Albie Morgan scored the winner as Charlton U23’s won their fifth league victory in six, beating Hull City 2-1 at the Valley on Monday afternoon.
The Addicks made a slow start to the game as Jon Beale’s Hull City side spent most of the first 10 minutes camped in the Addicks’ half and it took until the 13th minute of the match to see a shot on goal as the away side’s Jan Toral managed to sky one over the bar.
Hull continued their early dominance as the midfielder Tyler Hamilton opened the scoring just four minutes later. He curled it in from just inside the box, beating trialist Nathan Harness as it went into the bottom left-hand side of the Charlton net.
Wassim Aouachria brought the hosts back onto level terms following a free-kick as Jo Cummings’ header rocketed off of the post, with the striker on hand to hook the ball into the top left-hand corner of the net in the 30th minute, scoring his fourth in the league since joining the club in January.
Harness had a difficult first half and it almost got worse on the stroke of half time as the keeper slid in and brought down Tigers’ attacker Toral who stepped up to take the penalty, only to see it well saved from the Addicks’ trialist stopper, who got down well to keep it out.
Mark Marshall’s cross in the 49th minute raised an eyebrow as it almost curled past Callum Burton into the Hull net and an otherwise-quiet second half sprung into life when Addicks midfielder Albie Morgan buried the ball home to make it 2-1 after Tigers keepers Callum Burton had parried away an initial shot in the 75th minute.
Billy Chadwick missed a golden opportunity late in stoppage time, sending a header inches past the post, but Charlton survived that late scare to earn a 2-1 victory on a sunny afternoon in SE7.
The win meant that Charlton remain sixth in the Professional Development League Two – South table, two points off Bristol City.
Jason Euell’s youngsters’ next test will be a local derby against Millwall at The Valley on Tuesday, April 2nd, kicking off at 1pm.
Charlton U23’s: Harness, Yao, Stevenson, Keefe, Cummings, Pratley, Lapslie, Marshall (Andall-Gibbons 83), Morgan, Ocran (Anderson 69), Aouachria (Odoh 65).
Subs (not used): Newcombe, Barton
Booked: Pratley (foul on Lewis-Potter)
Goals: Aouachria 30, Morgan 75
(Images: Tom West)
(Report by: Brandon Prangell)