Cambridge United 3 Charlton 1
A youthful Charlton side bowed out of the Carabao Cup in the second round, falling 3-1 to Cambridge United.
The hosts struck twice inside the opening half-hour before Ibrahim Fullah halved the deficit with his second goal in as many cup games just before the break but a second half Cambridge goal proved to be too much for the Addicks.
Nathan Jones made 11 changes from Saturday’s Championship clash with Leicester City, handing starts to summer signings Joe Rankin-Costello, Harvey Knibbs, Charlie Kelman and Tanto Olaofe, while academy graduate Ollie Hobden made his senior debut.
Charlton created the first opening when Olaofe headed wide from Fullah’s cross, but Cambridge soon went ahead. A slick move of one-touch football sliced through the Addicks’ defence in the 15th minute, with Elias Kachunga finding space down the left before pulling the ball back for James Brophy to calmly slot home.
Kelman tested the defence with a blocked effort soon after, but the U’s doubled their lead on 29 minutes when Kylian Kouassi shrugged off his marker and fired powerfully beyond Ashley Maynard-Brewer.
Jones switched to a back four before the interval, sparking chances for Karoy Anderson and Kelman. Moments later, Fullah pressed high to win possession and drove forward before drilling a superb low strike from 23 yards into the bottom corner to give Charlton hope.
The visitors started the second half brightly, with Anderson heading narrowly over from Rankin-Costello’s cross and Knibbs drawing a low save from Jake Eastwood. But against the run of play, Cambridge restored their two-goal cushion when Zak Bradshaw reacted quickest to a rebound after Maynard-Brewer had produced a fine stop.
Both managers turned to their benches as Charlton would have ended the game with 10 academy graduates on the pitch but for the late sending off of Anderson, dismissed for a second bookable offence.
The Addicks will look to bounce back in the league on Saturday when they travel to Queens Park Rangers.
Cambridge United: Eastwood, Watts, Brophy (Kaikai 62), Kachunga (Bennett 82), Knight (McConnell 71), Ibsen Rossi, Mpanzu (Ball 62), Kouassi (Appere 62), McLoughlin, Bradshaw, Gibbons (c)
Subs (not used): Hughes, Purrington, Loft, Hoddle
Goals: Brophy 15, Kouassi 29, Bradshaw 55
Assists: Kachunga 15, McLoughlin 29
Charlton: Maynard-Brewer; Laqeretabua, Mitchell, Gillesphey (c) (Gough 75); Hobden (Mbick 64), Knibbs (Enslin 64), Rankin-Costello (Mwamba 64), Anderson, Fullah; Olaofe, Kelman (Rylah 64)
Subs (not used): Mannion, Ewens-Findlay, Reid, Lock
Goal: Fullah 44
Booked: Olaofe 33 (foul on Watts), Gillesphey 45+2 (foul on Kouassi), Hobden 57 (foul on McLoughlin), Anderson 60 (foul on Kouassi)
Sent-off: Anderson 90+12 (high foot - second bookable offence)
Referee: David Rock
Attendance: 3,231 (736 from Charlton)
