Charlton Athletic U18 3-2 Sunderland U18
safc.com’s Sam Lightle analyses the action from South East London as Charlton Athletic edged past Sunderland.
SUMMARY
The damage was done in the first period as the Addicks held a comfortable 3-0 lead at the break. Sam Greenwood led the charge back for the Black Cats, scoring twice, but the lads were left to ponder what might have been as they returned to the north east.
TEAM NEWS
Mark Atkinson named a strong starting XI in South East London as he looked to fine tune preparations ahead of their U18 Premier League campaign. With just three first-year scholars starting, there was a place for under-16 starlet Greenwood who came off the bench to dazzle, just as he had done earlier in pre-season.
A HALF TO FORGET
Having looked slick in their passes and movement throughout the pre-season, the under-18s were a shadow of their usual selves as Charlton stormed to victory in the opening half. That said, the Black Cats began brightly and peppered the Addicks goal only to be caught out with a lofted clearance from the edge of the hosts’ box on the counter-attack. Anthony Patterson will feel aggrieved as the low strike off the clearance slipped under him and into the bottom right corner. Shortly after, it was 2-0. This time, lax defending saw Sunderland fail to mark their runners as Charlton manoeuvred the ball across the pitch from right to left. A threaded through ball, into the inside left channel, from the hosts’ left-back carved the Black Cats in two and they never recovered as Charlton profited from a goalmouth scramble. And if Sunderland weren’t already kicking themselves, Patterson, especially, would be after the third goal went in. The Black Cats had been disappointing throughout the first period but Patterson was caught all ends up with a 50-yard free-kick that sailed over his head and into the net. It was a goal that capped off a half to forget for the lads.
GREEN LIGHT
With the game, seemingly up at only the midway stage, the Black Cats had two options. Either to concede defeat and play out the final 45 in a tight, contained manner. Or, give it a good go and show some fight and determination to get back into the game. Mark Atkinson demanded the latter and that’s exactly what he got from his side. Under-16s starlet Greenwood came off the bench and took the game by the scruff of its neck, strutting about as Sunderland worked their way back into the game. Jake Hackett’s slipped pass from the halfway sent Greenwood peeling off his man and in behind. Greenwood composed himself before dragging his left-footed strike across goal and into the bottom right corner. It was an early goal which gave the lads some much-needed confidence. Sunderland were playing with a real swagger and guile about them, laying siege to Charlton’s goal as they looked to hack their way back into the game, with only the crossbar and sublime saves keeping them at bay. Greenwood netted his second to force home Sunderland’s dominance, expertly bending a low right-footed free-kick under the wall and into the left corner. Game on.
GAME OF TWO HALVES
You simply would’ve have recognised Sunderland in the second period after their first half showing. The Black Cats continued to claw at the door but Charlton held firm to just about clinch victory and inflict defeat on Sunderland for the first time in pre-season. Frustrating, yes. Plenty to learn, yes. But Sunderland return to Wearside feeling optimistic following their character-fuelled second 45 display.
Sunderland under-18s: Patterson, Evans, Hickey, Young, McAughtrie, Best, Hackett, Connolly, Kimpioka, Connelly, Slack