WITH competition for places in the Charlton line-up intense, newcomer Bradley Pritchard will do everything he can to continue his Cinderella success story.

The 25-year-old spent his early career in the Blue Square North and Premier Leagues, before his impressive spell at Hayes & Yeading culminated in being recruited by Chris Powell in his new-look Addicks side.

Pritchard impressed in brief cameos both in pre-season friendlies and in the opening league fixture against Bournemouth, but the size of the squad and reduction of available substitutes has made pitch time a luxury.

But after Powell made 11 changes for the 2-1 win over Reading in the Carling Cup, the Zimbabwean-born midfielder was one of those who took the opportunity with both hands.

After his man-of-the-match performance, Prichard said: "I was really looking forward to playing for 90 minutes.

"We've all been training well as a squad but when you've had three wins in four games it shows the players the gaffer has put out there have done well.

"They took their chance and are playing really well so everyone else has to wait patiently, work hard in training and just go from there. If you get an opportunity, you try to take it."

Pritchard was millimetres away from opening his scoring account at The Valley shortly after Paul Benson had put the Reds 1-0 up in the first half.

His lob over an advanced goalkeeper after good hustle from Benson was only kept out at the last gasp by a superb overhead clearance from right-back Shaun Cummings.

Pritchard admitted it was an agonising turn of events, saying: "I was trying to blow it in!

"I tried to urge it in but the defender made a fantastic clearance, I don't know how his hamstrings are still attached.

"It's a shame, but hopefully there'll be more chances for me to score and to be of use for the team. It's just one of those."

The former Nuneaton and Tamworth man is still coming to terms with the magnitude of his switch from semi-professional football to the former Premier League Addicks.

He explained: "I do still have to pinch myself when I walk into training and I see the players I used to watch on TV.

"It's cool and I really enjoy it. It's an unexpected opportunity that I just want to take.

"In the Conference, everything is very hustle-bustle, second balls and giving it to the full backs to ping it over.

"There's a way of playing and it's very intense so you try to cope, but the main difference is the quality of the players you come up against.

"If you give a ball away here, more often than not they will do something with it and punish you so you need higher levels of concentration and it is one thing that's definitely rubbed off on me from the lads here."