Report & Highlights: Palace Women suffer first loss at Charlton

• Kaminski makes one change to high-scoring side against London City Lionesses, Dennis replacing Gibbons
• Charlton are quick out of the blocks and take the lead in the 14th minute through Addison
• Palace settle into the match; Blanchard forces Sian Rogers into a save.
• Negri stops Green’s effort from outside the box
• Hughes levels the game after nodding in from rebound off the crossbar
• Sharpe lets fly from outside the box but her shot drifts wide.
• Charlton restore their advantage when Green’s header is deflected past Negri
• Palace equalise again quickly as Dennis hits a long-range piledriver – a goal-of-the-season contender
• HT: Charlton 2-2 Palace
• Chances are harder to come by in the second-half
• Negri makes a comfortable catch to deny Ayisi early on
• Substitute Johnson puts Charlton ahead for the third time, scoring with her first touch
• Bailey-Gayle almost grabs another equaliser off the bench, but Rogers gets just enough on her lob
• As Charlton sit back, Palace unable to find a way through for the third time
• FT: Charlton 3-2 Palace

The hosts saw most of the possession during the opening stages, leaving Palace to absorb pressure.

Despite having a lot of the ball, it was on the counter where Charlton were looking the most dangerous, testing the resolve of the Palace defence with speedy moves forward.

A ball flashed across goal from the right by Freda Ayisi was the Addicks’ first half-chance of the game, as Palace’s defence held firm during the opening 10 minutes.

The deadlock was soon broken though, as Charlton found the back of the net in the 14th minute. After some quick feet by Ayisi in the middle of the park, she slotted a through-ball in between the defence for winger Angela Addison, whose first-time strike from just inside the box arrowed past Natalia Negri into the top-left corner.

Though the fast-starting home side had taken the lead, Palace settled into the game and were soon on the offensive.

The Eagles’ first shot on target came from Annabel Blanchard, whose long-range strike was held by Charlton goalkeeper Sian Rogers, before Molly Sharpe headed wide on the 20-minute mark.

The visitors kept building on this positive momentum and were able to earn themselves an equaliser.

The in-form Blanchard effortlessly juked through a couple of defenders inside the Palace penalty area and played in a low cross that was flicked on by former Charlton player Elise Hughes. The ball found its way to Araya Dennis, who hit a first-time driving effort that cannoned off the crossbar. Hughes reacted quickest though, as the striker capitalised on the rebound and headed home to level things up.

It was sign of things to come as the match developed into an end-to-end affair with much of the action originating out wide.

Addison and Dennis in particular were both proving to be handfuls for the respective opposing defences. Sharpe also got another sight of goal, with an attempt from outside the box just floating wide of the target.

Despite marked improvement, the Eagles found themselves behind again in the 41st minute. A free kick from the left-hand side was lofted in by Carla Humphrey and met by Kayleigh Green, whose header was deflected and drifted past Negri.

Palace were not trailing for long, however, thanks to one of the goals of the season two minutes later.

Charlton failed to properly to deal with a corner and the ball fell to Dennis outside the box. The teenager struck it first time, crashing in an effort from around 30 yards out that ricocheted off the underside of the crossbar and crossed the goal line.

This capped off an action-packed first half at the Valley, with nothing to separate the two sides.

The second period was much more cagey as it appeared that both squads were more wary of the other's threats.

Negri was called into action a couple of times early in the half, including after a long-range hit by Ayisi, but was not particularly troubled.

Following a fairly lengthy period with no clear-cut chances for either team, the hosts snatched the lead again. After some good work by Green holding the ball up in the penalty area, the ball was moved on to Charlton substitute Melissa Johnson who, with her first touch of the game, curled a shot towards goal that Negri got a palm to, but was unable to keep out.

It was a heavy blow for the Eagles, who had already fought back from behind twice.

Palace’s best chance at a third equaliser came in the 82nd minute – Paige Bailey-Gayle latched on to a long ball and attempted to lob Rogers but the goalkeeper got a hand on her shot and just about managed to keep it out.

Despite battling to the very end, Palace were unable to break down their south London neighbours again, and fell to their first defeat of the Women’s Championship season.

Laura Kaminski’s side, fourth in the table, now look ahead to their next fixture, a trip to Watford on November 5th.

Palace: Negri (GK), Reilly (Cataldo, 90+3), Everett (c), Nolan, Doran, Filbey (Arthur, 78), Hopcroft (Guyatt, 90), Dennis (Bailey-Gayle, 78), Blanchard, Sharpe, Hughes

Subs not used: Lambourne (GK), Johnson, Potter

Charlton: Rogers (GK), McKenna, Roe, Skeels, O’Rourke, Ross, Longhurst (c), Humphrey (Johnson, 75) , Addison (F. Godfrey, 60), Ayisi (N’Dow, 88), Green

Subs not used: Gray, McGowan, Muya, Roche, Bashford, H. Godfrey