But Tony Mowbray's side are better placed than Charlton in fourth position while the Londoners, after being in a play-off position all season, have dropped down to tenth and desperately needed all three points from this match to resurrect their fading play-off hopes.
They got off to a good start by taking the lead on the half-hour when Darren Ambrose's long free-kick found Greg Halford at the far post and his looping header evaded two defenders and goalkeeper Dean Kiely to creep into the net and give the on-loan defender his first Charlton goal.
Before his strike Albion had had two goal-bound efforts from Kevin Phillips and Jonathan Greening well blocked by the home defence.
Albion equalised from an almost identical free-kick to Charlton's, Greening's cross was headed back by Zoltan Gera for Phillips to blast the ball home off the under side of the crossbar for his 21st goal of the season.
Although both sides went for the winner in the second half there weren't too many clear-cut chances.
Charlton's best effort was a curler from Jerome Thomas which looked to be beating Kiely but swerved just wide of the post while Albion finished stronger and substitute Roman Bednar twice went close to getting a winner first with a header and then with a shot.