Sinclair returns in second XI draw

Dean Sinclair made his comeback from a long-term knee injury as Charlton's reserves drew 1-1 in a behind-closed-doors friendly with Leyton Orient at Sparrows Lane on Thursday afternoon.

The 24-year-old midfielder has been sidelined since suffering the problem during a loan spell with Grimsby Town last season but returned to action with a near 30-minute run out for Damian Matthew's second XI against the O's.

Scott Wagstaff sealed a draw for Charlton in the dying moments of the first half after Orient had taken the lead just minutes into the game.

Both sides had chances to win it but a draw was probably a fair result on a cold afternoon in SE9.

Jack Binks was named in goal for Charlton, with Yado Mambo, currently on work experience at non-League Dover Athletic, included in a back four which featured three trialists.

Wagstaff was on the right flank, with captain Alex Stavrinou and Matt Spring in the middle and Luke Holden on the right. Tamer Tuna and Lewis Perkins, who have formed a fine partnership at U18 level, were named in attack.

The O's opened the scoring after just three minutes. The Addicks gave the ball away in midfield, allowing Orient to break. Charlton managed to get back and regroup but Orient still managed to get in a shot which defected off a trialist and past Binks.

Charlton could have been level almost immediately - Spring broke down the right and crossed for the unmarked Tuna at the far post but the striker scuffed a half-volley wide.

In the eighth minute, Holden's cross from the left was only cleared as far as Wagstaff who teed up Perkins but the youngster's effort came back off the post. An assistant referee's flag would have ruled the effort out had it gone in.

The woodwork was rattled moments later at the other end when Orient again broke away and saw another deflected shot beat Binks but this time come off the inside of the post.

Binks breathed a sigh of relief in the 14th minute when his clearance was charged down by an Orient striker but bounced to safety, while a long-range effort from Spring whistled into the side netting after the midfielder had skipped past two players.

With a smattering of first-team players looking on, Binks parried away a shot from the edge of the box in the 20th minute as Charlton struggled to put their stamp on the game.

The Addicks did test Orient's goalkeeper two minutes later though, a swerving shot from a trialist stinging the hands of the visiting shot-stopper. Tuna and Perkins sniffed a rebound and between them managed to bundle the ball home but once more an offside flag ruled out the effort.

Stavrinou made a superb last-ditch tackle as Orient threatened again, before Wagstaff's weak shot was blocked after some excellent football down the right by Charlton.

Wagstaff and Holden switched flanks in a bid to shake things up but it was Orient who went close to doubling their advantage when a strong run by their left-winger ended in a shot which fizzed just over the bar.

Holden was left shaken after a strong aerial challenge from Orient's left-back and when play resumed, Spring's effort from the edge of the box was brilliantly tipped over the bar by the O's goalkeeper in the 36th minute.

It should have been 2-0 in the 40th minute when the O's cut in from the left and teed up a player, whose effort flashed wide. And the miss came back to haunt the O's as Charlton drew level moments later. Good work by Tuna freed Perkins on the right and his cross was side-footed into the far corner by Wagstaff.

Wagstaff headed a Holden cross well over in the 42nd minute and that was the final action of the half as the referee ended proceedings.

The second-half was only moments old when Binks saved well from an Orient striker after a goalmouth scramble, with Carl Jenkinson entering the fray for Mambo shortly afterwards.

Perkins saw a shot well saved in the 48th minute and the same player headed Wagstaff's cross just wide after Orient had fallen asleep at a quickly-taken Charlton corner.

Binks then did well to react quickest to a throughball, while an Orient striker missed a good chance to take the lead when he snatched at a chance in the six-yard box after a mistake by an Addicks trialist.

On 66 minutes, Sinclair stepped into the fray to replace Spring, before a long-range effort from an Orient player was sliced well wide.

Young Binks saved well at the feet of an Orient striker in the 70th minute with the same player seeing his rebound cleared off the line by a combination of the post and Jenkinson.

A couple of long-range efforts failed to trouble Binks, but the Charlton man did well to palm away a shot from eight yards, while Holden's cross at the other end failed to find an Addicks teammate as the game ended 1-1.

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