Women’s football: Johnson nets on debut as Charlton Athletic open with 2-0 win at Southampton

Mel Johnson grabbed a debut goal as Charlton Athletic beat newly-promoted Southampton 2-0 on the opening day of the Women’s Championship at St Mary’s.

Emily Simpkins opened the scoring from the spot, to open her account since moving from Brighton & Hove Albion.

It was a frosty welcome to the second tier for the hosts, who were also playing their first competitive match as a full-time club.

But Charlton were ruthless and deserved to inflict a first Southampton defeat in nine months, with Angela Addison’s second-half saved penalty their only blemish.

For 20 minutes the sides were evenly matched, Saints striker Katie Wilkinson going closest with a dipping free-kick.

But the visitors soon took the lead after an almighty scramble in the six-yard box was temporarily cleared by the Saints defence.

New signing Addison was felled in the box, with captain Simpkins dispatching the penalty emphatically to the right.

Charlton continued to threaten, Heidi Logan laying off when she should have shot and Emma Follis flashing a cross past the goalmouth.

And later Southampton keeper Kayla Rendell had to backpedal to tip a looping Sophie O’Rourke effort round the post.

Two minutes after the interval, Charlton had a second, but not before Lucia Kendall headed into Rogers’ gloves from close range.

Johnson, who scored five times for Bristol City last season, skipped into the area and fired low into the far corner. And with 20 minutes remaining, Addison could have wrapped up the match, only for Rendell to brilliantly save her spot-kick.

Charlton boss Karen Hills, asked about Addison’s performance, said: “What a signing. I’m super pleased with how she’s come into this environment. She’s focused, willing to work so hard for the team, all the attributes I knew the kid had. She was unlucky to miss the penalty. She deserved to stand up and take it but obviously it’s not a strength of hers. But we know what her strengths are, and I’m just pleased that she’s with us and no one else in this league because she’s going to be a frightening talent this season.

“We needed to come here and get those three points however it was going to look and I don’t think we looked pretty in the second-half. I don’t think we were at our best. There’s obviously a hell of a lot more to come from us. But at the same time, like any opening game, all you want is your team to get three points and keep a clean sheet and we achieved that today.”

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