Karen Hills’ side were backed by an extraordinary 3,615 supporters in SE7 on Saturday afternoon, but their hopes of automatic promotion to the WSL were dashed as they were condemned to a 2-0 defeat to Birmingham City.
The Addicks started brightly in the opening exchanges of the game.
Charlotte Newsham got the better of the Birmingham City defence and fizzed a great cross into the box. It found Karin Muya who couldn’t convert it. The ball then fell to Jodie Hutton, who fired over the bar.
Birmingham posed a threat on the break, as Geum-Min Lee looked forward, but she was well-marked by Elisha N’Dow who saw her effort out for a corner.
Charlton’s best chance of the game came when they won a free kick inside the Birmingham half. Hutton sent a searching ball into the box, that Ellie Mason got her head to, but her effort fizzed across the face of goal.
On 24 minutes, Birmingham came closest to opening the scoring. A searching ball was sent in by Lily Crosthwaite and was well met at the back post by Oceane Hurte, but her effort was steered away for a corner by Sophie Whitehouse.
Wilma Leidhammar put the Blues in front in the 27th minute. Hurte got the better of Newsham down the left-hand side and whipped in a great cross, which was met by Leidhammar to give Birmingham the lead.
Minutes later, Whitehouse made a crucial save to keep Charlton in the contest, brilliantly tipping Leidhammar’s 25-yard free-kick onto the crossbar to deny Birmingham a second.
Charlton trailed 0-1 at half-time. One change was made at the break, as Gillian Kenney entered the fray in place of Amelie Thestrup, who couldn’t continue after picking up an injury.
Less than ten minutes into the second half, Leidhammar doubled Birmingham’s lead. Birmingham swung in a corner that caused trouble for the Addicks’ defence, and the Blues midfielder managed to poke it home, to net her second goal of the match.
The visitors had a strong grip on the game in the second half, as Charlton struggled to test Lucy Thomas in goal.
Rebecca McKenna was shown a yellow card for bringing down Gillian Kenney who had marched her way through the Blues’ defence. The Addicks had a subsequent free kick, which Hutton fired over.
Karen Hills made a raft of changes in a bid to freshen up her side. Mary McAteer, Keira Skeels and Emma Bissell were all introduced in the latter stages of the second half, as the Addicks looked for a way to draw themselves level.
On 84 minutes, the hosts suffered another blow when Newsham was forced off through injury and was replaced by Katie Lockwood.
A further 13 minutes were added at the end of the 90, as the Addicks threw everything forward in a desperate push for the result they needed to secure promotion.
In the dying minutes, Flannery won a free kick just outside the box, that Katie Bradley stood up to take. Her effort was parried away by Thomas.
The Addicks suffered defeat at the hands of title-winners Birmingham City, and will return to action in the WSL play-off against Leicester City. More details of the fixture will be released in due course.
Charlton: Whitehouse (c); Mason, Newsham (Lockwood, 84) N’Dow (Skeels 67), Bradley, Fitzgerald (McAteer 67), Hutton (Bissell 74), Muya, Thestrup (Kenney 46), Lobato, Flannery
Subs (not used): Pedersen, Ross, Pearse, Humphrey
Booked: Muya 40
Birmingham City: Thomas, Harris, Lee (Hopcroft 75), Leidhammar (Sarri 90+2), Crosthwaite, McKenna, Cornet (c), Hurtre (Cooke 90+2), Miyagawa, Louis (Quinn 90+10), Herron (Holloway 75)
Subs (not used): Irvine, Silcock, Harrison-Murray, Lindstrom,
Goals: Leidhammar 27, 54
Assist: Hurte 27
Booked: McKenna 64, Miyagama 77
Referee: Sophie Dennington
Attendance: 3,615
