Young Addicks move through

Charlton moved into the second round of the FA Youth Cup at the expense of their local rivals at The Valley on Tuesday evening.

A deflected strike from Liam Bellamy and a scorcher from Harry Pell put the hosts in command before the half-hour mark.

Lewis Perkins' neat finish made it 3-0 two minutes after the restart and a fine display from keeper Jack Binks and his defensive colleagues ensured a clean sheet to complete a good night's work.

The Addicks will be back on home territory in the second round after Tuesday's draw pitted them against the winners of Wednesday night's match between Woking and Dagenham & Redbridge.

In front of watching first-team manager Phil Parkinson, his senior staff and several youngsters that have graduated from the thriving Sparrows Line production line, Charlton never looked back after taking the lead with just two minutes on the clock.

Bellamy will claim the goal after his strike at a half-cleared corner took a big deflection to beat visiting keeper Conor Quinn.

Pell then lit up The Valley in the 24th minute curling home a beauty into the top corner of the net from 25 yards after a clever step-over from Tamer Tuna.

In a bitty, tempestuous derby played on a slick SE7 surface there was no quarter given by both sides as the tackles flew in.

The Gills had their moments, but with a central defensive partnership of power and poise in the shape of Yado Mambo and young Jordan Cousins catching the eye, they were largely frustrated. And when they did get the opportunity to get shots away, keeper Binks showed good hands to keep them at bay.

The keeper, perhaps with half an eye on a first-team squad place for Sunday's FA Cup clash at Northwich Victoria with Rob Elliot ruled out and loan signing Carl Ikeme ineligible, denied Josh Sargeant and Callum Davies either side of the break and did little wrong between the posts all evening.

Having flown out of the blocks in the opening period, Charlton effectively put the game to bed soon after the restart as the hard-working Perkins advanced across the area and curled the ball over Quinn and into the back of the net.

The big team news for the home side saw the inclusion of striker Tuna and towering centre-back Mambo, both of who have first-team experience this season.

Tuna had also got a Valley goal to his credit, in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy tie with Barnet, the same match in which defender Mambo came on for his senior debut.

Aside from the first-team experience there were second and first year scholars on show in SE7 and fans got the chance to run the rule over exciting England U16 starlet Cousins.

Ahead of Binks, skipper Carl Jenkinson was at right-back, first-year Connor Morris was on the left, with Mambo partnering U16 Cousins, who pulled out of England's Thursday night Victory Shield clash to make his FA Youth Cup debut.

There was plenty of height in the central midfield unit with Pell partnering Jordan Anderson. Bellamy was on the right with Joe Carter making it an all first year left side.

Long-time strike partnership through the academy system, Perkins and Tuna were reunited against the Gills having shared the goals in Charlton's excellent 3-2 U18 win against Portsmouth at the weekend.

A day after 17th birthday, Freddie Warren was on the home bench, where he was joined by fellow first-year trio Tosan Popo, Stephen Camacho and keeper Brandon Hall. A second U16, Callum Harriott, made up the quintet.

The Gills boasted first-team experience in the shape of central midfielder Jack Payne and striker Tom Murphy also featured in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. Skipper Connor Essam, Liam Geering and Dean Rance have also been in the first-team squad.

After a good move between Bellamy and Jenkinson on the right with just two minutes on the clock, the hosts forced a corner, from which they took the lead. Pell's flag-kick was only half-cleared to Bellamy some 25 yards out and the winger's well-struck half-volley took a wicked deflection before flying past Quinn.

The rattled Gills were finding it hard to settle in the early stages as Charlton dominated proceedings and Mambo's firm header at another Pell centre was saved by Quinn on seven minutes.

Charlton were breached for the first time in the 12th minute as a great ball sent Tom Murphy away on the right, but the striker dragged his shot across goal and well wide.

Charlton were temporarily down to 10 men as Bellamy received treatment for a bloody nose, and Mambo got back well to make a cracking block to keep out Murphy's shot.

Back at the other end great play from Tuna - who was far from happy at being tugged back by Payne moments earlier - set up a great chance on 20 minutes.

The striker picked out the overlapping Carter on the left and his dangerous cross into the middle looked set to be snaffled up by Perkins. But the striker couldn't quite make a decisive contract in the middle, James Brown getting back to challenge him and allowing Quinn to save.

It didn't take too long for the hosts to double their lead, however, and it was quite a goal too. Indeed, one would go as far as saying there might not be a better goal scored at The Valley this season. Pell was the man on target, curling a magnificent shot past Quinn and into the roof of the net from 25 yards.

The finish was sublime, but so was the build-up, as Jenkinson cut in from the right and swept the ball across before Tuna's majestic dummy gave Pell his big chance.

The tall midfielder obliged in some style, celebrating wildly with his teammates, and Tuna almost added a spectacular third soon afterwards, skipping away in the centre circle and, spotting Quinn off his line, trying his luck with an audacious chip that flew just over.

Great defensive cover from Joe Carter forced Callum Day into scooping a great opening over from close range soon after. The left-winger tracked the striker as he moved into space to meet a low cross from Sargeant - and his presence was enough to off-put the striker as the chance went begging.

Anderson was booked after a late lunging challenge on Dean Rance, and from the resulting free-kick Binks passed his first test of the evening. The keeper stood up well to get good hands behind an angled drive from Sargeant after the ball had broken kindly to the winger on the left side of the box.

Tuna met a clever Pell corner but shot wide, while the highly-rated Payne wasted a good chance for the visitors four minutes before the break, firing a low cross from Sargeant over the bar.

Brown was booked after a scuffle with Jenkinson on the far side, and Tuna saw yellow after frustratingly booting the ball away in frustration. That was the last action of the half, and the second period was only two minutes old when the hosts struck again.

Perkins was the man on target this time, advancing in from the left of the box and curling a shot over Quinn and into the back of the net.

The Addicks were starting to sizzle now and some lovely link up play involving Tuna and Perkins saw the Gills opened up, with Bellamy firing narrowly over the bar.

Binks showed great hands for the second time in the evening on 58 minutes, keeping out a stinging angled drive from Davies in fine fashion.

Harriott replaced Carter just short of the hour mark and Rance got away with a lunging challenge on Morris, before Pell's low shot was pouched by Quinn.

Pell just failed to get a touch on Tuna's delicious flick forward soon afterwards and that was his last contribution before making way for Warren midway through the half.

Essam's half -volley after a set-piece rippled the side-netting for the Gills while Binks got behind a placed effort from Payne in the 76th minute.

Jenkinson picked the pocket of Day inside the six-yard box as a dangerous low cross from Jack Evans was cut out to preserve the clean sheet, and Tuna drew warm applause as he made way for Popo in the closing stages.

Quinn kept out a thunderbolt from Anderson but three was ample for the Addicks as they moved through.

Charlton: Binks; Jenkinson, Morris, Cousins, Mambo; Bellamy, Anderson, Pell (Warren 67), Carter (Harriott 59); Tuna (Popo 83), Perkins. Subs (not used): Hall, Camacho.

Goals: Bellamy 2, Pell 24, Perkins 47

Booked: Anderson 30 (foul on Rance), Tuna 45 (kicking the ball away)

Gillingham: Quinn; Evans, Brown, Essam, Davies; Geering (Benniman 83), Payne, Rance, Sargeant (Humber 63); Murphy, Day. Subs (not used): Hawkes, Brown, Brunt.

Booked: Brown 44 (scuffle with Jenkinson), Day 61 (foul on Tuna)

Referee: C Brook

Attendance: 846

Photos: Edmund Boyden

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