Charlton 1
Welling 0
Akpo header clips Wings
Akpo Sodje headed Charlton to a 1-0 victory in their friendly derby against Welling United at Park View Road on Tuesday night.
The striker, starting his first match of the summer campaign, rose impressively at the far post to head an equally impressive cross from right-back Chris Solly into the net eight minutes before the break.
Solly had earlier got back well in his own box to clear a Junior Dadson effort off the line, and Sodje's goal proved the clincher in front of a crowd of more than 2,000.
The match was also notable for the return to the heart of the Addicks defence of Jonathan Fortune, a free agent who has been training at Sparrows Lane after departing Sheffield United at the end of last season, while Gary Doherty and Johnnie Jackson came through their opening 45 minutes of match action of the summer.
There was another notable outing up front for Spaniard Guillem Bauza, while another new face, Etienne Esajas, went close to a second for the visitors when his low drive was well saved by Charlie Mitten.
The hosts started and finished the half well; Welling going close in between as Darren Marsden freed Dadson to cutely clip the ball over Elliot before Solly intervened.
And the right-back got forward well to clip a sumptuous centre across for Sodje to nod home as the Addicks enjoyed a purple patch.
The striker, a lively presence up front for the opening period, had put a good early chance into the road behind the goal, but Phil Parkinson will be pleased to get another game under his players' belts as the Addicks' preparations for the new League One season notably clicked up a gear.
The significant team news for the Addicks came in the shape of new signings Doherty and Jackson making their first appearances of 2010/11.
Jackson, of course, was on loan at The Valley last season, but centre-back Doherty, a League One champion with Norwich last season, pulled on a Charlton shirt for the first time.
In a far stronger starting line-up than the one which started at Wimbledon at the weekend, Alan McCormack made it a trio of summer signings by taking his place in the middle of midfield.
Sodje, signed on a permanent basis from Sheffield Wednesday at the end of last season, appeared for the first time in the summer alongside trialist Bauza, who impressed at Kingsmeadow on Saturday.
Winger Esajas got another chance to shine wide on the left with Scott Wagstaff, who netted at Park View Road in the corresponding fixture last season, on the right.
McCormack, who skippered the side, was joined in central midfield by Therry Racon, and the team was completed by keeper Rob Elliot, right-back Solly and centre-back Miguel Llera.
The hosts, managed by Jamie Day, a former Charlton community coach employee, fielded former Gillingham man Andy Pugh up front while Day himself operated in central midfield.
Charlton were off to a sprightly start and went close to breaking through after five minutes.
Good persistence from Bauza saw him rob Jack Parkinson on the left side of the box and he rolled the ball back for Sodje who, under pressure, hoisted a shot high over the bar - and into the road behind the goal.
A cross from Solly on the quarter hour saw Sodje loop a header over the bar, and the striker nodded a Llera diagonal back for Wagstaff to head wide soon afterwards.
Charlie Mitten clutched a drive from Bauza, but the best chance of the match went to Welling on 20 minutes.
Marsden did well on the edge of the area and slipped the ball through to Dadson and he cutely clipped the ball over the advancing Elliot only for Solly to get back and clear off the line.
The heavens opened after that as the durability of the new home shirt was tested, and after Wagstaff stumbled through a ricochet fell to Bauza whose looping effort was held
Esajas got away from his man on the left but his driven low cross just eluded Sodje in the middle, but the striker couldn't miss eight minutes before the break as the Addicks took the lead.
Having been goal-saver at one end Solly turned goal-maker at the other, clipping in a superb cross from the right and Sodje gleefully hung to head home at the far post.
There might have been a second for the Addicks two minutes later as Wagstaff's cross flew across the box and Esajas connected sweetly on the far side only to see his low drive well blocked by Mitten.
Bauza was narrowly wide from range at the end of the half and the interval saw plenty of changes, including a completely new yellow strip for the hosts.
There were three changes for the Addicks as Lee Sawyer, Grant Basey and Fortune entered the fray, the latter a free agent who has been training back at the club since the summer. He slotted in well at the back at a ground on which he has played plenty of times before.
Fortune was given a warm reception by the Addicks fans as he came on for the start of the second half and replaced Doherty, with Basey on for Jackson.
The third change saw Lee Sawyer replace Sodje and his move to the right flank allowed Wagstaff to play off Bauza up front.
Wagstaff came off shortly before the hour mark after being the victim of a heavy challenge, as Tamer Tuna, who played a handful of games for the Wings last season on work experience, came on.
More substitutions followed as another former Wing Carl Jenkinson, Ben Davisson, Yado Mambo, Alex Stavrinou, trialist James Mulley and Jose Semedo came on just past the hour mark, while Lucas Ming came on in goal for the hosts.
Mulley, playing in an advanced midfield role after featuring at right-back at the weekend, just failed to make contact with a teasing Basey cross, and the Hayes & Yeading trialist then shot well over 13 minutes from time.
In a match perforated by the changes, there were little openings at either end in the second period, a clearance from a home defender clattering off Mulley and into the arms of Ming seven minutes from time.
Davisson cut in from the left and shot just wide on 85 minutes and Mulley chested down a driven pass and slammed a volley over the bar soon afterwards.
There was a late chance for Tamer Tuna to double Charlton's lead after breaking clear of the offside trap, but Ming reacted well to smother at the feet of the young striker.
There was no time to restart the game and the final whistle triggered the inevitable pitch invasion at the end of a good work-out.
Charlton: Elliot (Kitteridge 76); Solly (Jenkinson 62), Jackson (Basey 46), Llera (Mambo 62), Doherty (Fortune 46); Wagstaff (Tuna 58), McCormack (Semedo (62), Racon (Stavrinou 62), Esajas (Davisson 62); Sodje (Sawyer 46), Bauza (Mulley 62).
Goal: Sodje 37
Welling: Mitten (Ming 63); Coyle (Sambrook 46, Obersteller (Rice 55), Andrews (Achempong 52), Parkinson (Clayton 55); Danson (Mason 52), Day (Cracknell 46), Marsden (Clarke 55), Fazakerley (Lawson 46); Healy (Cumbers 46), Pugh (Whitnell 46).
Ref: I Crouch
Att: 2,080