CHARLTON emerged victorious in their final pre-season friendly against Bournemouth at the Fitness First stadium on Saturday.

Goals from Therry Racon and Lloyd Sam in each half came either side of a Brett Pitman penalty on the stroke of half-time, as manager Phil Parkinson fielded a near full-strength side with the season due to kick off in seven days’ time.

The Addicks took nine minutes to really threaten to draw first blood, with Sam, in great form so far in pre-season, beating two markers out on the right and squaring to Matt Spring, who could only fire wide.

Moments later, Cherries winger Liam Feeney sent in a good cross for towering forward Steve Fletcher, whose header provoked a fine parry at full stretch from Rob Elliot.

The visitors continued to have the lion’s share of the attacking play, however, and skipper Nicky Bailey, playing out on the left flank, rattled the crossbar with a fierce drive.

And the breakthrough came on 21 minutes, as Racon’s volley from a cleared free-kick took a deflection off the outstretched leg of Pitman and past goalkeeper Shwan Jalal.

Izale McLeod could have made it two in as many minutes from Kelly Youga’s low cross, but the unmarked striker was unable to keep his shot on target.

With half an hour played, McLeod appeared to have got his goal when played through expertly by Sam, but the linesman’s flag had been raised, unbeknownst to everyone else at Dean Court – including the man on the tannoy system.

Andy Gray, making his first appearance in a Charlton shirt since January, had his first clear-cut chance at goal five minutes from time, but couldn’t connect fully with a volley on the turn three yards out.

And two minutes later, the hosts drew level when a controversial penalty was awarded for an alleged handball in the box by Racon, and Pitman completed the role reversal of the opening goal from twelve yards.

Nonetheless, the Addicks came right out of the blocks after the interval, with Racon, Gray and Shelvey all having efforts blocked inside the box, and Sam mis-hitting the rebound from the latter from eight yards out.

As the game approached the hour mark, tenacious work from McLeod and Jonjo Shelvey resulted in Lloyd Sam latching onto a loose ball and firing low under Jalal to reclaim the lead for Charlton.

Racon almost followed this up immediately with his second, his superb curling drive from over twenty yards out rattling the crossbar, with substitute Deon Burton nodding the rebound wide.

Halfway through the second period, it was Sam’s turn to strive for a brace; his placed shot from the edge of the box requiring a fine parry over the bar from Jalal.

And with ten minutes remaining, Grant Basey’s dangerous curling cross from the left was inches away from the onrushing Burton and Shelvey, while at the other end Sammy Igoe’s belter caught the underside of the crossbar and bounced out to safety.

In the closing stages, two Shelvey free-kicks threatened to put the result beyond doubt – the first parried by Jalal; the second crossed in from the left and onto the head of Miguel Llera, who was offside.

The friendly fixture ended on a sour note, however, when Chris Solly fell afoul of a reckless challenge from Bournemouth triallist Nana, and was stretchered off five minutes after coming on from the bench.

Charlton: Elliot; Richardson, Dailly (Mambo 90), Llera, Youga; Sam, Racon, Spring (Shelvey 46), Bailey (Basey 73); Gray (Burton 55), McLeod (Solly 86 [Stavrinou 90]). Subs not used: Randolph, Small, Wagstaff, Fleetwood.