Charlton 1 Manchester United 3
Charlton suffered a 3-1 defeat to Manchester United at The Valley in their first game back in the WSL, following the international break.
Manchester United made a quick start to the match, going 2-0 up within ten minutes. After Charlton failed to clear a cross from the right, the ball dropped to Ella Toone, who found the top corner with a fine half-volley.
United then added a second in the 10th minute when Andrea Medina slotted home from a cutback cross.
Charlton responded almost immediately. In the 13th minute, Lucy Fitzgerald broke down the left and played Jodie Hutton into the channel. Hutton cut the ball back for the arriving Leah Davidson, who calmly finished from 10 yards.
After a frantic opening 13 minutes, the game went without incident for a period, before Manchester United restored their two-goal lead in the 31st minute, through Julia Zigiotti.
Manchester United started the second half as brightly as they did the first, however without creating the clear-cut chances that saw them take an early lead in the start of the game.
It took until the 64th minute for Sophie Whitehouse to be called into action, following a neat turn and curling shot in the box from Elisabeth Terland.
United continued to press forward and in the 78th minute nearly added a fourth, United’s Bernal squeezing a shot past Whitehouse and onto the post.
Charlton continued to look for a chance to get back into the game, but were thwarted by a determined Manchester United team who took home all three points.
Charlton: Whitehouse; Mason, N’Dow, Lobato, Neville (Azzaro 75); Davidson, Flannery (Humphrey 86), Van Edgmond (Lockwood 66), Hutton, Korhonen (Kenney 75); Fitzgerald,
Subs (not used): Koivunen, Pedersen, Robe, Skeels, Waldie
Goals: Davidson 13
Assist: Hutton 3
Manchester United: Tullis-Joyce, Sandberg, Le Tissier, Lundkvist, Medina (Jusu Bah 77), Toone (Bernal 77), Park, Terland (Schuller 69), Zigiotti (Awujo 69), Janssen, Hinata
Subs (not used): Leitzig, Hill, Simpson, Awujo, Griffiths, Schuller, Wangerheim
Goals: Toone 6, Medina 10, Zigiotti 31
Booked: Zigitotti 66 (foul)
Referee: Amy Fearn