Liverpool 2 Charlton Athletic 2: God's timing was out at the last. Robbie Fowler reappeared on the touchline after the lap of honour here to offer those who have idolised him a farewell wave of appreciation, even if his salute was accompanied by a rueful smile.

This was his final hurrah in these parts and a last chance to rekindle glorious memories, but some things are not meant to be.

Liverpool's captain for the day had been summoned from the turf in the 89th minute, trudging to the bench to a standing ovation with his side trailing, only for the hosts to be awarded a penalty within a few seconds of his substitution. This was the opportunity he had craved all afternoon, a chance to score in front of the Kop. Instead, with the home support bellowing "bring back Fowler", he had been forced to sit on the bench as Harry Kewell hoisted the home side to parity. The fairytale finale had fallen flat.

Fowler should still look back on a glittering career which has yielded 183 goals in 369 Liverpool games with satisfaction. The Champions League final could yet offer him a more productive farewell. The 32-year-old's best opportunity was sliced wide from inside the six-yard box.

"Today was for Robbie," said Rafael Benitez. "It was bad luck, but good luck for the team with the penalty. But, as a team, that was not a good performance."

Charlton should have departed the Premiership with a second win here in 53 years. Matt Holland's first league goal of the campaign had eased them ahead after 80 seconds after Javier Mascherano's mistake. Darren Bent, with a thumped 16th of the season after the shaky Daniele Padelli had blocked Ben Thatcher's attempt, restored that advantage with 18 minutes remaining.

Between times Alexandre Song struck a post and Zheng Zhi twice missed from point-blank range.

"Maybe my players were thinking about the final," added Benitez. The club's supporters were likewise voicing their furious disapproval at the lack of clarity offered by the club's chief executive, Rick Parry, concerning the destination of some 7,000 of the Merseysiders' 17,000 allocation of tickets for the European Cup final. There was a large protest outside the main entrance before kick-off, with banners demanding "Parry the cheat must go" unfurled on the Kop.

Those frustrations were exacerbated by the home side's stodgy display, Alvaro Arbeloa's early miss with Fowler begging for a square pass having set a sloppy tone. Xabi Alonso scuffed them level just after the hour mark but it took Madjid Bougherra's mystifying hand-ball and Kewell's penalty, the Australian having earlier struck the crossbar, to edge Liverpool above Arsenal into third.

• Guardian Service