Charlton’s pre-season continued with a friendly clash at AFC Wimbledon on Saturday afternoon.
A goal in each half saw the Dons claim victory as the Addicks tasted their first defeat of the summer, while more vital minutes were banked at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.
The south-east Londoners enjoyed a flurry of half-chances in the opening minutes, with Tyreece Campbell placing an effort wide from just outside the box, before Sonny Carey saw his shot deflect just wide.
And from the resulting corner, the ball fell nicely to Billy Koumetio in the box, only for his low effort to be well held by Dons stopper Joe McDonnell.
However, it would be the hosts who would take the lead with their first opportunity of the afternoon at the other end with 13 minutes on the clock - Marcus Browne’s low, angled shot was saved by Thomas Kaminski, who got down well to keep it out, but Kai Jennings was on hand to rush in and squeeze home the rebound from close range.
The Addicks were unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty just before the half-hour mark when Campbell got the better of Isaac Ogundere, before the Dons defender brought him down as he was about to pull the trigger, but the referee waved play. With the ball falling loose to Sonny Carey from a tight angle, he stung the palms of McDonnell, before Miles Leaburn skewed wide shortly after.
Into the second half and a quick start saw Carey test McDonnell at his near post early on, but Wimbledon’s lead was doubled three minutes after the restart via Trialist B.
James Tilley’s teasing low cross was cleverly flicked on by the heel of Browne, forcing Kaminski to adjust and palm away the danger, only for it to fall to the Dons’ Trialist who finished from close range.
Once again, Nathan Jones made a raft of changes just after the hour mark, but just before those 10 changes were made, Charlton came close to registering when Abby Fullah’s vicious free-kick was tipped away by McDonnell, with Carey firing the follow-up into the side-netting.
In typical pre-season fashion, the action became few and far between as the clock ticked towards 90 and the Addicks will now prepare for their next friendly test, which comes in the form of a midweek trip to Colchester United on Tuesday evening.
AFC Wimbledon: McDonnell; Ogundere (Hackford 78), Sweeney (Jovanovic 78), Seddon (Leach 78), Tilley (Nkeng 64), Jennings (Smith 78), Reeves (c) (Hippolyte 78), McCoy-Splatt (Johnson 78), Nelson (Maycock 78), Browne (Horan 78), Sasu (Trialist B).
Sub (not used): Trialist A
Booked: Seddon 63 (foul on Leaburn)
Goals: Jennings 13, Trialist B 49
Charlton: Kaminski (Brooks 64); Asiimwe (Ramsay 64), Jones (Burke 64), Koumetio (Gough 64), Bell (Mesìk 64); Coventry (Mwamba 64), Docherty (Rankin-Costello 46); Fullah (Enslin 64), Carey (Knibbs 64), Campbell (Olaofe 64); Leaburn (Godden 64).
Sub (not used): Kanu.
Booked: Mesìk 87 (foul on Trialist B)
Att: 2,528 (862)
