Chatham 0 Charlton 3
The Addicks got their pre-season off to the best start as they won 3-0 away to Chatham Town on a sunny afternoon in Kent.
The first chance for the Addicks came from a corner, which Ellie Mason headed well over. Charlton continued to dominate the ball from there and gradually exerted increasing pressure.
Mason had the next best chance of the game as well, being played through into the box by Lucy Fitzgerald; however, her first-time shot skewed just wide of the post.
In the 18th minute, Jodie Hutton, playing as she finished last season - as a striker - was played in over the top by Elisha N’Dow. Clean through, Hutton tried to place the ball around the onrushing keeper, but this time, the keeper won that duel.
Two minutes later, Charlton thought they had taken the lead. A free kick was nodded back across the box by Kiera Skeels, and Lucia Lobato was there to bundle the ball in at the back post. The joy was short-lived, though, as the linesman flagged for offside.
The goal finally came for Charlton thanks to Mason in the 32nd minute. Baravik in the Chatham goal did well to push a Gillian Kenney header around the post, but from the resulting Hutton corner, Skeels headed the ball back into the box for Mason to bring down and shoot on the turn. 1-0 Addicks.
A flurry of chances came after that, with Charlton hitting the bar and the keeper being called into action a few times. In the 37th minute, Charlton had a golden chance to increase the lead when a penalty was awarded, but Kenney’s spot kick was well saved.
Changes were made at the break, seeing Anna Pedersen, Elisha N’Dow and Gloria Siber off for a PGA contingent of Selby, Hunton and Nelson-Iye.
The second half started with Charlton still on the front foot, and the second goal came much the same way as the first, as a Hutton corner was powerfully nodded in at the back post by Skeels. A third followed quickly as Kenney pressed the defenders to win the ball and then neatly slot in the bottom corner after 57 minutes.
Chances kept on coming for Charlton with Mason, Hutton and Lobato squandering opportunities. Karen Hills' side kept up the dominance to the final whistle without finding the net again, meaning the game ended 3-0 to the Addicks.
Charlton: Pedersen (Selby 45); Skeels, Lobato, N’Dow (Hunton 45); Siber (Nelson-Iye), Kenney (Marks 70), Mason, McAteer (Finnerty 60); Partido (Eldred 70), Hutton, Fitzgerald
Subs (not used):
Goals: Mason 32, Skeels 52, Kenney 57
Assist: Skeels 32, Hutton, 52,
Booked:
Chatham Town: Baravik, Auguste, Hynes, Perkins, Jeffkins, Russ, Sharp, Sareen, Iton, Thompson, Jones
Subs: Trialist, Wellington, Woodgate, Wright, Dunn, Trialist, Hergest, Hunt, O’Shea
Goal:
Booked:
Attendance: n/a
