Another cracking win from the U21s. According to Global we haven’t got any decent youngsters which is palpable nonsense. Why do we keep winning by 5 and 6 goals? Charlton's U21s recorded an emphatic 6-2 win against Stockport County on Tuesday night to progress to the Premier League Cup round of 16 in style. There were five different goalscorers for the young Addicks at Princes Park, alongside a Nathaniel Mapengu own goal, as Chris Lock's sealed pole position in Group H with an extraordinary second-half turnaround. It was the visitors who edged ahead early on as Che Gardner was slipped in on goal and he found the back of the net with a composed finished inside 14 minutes. The Hatters went two goals to the good shortly after as a neat move was converted by Marcus Kouam at the back post. Charlton responded well to the setback, pulling their first goal back almost instantly. Toby Bower stood over a free-kick on the edge of the 18-yard box and showed superb technique to lift his strike over the wall and into the top corner. Lock's team drew level after the interval through a bit of fortune in the six-yard box. Kai Enslin thundered a pass across the face of goal, which was turned into the back of the Stockport net by Mapengu, who was unable to clear. Just four minutes later and the turnaround was complete for the young Addicks! Patrick Casey showed incredible bravery to head the ball across the box under pressure from the onrushing goalkeeper and Kaheim Dixon was on hand to poke home into an empty net. Substitute Ollie Hobden added Charlton's fourth with 18 minutes remaining. An initial corner was met at the front post by Mason Hunter, whose touch fell to Hobden in the six-yard box. The wing-back made no mistake, tapping in from close range to provide a comfortable cushion for the young Addicks. A relentless second-half performance from Charlton yielded another two goals in the final 10 minutes. Josh Laqeretabua was next to net as a corner was cleared as far as the defender, who thundered an effort into the back of the net from 12 yards. With six minutes left on the clock, Reuben Reid rounded off the scoring, racing on to Enslin's superb through ball and converting with a driven effort just inside the Stockport box. The U21s return to Princes Park on Tuesday. February 18th as they host Millwall in Professional Development League Two (KO 1pm GMT). Charlton: T.Reid; Laqeretabua, Hunter (c), Bower (Hobden 45); Fullah, Huke (Safa 80), Mwamba, Wales (Kedwell 61), Enslin; Casey (R.Reid 68), Dixon Sub (not used): MacLorg Goals: Bower 24, Mapengu (own goal) 54, Dixon 58, Hobden 72, Laqeretabua 80, R.Reid 84
No disrespect to this thread, but I have wondered for several years now what is the point of CAFC having an academy, and a strong U21 team? If the purpose is to help youngsters in our community (SE7 and the neighbourhood) then I am all for that. In a similar way I value what our women's team does as a positive influence for the community. But I don't get the impression that our academy makes the first team any stronger. As far as I can tell Charlton has had an excellent and admirable academy for pretty much the whole of the last 15 years. Yet in that same time period the Club has slid into decline, and is now as good as worthless & making up the numbers in the 3rd tier. All traces of our Premiership and even Championship legacies gone, Aside from the Valley - which isn't ours anymore and won't be our home for many more seasons. Would CAFC be in an even worse state than we are now if the academy had just been closed down a decade ago? Surely, with the exception of Lookman, the academy has cost more money than it makes year after year. Who was our last academy star to play 100 games for the first team? Maybe I am wrong about some of the above perceptions. I'm always thinking back to Brentford - a fantastically successful Club that doesn't have an academy as far as I'm aware.
@Dick Plumb1 I have seen a low energy comment elsewhere along the lines of it doesn’t much matter if we sell Leaburn & T.Campbell this summer, as there will soon be others to replace them from the Academy conveyor belt. Setting aside for a moment that 99.9% of normal fans wish to suppprt a club that is a lot more than a player production factory, as an avid follower of the Under 21s perhaps you could comment on whether we have any ready made replacements coming thru , albeit to be sold ?
Here’s how our U21s line-up in this morning’s friendly fixture against Sparta Rotterdam U21s: MacLorg; Hobden, Hunter, Laqeretabua; Fullah, Kedwell, Mwamba, Wales, Bower; Casey, Huke Subs: Sadler, Toure, Gough, Valentine, Dawkins, Belton, Safa Match is being played in Rotterdam. 2-1 at half time.
He looks a very intelligent footballer to me. Should be knocking on the door next season. He doesn't look an out-and-out striker the way he plays, more a no 10. But then I haven't seen him since he came back from injury.
It finished Charlton 1 Millwall 0. Not a great game lots of endeavour. Ryan Huke scored for us from a cross by Kanu.
Not great. It was that sort of game. Nobody really stood out. Our Under 21s according to the Fat Controller are no good. Even though he hasn’t seen them. The question I would ask is why we keep on winning.
Kanu's progress has been disappointing, considering his goalscoring feats on his way through the rank. His main attribute now seems to be his pressing.
