Charlton’s U21s bowed out of the GoCardless Kent Senior Cup after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Tonbridge Angels at the Yeomans Community Stadium on Tuesday evening.
The young Addicks looked to have forced the second-round tie towards a penalty shootout when Marley Rayment-Dawkins struck an 81st-minute equaliser, but substitute Miller McDonald produced a spectacular finish in the 90th minute to secure victory for the hosts.
Tonbridge made a fast start and threatened inside the opening minute, with Bumni Babjide getting the better of Ayden Minto St-Aimie before seeing his shot smothered by Charlton goalkeeper Finley Woodham.
Woodham was called into action again two minutes later, making another smart save as the Angels looked to take an early lead.
Babjide continued to pose a threat and came close to breaking the deadlock in the 15th minute, letting fly from close range and forcing Woodham to backpedal as his effort sailed just over the crossbar.
The Addicks had an opportunity of their own two minutes later when Samuel Washington-Amoah stepped up to take a free-kick out wide, but his effort narrowly evaded the post.
Tonbridge continued to enjoy promising spells and Woodham was called upon several times in the first half, with the young goalkeeper doing well to claim the ball amid a spell of pressure from the home side.
The Angels threatened again following a series of corners in the 38th minute, but Charlton managed to keep them at bay. Harry Gardner then tried his luck from distance a minute later, with his effort brushing the roof of the net.
However, the hosts would find the breakthrough just before half-time. A threaded through-ball found Jephte Tanga inside the penalty area, and the forward kept his composure to finish past Woodham in the 44th minute and send Tonbridge into the break with a 1-0 advantage.
The Angels continued to press after the restart, with Woodham getting down well in the 55th minute to turn an effort behind for a corner.
The Charlton stopper was again required to keep his side in the contest in the 74th minute, producing an important save to deny Babjide a second goal.
Despite struggling to create clear-cut opportunities for much of the evening, the Addicks found a way back into the tie with nine minutes of normal time remaining.
Sustained pressure from the visitors eventually paid off when the ball fell kindly to Rayment-Dawkins inside the box, and he made no mistake, rifling home to bring Charlton level at 1-1.
With the prospect of a penalty shootout looming, both sides looked to find a decisive goal in the closing stages.
It was Tonbridge who delivered that decisive moment, however, striking in the 90th minute to book their place in the next round. A corner was played back to the edge of the box, where substitute McDonald was waiting to meet it first time, sending a spectacular finish into the top-left corner beyond Woodham.
The late strike proved decisive, leaving the young Addicks to reflect on a frustrating evening after battling back to level the tie, only to be denied by a stunning last-minute winner.
Charlton: Woodham; Kobashi Enslin, Rayment-Dawkins, Minto St-Aimie, Laqeretabua, Brown (c); Belton, Tiitinen (Hebert 65); McMillan, Burnham (Tagoe 65), Washington-Amoah.
Subs (not used): Tas, Thomas, Elliott.
Goal: Rayment-Dawkins 82
Att: 390
