Good write up from Dr Kish. I would like to know who the trialist is? Charlton warmed up for next Tuesday's national under-18 play-off final at Brentford, with a fine performance in a friendly game at Sparrows Lane on Wednesday. French outfit, AS Meudon, provided the opposition in the game that had a 5.00pm kick-off. Meudon took the lead but the Addicks hit back to run out comfortable 5-1 winners. Brandon Hanlan notched the first two goals, before a talented trialist came off the bench to notch a hat-trick. Though his first two goals were tap ins, his third goal was a good strike. Charlton: Mitov; Barnes, Stanic-Stewart, Konsa, Edwards; Bone, Kelly, Charles-Cook; Umerah, Hanlan, Lookman. Subs: Beeney, Zomarno, Simpson, Leon, Maloney, Birch, Carey, Millar, Lapslie, Trialist, Anderson, Bah. Goals: Hanlan 2, Trialist 3.
The last chance to see a Charlton team in action this season, Brentford at 7 pm. It's the only London ground I've never been to, so I hope to be there. This team could teach the seniors a thing or two about team spirit and workrate.
Charlton's U18s will take on Brentford in the Professional Development League 2 national play-off final at Griffin Park on Tuesday, May 12th (7pm)
Well done to the Yoof. It was a real backs to the wall performance in the second half, but their determination got them through against a good Brentford side. Josh Umerah got another goal. He is very raw but he is a big physical presence and he seems to know where the goal is. Just what we need in the first team. Archie Edwards, despite his size, showed us what a good player he is against a tricky opponent. I am looking forward to seeing some of these players pushing on into the first team.
Great news and great result. After last year, it's great to see us finish up winning, as Super says. Can't beat a winning mentality.
Can't help but feeling that watching the under 18s is like watching Star Trek. You just know some are gonna survive but if your in the back when you get beamed down you won't be seen again. It must be heart churning for these kids to be told there not gonna make it. I wouid find it to harsh to follow yoof football. Standing next to the dads and mums whose dreams their sons carry.
Yes it is tough for everybody. But just because a boy is rejected by one Club it doesn't mean it is the end of his career. There have been many cases of rejected youngsters going on to good careers. Wilson, Turner, Arter etc were rejected by us.
It was an especially satisfying win for me since I had a Brentford fan sitting behind me who talked incessantly about how much better than us they were, playing all the football blah blah blah, leaning forward right in my ear he was. Admittedly they did dominate the second half, but this was partly due to a brutal late tackle on Charles-Cook, after which he wasn't the same. Thankfully our back 4 rose to the occasion, and Mitov only had to watch a few long range efforts go narrowly past. Edwards has started to fill out at last and is such a classy player that I expect him to be around the first team by the end of next season. The right back Barnes might come into the reckoning at some point as well depending on what sort of squad we end up with. There's been a great togetherness about this team, and it was terrific to see them get their just rewards.
I notice he has deleted the comment but I saw it earlier, I assume he was on the buckfast last night!
