CHARLTON boss Phil Parkinson hopes to add around eight new faces to his thin young squad after the Addicks began their pre-season with a defeat at AFC Wimbledon.
Parkinson named four trial players in his first half XI, with a strike pairing of Spaniard Guillem Bauza and Icelander Gunnar Thorvaldsson, as well as a wide midfield duo of ex-Barnet man Lee Sawyer and Dutchman Etienne Esajas.
The second half saw another two enter the fray, with former Hayes & Yeading right-back James Mulley and Reading academy graduate goalkeeper Ross Kitteridge getting a taste of the action.
Miguel Llera was the only experienced defender to start the friendly, while new signing Alan McCormack partnered skipper Jose Semedo in the centre.
Charlton’s quartet of first half triallists looked eager to impress in the early stages, but the first real chance came for the hosts ten minutes in when Jon Main beat the offside trap and shot inches over the bar.
Moments later, Main struck again after being set free by South Korean Tae Hun Kim’s clever headed flick only for a goalline block from Basey to deny him on this occasion.
The Addicks began to take over possession as the half hour mark drew near, and yet it was Wimbledon again with the closest chances as Luke Moore capped off a decent counter attack by blasting wide.
Charlton should have taken the lead on 38 minutes when Llera’s trademark long diagonal pass was nudged past goalkeeper Jack Turner by Thorvaldsson, only to somehow find the lone Dons defender standing inside the open goal.
Both sides rung the changes at the interval, and only Basey and Rob Elliot remained on the pitch. However, within minutes they found themselves behind courtesy of Javon Molloy who tapped in after Elliot had saved from Ismail Yakubu.
Halfway through the second period, Elliot made way for Kitteridge while fellow starter Grant Basey made way for young Joe Carter.
But highlights were few and far between for either side as the game wore on with the exception of the hosts doubling their lead with eight minutes to go as Lee Minshull raced into the Charlton box and finished coolly past Kitteridge.
Despite this, Mulley almost scored a scorching consolation moments after the restart, driving a 30-yarder marginally over.
First half: Elliot, Solly, Llera, Jenkinson, Basey, Sawyer, Semedo, McCormack, Esajas, Bauza, Thorvaldsson.
Second half: Elliot (Kitteridge 67), Mulley, Mambo, Cousins, Basey (Carter 67), Wagstaff, Stavrinou, Racon, Davisson, Tuna, Perkins. Att: 1,417
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