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Academy Notes: Ollie Hobden

Charlton Athletic U18s defender Ollie Hobden spoke to Valley Gold for Academy Notes after the recent 6-0 win at Watford.

The right-back signed for Charlton aged 11 and started as a winger, before switching to the centre of midfield, and finally slotting in on the right side of the defence, and Ollie believes this versatility has added a greater understanding of other positions to his game. Speaking about the high-scoring victory for the table-topping Addicks, He said:

“We dominated early on and were able to go into the half time break with a four-goal advantage. Toby Bower opened the scoring by neatly slotting a penalty into the bottom right corner after Mack Reilly was taken down in the box within the first 10 minutes.

“Mack Reilly was then able to double the lead after Tolu Ladapo drilled a cross across the box which ended up hitting Reilly at the back post, who took a composed touch to his favoured right foot and fired the ball into the net.

“We didn’t have to wait long for our third as a few minutes later a deflected shot from Reilly found me at the back post and I was able to head in from close range. The fourth was added before the half time whistle as Ladapo finished off from a left-sided cross.

“In the second half, Sahid Kamara was able to pounce on a rebounded shot and fire the ball into the top left corner to make it 5-0, and the arrival of Daniel Kanu was met by him slotting the ball into the bottom left corner just 8 minutes after coming off the bench.

“The referee ended the game at 6-0 which showed our teams domination over Watford. The win leaves us four points clear of Ipswich Town and with a game in hand.”

Valley Gold enables supporters to play a pivotal role in the future of Charlton Athletic by helping the club to unearth talented footballers through its youth system. Valley Gold is entirely supporter-funded, with membership costing £120 per year. As a member of Valley Gold, you will also have the opportunity to scoop up to £5,000 in regular cash prizes. To learn more about the scheme or to become a Valley Gold member, please click here.