Charlton U21 2-3 Fulham U21

Fulham Under-21s began their pre-season campaign with a comeback 3-2 win at Charlton Athletic. Aaron Loupalo-Bi had given us an early lead, but we were behind at the break after the hosts scored two goals in a five-minute spell at the end of the first-half. But our Young Whites hit back with two quickfire goals of our own as Tom Olyott and Olly Sanderson completed the turnaround. Loupalo-Bi’s opener after just four minutes was set up on a plate by Tom Wingate, with his low flash across the box met at the back post by the striker to tap home. Wingate was released down the right again just a few minutes later, finding Farhaan Ali Wahid at the back post, but he saw his shot blocked. Water breaks were a must on a baking afternoon in South East London – and Luke Harris had a chance to extend the lead not long after the first hydration interval, slicing his shot wide from the edge of the box. But we found ourselves down at the break as a smart free-kick from Charlton’s number eight nestled into the bottom corner beyond Marco Underwood, before their number 12 rounded our shot-stopper to convert into an empty net on the stroke of half-time. 10 changes were made by Hayden Mullins at the midway point, with the likes of Sanderson, Olyott and Terrell Works introduced. Trialist B was also among the fresh changes, but when freed down the right with space in front of him, he fired straight at the Addicks shot-stopper. Our Young Whites grew into the half, and it was an incisive reverse pass from Works that found Olyott in a promising position in the box, with the 19-year-old bringing us level with a low, crisp finish on his left foot. The turnaround was complete just minutes later as Sanderson pinned his marker in the box, rolled the ball onto his right foot and drove a strike into the bottom corner. He could have had another in the latter stages, although the striker was unfortunate not to get a toe on Olyott’s flash across goal. First-half XI: Underwood; Gofford, Nsasi, Esenga, Schutter; Nwoko, Trialist A, Harris; Wingate, Loupalo-Bi, Ali Wahid. Second-half XI: Kaiser; De Jesus, Cooke, Amissah, Slade; Nwoko (Gofford 70'), Trialist A, Olyott; Trialist B, Sanderson, Works.