The team to make the most significant forward step on Saturday turned out to be Wigan, who beat Manchester City for their second consecutive victory and moved eight points clear of the bottom three.

But Paul Jewell's side still face a trip to Charlton and Pardew, whose team are six points from safety, remained upbeat despite having seen his side out-played in the first half and requiring a late equaliser from Darren Ambrose to salvage a point. "We have got two home games coming up against Newcastle and Wigan," he said. "And this point could turn out to be very useful.

"The gap isn't huge - it would only be if we weren't putting in performances like the one in the second half today."

Charlton had demolished West Ham 4-0 last week but never looked like inflicting a similar scoreline on Adrian Boothroyd's side, who climb ahead of the Hammers on goal difference to move off the foot of the table for the first time since early December.

Tamas Priskin fluffed an early chance after Talal El Karkouri's slip had put him through but it was not long before Hameur Bouazza fired the Hornets ahead on the rebound after goalkeeper Scott Carson could only parry a Damien Francis header.

Francis doubled the lead in the 21st minute by converting a Tommy Smith cross beyond the back post and the home players went in at the break to huge applause.

Pardew made changes at the break, replacing the out of sorts Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink with China captain Zheng Zhi and the improvement was immediate.

Matt Holland wasted a fine chance after Alexandre Song had opened up the Watford defence but when the on-loan Arsenal midfielder repeated the trick seconds later Luke Young made no mistake to put his side back in the game.

Ambrose converted a cross from substitute Dennis Rommedahl with a minute remaining and there was also a chance in stoppage time for another replacement, striker Kevin Lisbie, to win it for the visitors.

His shot was blocked but Pardew was upbeat nonetheless.

"I'm still trying to get over the last moment but it was a great fight-back," he said. "It feels like a win.

"The players are a little bit dejected but I have told them this is still a win for us because coming back from 2-0 down at Watford is a tough, tough order."

Pardew believed the draw had also been a "killer blow" to Watford's chances of staying up and Boothroyd admitted his players have an inability to close out games

"In terms of draws we must be a coupon player's dream," he said. "In the first half we were the better side by a long way but it is not a 45-minute match, it's a 90-minute one."