Dagenham & Redbridge 0-4 Charlton Athletic: Addicks ease to pre-season victory at Victoria Road
BY LOUIS MENDEZ
Charlton returned to winning ways as they made light work of National League Dagenham & Redbridge in a pre-season friendly on Wednesday night.
The Championship outfit were playing their second game in as many days following last night’s defeat at Ebbsfleet, with boss Lee Bowyer once again playing one side for an hour before rotating his entire squad for the final third.
Quickfire goals from Brendan Wiredu and Tom Lockyer had the Addicks in control early on. Macauley Bonne added a third just before the break, with Ben Dempsey polishing off the display in the closing stages.
Bowyer started with the side that ended the defeat at Stonebridge Road, which meant he was able to have a proper look at Callum Harriott, who is set to train with the club for the next week or two and impressed in stages at Victoria Road.
The South Londoners had raced into a two-goal lead inside ten minutes.
Wiredu, who has dropped the Sarpong part of his moniker for the new season, thundered a wonderful volley beyond Elliot Justham after he latched on to Lewis Page’s deep cross just four minutes in.
It was the youngster’s third goal in as many pre-season games – and it wasn’t long before one of his teammates opened their non-competitive account for the club.
Lockyer found space inside the Daggers area to prod home Harriott’s corner as the summer recruit doubled the early advantage.
Academy midfielder Junior Quitirna then rattled the base of the post from range with Bonne’s rebound smothered by Justham as the visitors were in total control.
Dillon Phillips did well to push away a fierce Joan Luque drive at the other end before Bonne broke his own pre-season duck on the stroke of half-time.
Lockyer wrestled possession back in the middle of the park before feeding Harriott. The returning midfielder slipped it wide to Bonne, who fired across the face of goal where it nestled just inside the far-post.
Bowyer made his wholesale changes on the hour-mark and it wasn’t long before last season’s top-scorer Lyle Taylor tested Justham after controlling a lofted ball over the top.
Once again Chuks Aneke was looking strong in possession and it was his run and centre that was buried by Dempsey for the Addicks’ fourth.
Former Milton Keynes man Aneke then grazed the woodwork himself after wriggling his way into the area but the South Londoners settled for four as they get ready to ramp up their pre-season preparations again when they travel to Gillingham on Saturday.
PHOTOS: KYLE ANDREWS