Charlton's women ran out 4-2 winners against Durham in a tough tie that saw the unbeaten streak continue.
The first quarter of the game was a cagey affair, with neither on top. Charlton had the fair share of the ball but didn’t do much with it until the game sparked into life with a bit of magic from Karin Muya.
In the 26th minute, an interception by Ellie Mason set the Addicks on the transition. She played the ball up the left that sent Jodie Hutton on her way. Her tapped ball forward was chased down by Gillian Kenney who returned it with back heel to Hutton. The touch was heavy, but the defender’s clearance was a fortuitous one as it hits Hutton again and falls to Muya on the edge of the box.
She waited, ran across the edge of the box feigning a shot on her left before cutting back on her right took a touch before striking the ball. It sailed over the keeper and into the net. 1-0 Charlton.
The girls were buoyed by the goal and kept the pressure on with two good chances over the next 10 minutes, but against the run of play, Durham ended up level.
A great Sophie Whitehouse save from Durham’s Mollie Lambert saw the ball out for a corner. From it, the ball was kept alive in the box and then toed back in by Tyler Toland. It bounced unchallenged, which allowed Mariana Speckmaier to spin onto it with a weak shot that just evaded Charlotte Newsham at the near post and ended up in the net.
It should have been a demoralising goal in the rain, but it didn’t dampen the Charlton spirits.
Back on the attack in the 42nd and a cross was controlled by Lucy Fitzgerald in the box. Muya swung a foot at it and the ball flew wide. But from that goal-kick, the ball to the halfway line is thumped back up by Muya and Toland’s attempted header goes backwards to Sarah Wilson who tried to nod it back to her keeper but was weak. Fitzgerald got there ahead of her and got face-to-face with the keeper, confidently lobbing Sheppard from close range making it 2-1 to the Addicks.
You must make the most of it when you are on top and Charlton did. A turnover saw Newsham’s shot blocked which then came to Mason who fired it back at goal from way out. A touch on the way through saw it go for a corner. Nothing comes from the first or second, but third time is the charm.
As the ball came in, Gillian Kenney got her head to the ball forcing Sheppard to save. She palmed left and Elisha N’Dow gor there first with her back to goal. A moment of brilliance saw her back heel it into the crowd and Kenney was there to toe it into the net, making it 3-1 to Charlton in the third minute of first-half stoppage time.
The half-time whistle soon followed, and Charlton get into the break 3-1 ahead.
Durham made two subs in the break and that seemed to galvanise them into action, changing the game for Charlton from a focus on attack, to defence.
This change demonstrated the brilliance of Whitehouse and that was epitomised in the 73rd minute when a free-kick for Durham right on the edge of the box hit the wall and the rebound came back to Beth Hepple who fired it back at goal. It was destined for the bottom corner until Whitehouse had other ideas, making a brilliant save and pushing the ball out for a corner which led to nothing.
Durham got back into the game in the 85th minute when N’Dow scored an own goal from a corner and that could have started a nervy last few minutes for the team, however, three minutes later, the two-goal cushion was restored.
A launch up field from Whitehouse saw the ball knocked onto Emma Bissel. She charged at the goal with full awareness of her surroundings and squared it for Lockwood to tap into an unguarded net and dispel any worries. 4-2 and three points for the Addicks were confirmed soon after.
The Addicks are back in action at on Wednesday, February 18th, as they travel to play Ipswich. Charlton's next home game will be in a month’s time when we host Sunderland on Sunday, March 15th (2pm).
Secure your seats for that game now!
Charlton Athletic: Whitehouse, Newsham, Mason (Bissell 83), N’Dow, Bradley, Kenney (Thestrup 77), Fitzgerald, Hutton (Skeels 70), Muya (Lockwood 70), Lobato, Flannery
Subs (not used): Pedersen, Pearse, Finlayson, McAteer, Waldie
Goals: Muya 26, Fitzgerald 43, Kenney 45+3, Lockwood 88
Booked: Muya 67 (foul on Watson)
Durham: Sheppard, Ayre, Briggs, Toland (Collinson 45), Wilson, Hepple, Lambert, Ede (Watson 45), Speckmaier (Agg 77), Foster, Jones (McFarland 66)
Subs (not used): King, Robson, Blake, Bradley, Coulson
Goals: Speckmaier 39, N’Dow 85 (OG)
Booked: Toland 21 (foul on Bradley), Speckmaier 54 (foul on Newsham)
Referee: Alice Parker
Att: 565
