The Addicks drew the curtain on their 2023/24 Barclays Women’s Championship campaign with a 2-0 triumph over Southampton at The Valley.
Tegan McGowan’s brace saw Charlton cruise to victory, marking the start of their permanent stay in SE7 with a win.
McGowan fired Karen Hills’ side ahead within three minutes, superbly closing down Kayla Rendell in net for the visitors, tapping into an empty net.
Shortly after, Beth Roe was called into action as Lexi Lloyd-Smith fired a dangerous cross toward the back post, forcing Roe to make an important clearance.
Angela Addison sent a sensational reverse pass down the right-flank for Karin Muya. The winger eventually crossed, forcing an important clearance from a Saints defender.
The opposition then rattled the bar twice in quick succession. Lucia Kendell was first to strike the bar, hammering a powerful effort from the edge of the box. Before Lloyd-Smith came close with a whipped cross minutes later.
On the half-hour mark Roe was there to make another vital interception as Emma Thompson ran through on goal. Making a superb last-ditch challenge to retrieve the ball inside the six-yard box.
Just three minutes later, Elisha N’Dow threw herself in front of a close range shot, denying a certain goal for the away side.
In the second-half, the Saints clipped the bar once again, this time through Molly Pike’s strike from range.
On the cusp of the hour-mark, Charlton had their second, and so did McGowan. The forward drove into the Southampton box, taking it past two defenders before slotting in at the near post to claim her brace.
It was almost a dream end to the season for McGowan as she danced through two Saints defenders, eventually sending a low effort towards goal, forcing an important stop from Rendell to deny the forward of her hat-trick.
Charlton: Rogers (Gray 77), Roe, N’Dow, Pearse, O’Rourke (McKenna 60), Skeels ©, Bashford (Longhurst 77), Humphrey (Filis 60), Muya, McGowan, Addison (Barton 71)
Goals: McGowan 3, 59
Attendance: 985
