SWANS: Captain Yori Griffith strikes in stoppage time as Swansea U21s fight back to beat Charlton

A goal down, twice denied by the woodwork and pegged back from the spot. Then the skipper had the final word in Landore.

Steffan Evans
4 Min Read
Swansea City Under-21s captain Yori Griffith, wearing the armband, slides on his knees in celebration under the floodlights.
Captain Yori Griffith celebrating a goal for Swansea City Under-21sSwansea City FC

Captain Yori Griffith struck deep into stoppage time as Swansea City Under-21s came from behind to beat Charlton Athletic 3-2 at the Joma High-Performance Centre.

Thomas Woodward scored twice for the young Swans, who were bouncing back from a 2-0 defeat by Coventry City.

Charlton arrived after a 4-3 loss to Cardiff City, and for the first half they looked the sharper side.

Shia-Lee Burnham puts Charlton ahead

The visitors leaned on their physical edge in a cagey opening, and made it count midway through the first half.

Ellis McMillan slipped Shia-Lee Burnham through on goal, and the striker finished calmly past Evan Watts.

The Swans had already been forced into an early change, with Kaven Bloniarczyk replacing right-back Thomas Searle.

Woodward fired over from the edge of the area early on, and had the best chance to level before the break. Played through one-on-one, he couldn’t keep his shot down.

Ramon Rees-Siso also had an effort deflected wide, and Ben Lloyd’s free-kick from the edge of the box flew over.

Twice off the woodwork after the break

Carter Heywood, last season’s academy player of the season, made way at half-time for Gregory Asemokhai, and the Swans came out with more purpose.

Two minutes after the restart, Griffith drove through midfield and found Rees-Siso, whose shot hit the post.

Kai Rhodes was next to be denied by the frame of the goal, curling one towards the far corner after cutting in from the left.

Watts kept the Swans in it with a save from McMillan, while Charlton keeper Lyndon Tas stopped Woodward at the other end.

Thomas Woodward double turns it round

The pressure paid off on 67 minutes. Rees-Siso won the ball back, and Rhodes squared for Woodward to finish.

Woodward had his second seven minutes later, turning his marker in the box and firing Rees-Siso’s pass into the roof of the net.

Charlton weren’t done. McMillan levelled from the penalty spot on 78 minutes.

Yori Griffith wins it at the death

The Swans kept pushing. Substitute Alex Godfrey fired wide, and Tas saved from Rhodes.

In stoppage time, a loose ball dropped to Griffith on the edge of the area, and the captain struck it home.

The win lifts the Swans to third in the Professional Development League.

Swansea City Under-21s team v Charlton

Swansea City Under-21s: Watts, Searle (Bloniarczyk 22), Clarke, Evans (Robinson 62), Parker, Heywood (Asemokhai 46), Rees-Siso (Godfrey 77), Griffith (capt), Woodward, Lloyd, Rhodes.

Author

Steffan Evans

Junior sports reporter


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