The Addicks fielded a strong looking team against a Gibralter Xl on Wednesday evening. The match was played in southern Spain, at the mountain resort of La Cala.
There were starting berths for recent signings, Tal Ben Haim and Johann Gudmundsson, and George Tucudean was on the bench.
The Addicks looked much sharper than in their opening friendlies and could have gone ahead after just 3 minutes, when Joe Pigott’s thunderous header from a Morgan Fox cross cannoned back off the bar.
Igor Vetokele looked sharp and had a couple of chances before Gibraltar took the lead against the run of play after 22 minutes, when Rafa Barrios took advantage of a defensive mix up between Tal Ben Haim and Nick Pope to slot into an empty net.
Charlton continued to dominate proceedings and were rewarded after 35 minutes, when Vetokele tapped in Callum Harriott’s left-wing cross from close range.
The Gibralter keeper was forced to tip a Vetokele header over the bar shortly afterwards.
Pigott had the opportunity to give the Addicks the lead just before the break when he took advantage of a defensive lapse, but fired straight at the keeper.
Two minutes after the break, Charlton did go in front when Harriott was played in by Gudmundsson and finished with aplomb.
Eight minutes later, Vetokele notched his second of the night with another close range finish after the keeper failed to deal with a cross.
The usual plethora of substitutes began coming on around the hour mark. Tucudean was introduced on the 70 minute mark and the Romanian took just seven minutes to punish another defensive mix up with an easy finish.
The scoring was completed after 81 minutes, Simon Church broke clear to fire home.
Bob Peeters will have been pleased with his team’s performance and clinical finishing.
Charlton: Pope (Mitov 87); Wilson, Bikey (Morrison 80), Ben Haim, Fox (Wiggins 70); Gudmundsson (Nego 70), Buyens, Jackson (Cousins 80), Harriott (Ansah 59); Pigott (Tucudean 70), Vetokele (Church 59).
Goals: Vetokele 35, 55, Harriott 47, Tucudean 77, Church 81.
Jason Euell’s Under-21 side were also in action on Wednesday. Horrific delays on the road led to the kick-off being delayed by 15 minutes. The referee was caught up in the snarl up and had to be replaced by Nigel Lugg.
The Addicks line-up included trialists Anthony Jeffrey, a former Wycombe winger who came through the Arsenal academy, and former Chelsea academy striker, Chike Kandi.
Both of them done there chances of earning a contract no harm with goalscoring performances in a 4-1 win.
Charlton’s other scorers were Karlan Ahearne-Grant and Joshua Umerah, with Lewwis Spence netting for Thurrock.
Charlton: Beeney; Osborne (c), Taylor, Thomas, Holmes-Dennis; Browne, Gerrard, Muldoon, Kandi; Sho-Silva, Ahearne-Grant.
Subs: Cumberbatch, Gough, Pyke, Kennedy, Edwards, Jeffrey, Holiday, Carriero, Umerah.
Goals: Kandi 17, Ahearne-Grant 24, Jeffrey 52, Umerah 79.
Thurrock: Walker; Gent, King, Honeness, Moore-Azille; Sutton, Martin, Spence, Reynolds; Warner, Stimson.
Subs: Ibe, Jex, Gleed, Rome.
Goal: Spence 43.
Referee: Nigel Lugg (Surrey).
