with the ubiquitous Johansson flourishing and their midfielders full of zestful running.

Johannson created Charlton's first dragging the ball back for Claus Jensen to score from eight yards after a sparkling counterattack stemming from a Derby corner.

With the inquest ongoing in the home defence, Johansson then ran on to a long bouncing ball, dinked it over the oncoming Derby goalkeeper Mart Poom.

With 10 minutes remaining Mark Kinsella upended Derby's Stefano Eranio in the penalty area but the referee Peter Jones inexplicably waved aside the appeals before booking the Derby player for his troubles.

Curbishley stated "he had not seen the incident" but Smith, predictably enough, had. "If you don't give a penalty for that you shouldn't be refereeing," he said.

Derby: Poom, Schnoor, Delap, Johnson, Sturridge (Kinkladze 60), Burton, Christie, Higginbotham, Eranio (Murray 88), Bragstad, Valakari. Subs Not Used: Oakes, Morris, Elliott. Booked: Christie, Eranio, Schnoor. Goals: Christie 7, Valakari 39.

Charlton: Kiely, Kishishev (Konchesky 46), Powell, Stuart, Rufus, Tiler, Kinsella, Hunt (Brown 82), Robinson (Lisbie 46), Jensen, Johansson. Subs Not Used: Newton, Ilic. Booked: Rufus. Goals: Jensen 59, Johansson 62.

Referee: P Jones (Loughborough).