Two second-half goals courtesy of Emma Follis and U21 Addick Taylor Bell earned Charlton a 2-0 victory over the Eagles in the final Continental Cup group stage game.
Karen Hills named five changes to her side that beat MK Dons 3-1 in the Vitality Women’s FA Cup at the weekend, Taylor Bell, Boo Mills, Honor Norton and Courtney Cook were all called up from the U21 side, and new Addick signing Alex Hennessy was also named in the squad.
It was an evenly matched affair in the opening exchanges at a cold and wet Oakwood, Bell was the first Addick to show attacking prowess attempting to slip a through ball into the path of Melissa Johnson but she put just too much on the pass.
The wind certainly played a part in proceeding as Beth Roe saw too of her corner balls shortly after only finding the roof of the net.
Palace then came surging forward through Paige Bailey-Gayle her shot was blocked and the rebound after was cleared away by some resolute Charlton defending.
Freda Ayisi almost opened the scoring for the visitors on the stroke of halftime after some good linkup plays with Johnson, Ayisi attempted to sidefoot the ball into the far corner but her attempt went just wide of the post.
The Eagles then came up with a chance of their own this time it was Annabelle Blanchard who sent her snapshot inside the box sailing over the bar.
Just before the interval Addicks's top goalscorer Johnson had the ball in the back of the net but the celebrations were quickly halted as she was flagged for offside.
The second half started much like the first with little to choose between the sides, Eagles forward Hollie Olding came blazing down the centre s but her curling strike glanced wide of Jessica Gray’s post.
Fifteen minutes from time Emma Follis found the back of the net for the home side, it was Bell who broke down from the left cut inside and swung a ball to Ayisi who then flicked it on to Follis who swept it into the back of the net.
Palace very nearly equalised moments later but goalkeeper Gray pulled off a superb fingertip save to push the effort over the bar.
On the stroke of 90 U21 player Taylor Bell produced a moment to savour netting her first Charlton goal! Follis travelled down the middle of the park she shifted it to Ayisi who cut it back inside to Follis' initial shot was saved by the glove of Natalia Negri but Bell was there to fire in at the back post.
The win puts Charlton second in Group D, the final fixture of the group between Bristol City and Lewes will be played out on Wednesday, January 18th. The top team in Group D will qualify for the Quater-Finals.
Charlton: Gray, Johnson, Simpkins (C), Ayisi, Hennessy, Skeels, Rutherford, Bashford, O'Rourke, Roe, Bell
Subs: Rogers, Follis, Bruton, Addison, Mills, Norton, Henson, Cook, Ross
Crystal Palace: Negri, Doran, Johnson (C), Filbey, Gibbons, Peplow, Noble, Guyatt, Bailey-Gayle Sharpe, Blanchard
Subs: Kitching, Haines, Arthur, Waldie, Hughes, Olding, Reilly
Attendance: 302