Olly Sanderson grabbed the winner as Fulham’s under-21s came from behind to win a five-goal thriller against Charlton Athletic at Sparrows Lane this afternoon.
The Whites made a winning start to their pre-season programme but they had to graft against an impressive Addicks outfit, who showed plenty of spirit as well as quality in the final third. It looked as if it was going to be a straightforward assignment for Hayden Mullins’ side when Tom Wingate and Aaron Loupalo-Bi, two of his most reliable forwards, combined to conjure up an opening goal inside four minutes.
The hard-working Wingate was the provider with a low cross from the flank that Loupalo-Bi steered in from close range at the far post with a minimum of fuss. Fulham made most of the early running with Farhaan Ali Wahid seeing a shot blocked by a defender after he latched onto another Wingate cross before Luke Harris, who has been linked with a loan move to Charlton this summer, shot wide from the edge of the box.
But the hosts hit back through a fine free-kick from their number eight and a close-range finish after the Charlton number 12 had skipped round Marco Underwood to take a 2-1 lead into the interval. Mullins made ten changes at the break, with Trialist B going close as he drilled a shot straight at the home goalkeeper. Two of the substitutes combined to bring Fulham level with Terrell Works supplying a precise pass for Tom Olyott to lash in a left-footed finish.
Sanderson completed the comeback just three minutes later, spinning away from his marker after some superb hold-up play and rifling a right-footed effort into the bottom corner of the net. The striker might even have scored a second late on as he came agonisingly close to connecting with Olyott’s low ball into the box.
FULHAM UNDER 21s FIRST HALF XI (4-3-3): Underwood; Gofford, Nsasi, Esenga, Schutter; Nwoko, Trialist A, Harris; Wingate, Loupalo-Bi, Ali Wahid.
FULHAM UNDER 21s SECOND HALF XI (4-3-3): Kaiser; De Jesus, Cooke, Amissah, Slade; Nwoko (Gofford 70′), Trialist A, Olyott; Trialist B, Sanderson, Works.
GOALS: Loupalo-Bi, Olyott, Sanderson.
