PL CUP REPORT: CHARLTON ATHLETIC U21 1-1 LEEDS UNITED U21.
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PL CUP REPORT: CHARLTON ATHLETIC U21 1-1 LEEDS UNITED U21
13 Sep 24
Whites draw in the capital.
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Luca Thomas goal cele vs Charlton U21
Premier League Cup
Charlton Athletic U21 1 (Huke 13’)
Leeds United U21 1 (Thomas 4’)
Charlton: Trialist, Hunter, Enslin (Bower 66’), Kedwell (C), Mitchell, Toure (Hobden 59’), Asiimwe (Fullah 59’), Mwamba, Mbick, Huke, Leaburn (Casey 46’). Subs not used: Woodham.
Leeds: Mahady (GK), Richards, Ferguson (Bird 66’), Monteiro, Lopata-White (C), Cresswell, Chadwick, Toulson, Thomas (Moore 75’), Coleman, McFadden (Pickles 60’). Subs not used: Grainger (GK), Render.
Venue: The Valley
Referee: Stephen Parkinson
Booked: Hobden (Charlton) Coleman, Toulson (Leeds)
Leeds United Under-21s continued their unbeaten start to the season as they were held to a draw by Charlton Under-21s to begin their Premier League Cup campaign.
A whirlwind opening few minutes at The Valley had seen Luca Thomas put the Whites ahead, but Ryan Huke levelled proceedings shortly afterwards.
Scott Gardner’s side got off to the dream start south of the River Thames, taking the lead after just four minutes. Forward Thomas initially held the ball up superbly inside the opposition half, before playing an incisive one-two with Rhys Chadwick and racing to the edge of the area.
Not to be deterred by the narrow angle, the forward marked his return to the side in emphatic fashion, drilling a superb low strike beyond Charlton’s trialist goalkeeper and into the bottom corner!
Luca Thomas goal vs Charlton U21
Looking for a swift response, Addicks midfielder Alan Mwamba slid an intelligent ball in for Micah Mbick to try latch on to, but fine positioning from Whites skipper Reuben Lopata-White allowed Leeds to clear.
United keeper Rory Mahady, who has started the season with a string of impressive displays, then made a stunning point blank save to deny striker Miles Leaburn, with Diogo Monteiro hacking clear off the line.
From the resulting corner, Mahady again made a superb intervention to tip a close-range header onto the bar, but Huke was on hand for the visitors to scramble home an equaliser, with the assistant referee confirming the ball had crossed the line.
The all-action start continued and the hosts went within inches of taking the lead after a quarter of an hour, with Mahady tipping Leaburn’s fizzing strike onto the post, before defender Joe Richards mopped up the danger.
Mahady’s busy start to the evening continued as the hosts came forward once more, denying Mwamba one-on-one with a fantastic sprawling save.
Rory Mahady vs Charlton
Nearing the half hour mark and the tie maintained its frenetic, end-to-end nature when United almost retook the lead in spectacular fashion, as Richards and Thomas linked up inside the area, with the latter seeing an acrobatic overhead kick desperately cleared by a red shirt.
It was Alfie Cresswell’s turn next to make a series of crucial blocks, firstly diverting Leaburn’s effort wide of the post as the hosts attacked down the left, before then blocking Mbick’s shot from inside the area.
Approaching the half-time whistle, Addicks forward Mbick had another sight of goal as he headed a cross over from the right, with captain Harvey Kedwell then curling wide from the edge of the area, as referee Stephen Parkinson brought an action-packed opening 45 to a close.
HALF TIME: Charlton Athletic U21 1-1 Leeds United U21
If any of the supporters inside The Valley expected both teams to slow the tempo after the interval, those thoughts were quashed moments into the half as Mwamba twisted and turned on a marauding run, ultimately seeing a powerful effort sail narrowly passed the woodwork.
Down the other end, quick-thinking from Max McFadden almost caught the Charlton keeper out from a corner, with the in-swinging delivery crashing into the front post.
As had become the theme throughout the evening in South London, one team’s attack was quickly followed by the opposition threatening themselves, with half-time substitute Pat Casey then firing over from 20 yards for the London outfit.
Rhys Chadwick vs Charlton U21
Just after the hour mark, Leeds launched a lightening counter after Oliver Pickles and Thomas linked up in the middle of the park, with the ball being worked out to Chadwick on the right.
His clever pass infield found Pickles and in turn Connor Ferguson, with the Addicks keeper making a fine save with his feet to deny the left-back.
A marauding run from Ollie Hobden then presented Casey with another opportunity as the defender’s cross rather fortuitously bounced into the midfielder’s path, but under pressure from yellow shirts, the Charlton man fired over from close range.
With five minutes of normal time remaining, desperate defending from the hosts saw a red shirt clear Cresswell’s header, after the defender met Chadwick’s corner at the back post and nodded it back into the danger zone.
In the dying moments, Pickles latched onto a loose ball and worked a yard of space on the edge of the area, drilling a powerful effort over the bar as Gardner’s side searched for a winner.
Dan Toulson vs Charlton U21
That wouldn’t be the last of the action though, as Huke thought he had grabbed a second to clinch the three points for his side by tapping home at the back post, only to be denied by the assistant’s offside flag.
FULL TIME: Charlton Athletic U21 1-1 Leeds United U21
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