In a similar vein to last year, Charlton ran out comfortable winners, despite a goalless first-half, over Welling United at their Park View Road home ground.
Charlton started with a mixture of younger players and those who had played a big role in the League One winning team last season. Young goalkeeper Nick Pope started in goal, behind a back four of promising right-back and England youth player Jordan Cousins, an experienced central defence pairing of Leon Cort and first-half captain Matt Taylor, and left-back Cedric Evina. Danny Green and Callum Harriott played out wide for the men in the new black away kit, with Ruben Bover Izquierdo and Bradley Pritchard in the middle. Last season's top scorer Bradley Wright-Phillips started up top alongside fan's favourite Yann Kermorgant, who was playing for the first time at Welling.
The game began with a fairly even first-half, with Bover pulling the strings with some wonderful passes in the Charlton midfield and Bradley Pritchard looking as energetic as ever. It has to be said, Welling did play some good football in the first-half, and Wings player Fairweather-Johnson did manage to test Pope with a drive, but the goalkeeper handled it calmly. However the first chance of the goalless first-half came to young midfielder Callum Harriott, who squandered a Danny Green centre well wide of the goal, and eventually out for a throw-in. The best opportunity came to Bradley Wright-Phillips, who perhaps tried to do too much with Harriott's fantastic through-ball, and with his shot blocked the ball fell to Pritchard, who could only direct the ball narrowly wide of the Wings goal.
Chris Powell played a whole new eleven in the second-half, and a new formation to go with it. Spanish triallist Jacobo Sanz Ovejero started in goal, protected by 2011/12 player and young player of the season Chris Solly, powerful young centre-back Yado Mambo, Michael Morrison and Rhoys Wiggins. Powell played three in midfield, with Scott Wagstaff and captain Johnnie Jackson flanking Dale Stephens. Up front new signing Jordan Cook was given his first chance to shine alongside Danny Haynes and Michael Smith.
A fantastic move down the right between Jackson, Smith and Solly led to the opener, an own-goal by Joe Obersteller from the latter's cross. Five minutes later and Charlton had the ball in the net again, this time a Dale Stephens corner neatly headed in by big forward Smith. The next action came from the other end, with a long clearance misjudged by Morrison, allowing Ross Lafayette through on goal, but he could only find the near post, with Sanz Ovejero fast closing him down. A clever pass from controlling midfielder Stephens allowed Danny Haynes to run through on goal, but the striker was brought down by United defender Franks, and the referee immediately pointed to the spot. Jackson converted the penalty into the bottom right corner as calmly as ever, and with twelve minutes to go The Addicks were cruising. Seven minutes later Jordan Cook almost made it four, a long cross/shot from wide right hitting the crossbar. However in the 86th minute, Charlton did make it four. Another good corner from Stephens was headed home emphatically into the far corner from the near post by Haynes. The game finished soon after, and the away side will surely be satisfied with their comfortable victory.
Charlton (first-half): Pope, Cousins, Taylor, Cort, Evina, Green, Bover, Pritchard, Harriott, Kermorgant, Wright-Phillips.
Charlton (second-half): Sanz Ovejero, Solly, Mambo, Morrison, Wiggins, Wagstaff, Stephens, Jackson, Haynes, Smith, Cook.
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