Charlton fought back from 2-0 down to level the scores at 2-2 only to suffer defeat to London City Lionesses in a seven-goal thriller at The Oakwood.
The game was played in front of a crowd of 553, a large increase on the 364 who watched last season’s opening home game.
The Addicks lined up in the same 4-2-3-1 formation that was so successful in last week’s 2-0 win at Southampton and started well, with Heidi Logan pouncing on a loose ball and shooting just wide.
The visitors came to spoil the party though and Jamie-Lee Napier gave them an 11th minute lead before a driven strike from Atlanta Primus put the Lionesses 2-0 up in the first 15 minutes.
After some Lionesses’ pressure the Addicks began to build back into the game causing problems down their right through Logan and Beth Roe.
It was from play down the right that Karen Hills’ side pulled a goal back. Mia Ross fed the underlapping Roe breaking into the box. The full back was fouled by a Lionesses’ defender and referee Lauren Impey had no option but to point to the penalty spot.
Simpkins stepped up and confidently dispatched a low penalty, which gave Shae Yanez no chance, despite the Lionesses’ goalkeeper guessing the right way.
Later in the half Simpkins curled a free kick just wide as the Addicks’ hunted for an equaliser but they were unable to trouble Yanez again before half-time.
Hills opted to make two substitutions at the break with Ross and Logan, who both received treatment in the first half, making way for Elisha N’Dow and Freda Ayisi.
The Lionesses could have gone 3-1 up five minutes into the second half but former Addick, Lily Agg, volleyed wide from eight yards out.
The Addicks levelled through Follis five minutes later. The attacking midfielder found some space in the penalty box and when the the ball deflected back to her, she smartly placed a low, left-footed effort into the bottom corner of the opposition's goal.
The visitors re-took the lead just past the hour mark with a wondergoal from outside the box by Rodgers.
Agg then did score against her former team in the 74th minute, capitalising on a goalmouth scramble to pass into an empty Charlton net.
The Addicks had late chances, and Ayisi saw a free kick well saved, but were unable to get back into the game.
A patient crowd waited right until the end to applaud both teams following a long delay for treatment to Charlotte Fleming, who had to be carried off the pitch on a stretcher and was taken away in an ambulance.
However, the drama was not over, with Corinne Henson poaching her first Charlton goal, 24 minutes into stoppage time, to give the home side hope. Referee Impey brought proceedings to an end just over a minute later as the Addicks fell to their first defeat of the season.
Charlton: Rogers; Roe, Godfrey, Skeels, O’Rourke; Ross (N’Dow 46), Simpkins (Henson 82); Logan (Ayisi 46), Follis, Addison; Johnson (Rutherford 64)
Subs (not used): Soper, Bashford
Goals: Simpkins 30 (pen), Follis 55, Henson 90+24
London City Lionesses: Yanez, Fleming (Girasoli 90+12), Rodgers, Agg (Kitching 77), Napier (Hopcroft 77), Bennett (c), Nolan, Muya, Fitzgerald (Shepherd 64), Primus, Joel
Subs (not used): Pedersen, Neville, Heuchan
Goals: Napier 11, Primus 15, Rodgers 62, Agg 74
Attendance: 553
