Charlton see off young U's
The U’s U21s lost 3-1 at home to Charlton, with all three of the visitors' goals coming in the final eight minutes.
The first half had ended goalless but it only took the U’s seven minutes of the second period to take the lead.
Jack Compton’s powerful shot rebounded down off the crossbar and the assistant referee immediately signalled that it had crossed the line.
A strong finish by the visitors claimed the points though, with goals coming in the eighty second and ninetieth minute giving them a 2-1 lead before a third in injury time completed the scoring.
On a wet and windy night, the game started with both sides trying to keep patient possession of the ball and move their opponents around.
On a wet and windy night, the game started with both sides trying to keep patient possession of the ball and move their opponents around.
It was the visitors who had the first sight of goal though, with a shot from distance deflected wide for a corner.
That set piece came to nothing but at the other end, a corner for the U’s produced a half chance for Ben Coker.
The corner came in from the right, Matt Heath headed back into the danger area and as that was cleared to the edge of the area, Coker struck his effort wide.
The conditions caused the next scare for Charlton, with Bennett’s right wing cross being caught in the wind and forcing Button to tip it wide before it could sneak in at the far post.
On thirteen minutes, Ricardo Fuller created a chance for himself but Shaun Phillips saved at his near post.
Button made a more comfortable save a few minutes later, taking Jordan Sanderson’s effort at chest height.
Alex Gilbey then had an effort that had the pace taken off it by a defender before it reached Button in the Addicks’ goal.
And as the U’s started to exert some sustained pressure, Tosin Olufemi shot over the bar after receiving a pass from Sanderson.
Gilbey was inches away from converting a low cross from Tunwa and then Jack Compton caused panic in the Charlton area on two occasions.
First, his cross was flapped way by Button as a number of U’s players were closing in and then he shot narrowly wide after cutting in from the right.
Fuller then got himself another sight of goal but once again, Phillips got down sharply to save.
In the last few minutes of the half, the two sides swapped chances, with Harriott shooting over before Gilbey had an effort blocked.
At the start of the second half, Freddie Ladapo could have opened the scoring but after latching onto a defensive mistake, he miscued his shot straight at Button.
Sanderson then shot over from distance as the U’s dominated the early stages of the half, and that dominance resulted in a goal for the home side on fifty two minutes.
Jack Compton picked the ball up and after working it onto his left foot, rifled a shot in from an angle that rattled off the crossbar. The assistant referee immediately flagged that it had crossed the line and the U’s were 1-0 up.
A minute later, Compton almost doubled the lead but Button got down to his right to save from a free-kick.
The visitors made a couple of substitutions around the hour mark, bringing on Smith and Fox for Harriott and Fuller.
On sixty seven minutes, Charlton felt they should have had a penalty, as a forward went down under pressure from a U’s defender but the referee waved away the appeals.
A third substitution was then made by Nathan Jones for the visitors, with Ajeyi entering the fray for the final twenty two minutes.
An equaliser should have come a few minutes later, as skipper Jordan hit a shot over from a great position in the centre of the U’s penalty area.
The visitors were turning the screw in the final stages and an overhead kick from Pigot went narrowly wide with nine minutes remaining.
A minute later and it was all square, as Jordan’s free kick was cruelly deflected by U’s defender Taylor Parmenter, wrongfooting Phillips in the U’s goal.
The visitors then won the game as the game in the final stages, with substitutes Fox and Smith scoring on ninety minutes and in injury time respectively to make the final score 3-1.