Neil MacFarlane’s side were good value for their victory and could have won by more. Emiliano Marcondes came closest in the first-half, his free-kick superbly saved by home stopper Ashley Maynard-Brewer.

Pressley passed up a good chance to open the scoring on the hour but made no mistake three minutes later with a clinical finish after good Bees pressing won the ball back high. The game was then settled inside the final ten minutes with a stunning long-range effort from Hercules.

With the international break meaning no fixture this weekend Marcondes, Mads Bidstrup, and Charlie Goode were all included from the start.

The Addicks are also without a game until the Easter weekend and they named a strong line-up which included Adam Matthews, Ben Purrington, Deji Oshilaja, Ryan Inniss, Diallang Jaiyesimi, Ronnie Schwartz, and Alex Gilbey.

The opening exchanges were dominated by the home side, playing with a fierce wind at their back in SE9.

Ethan Robb recovered well to deny Eddie Allsop as a loose ball dropped for the Addicks’ midfielder and Schwartz sent a fizzing drive over the bar from long-range.

However, as the conditions eased the young Bees began to impose themselves on the game. With Goode and Robb solid at the back, Bidstrup picking up more than his fair share of second balls in midfield and Marcondes dictating play, MacFarlane’s side started to enjoy much more possession and territory.

Lachlan Brook tested Maynard-Brewer with a volleyed effort from a Pressley knock-down before the Charlton keeper kept things level with a save right out of the top drawer. Marcondes’ free-kick from 25 yards looked set to find the top corner until the Australian stopper’s fingertips diverted it up onto the crossbar.

Brook and Valgeir Valgeirsson combined down the right with the former seeing an effort deflect wide. Moments later The Bees were almost gifted the lead when Inniss and Maynard-Brewer got in each other’s way dealing with a routine cross in. The bouncing ball wouldn’t sit for Pressley to convert into an empty net and by the time the ball reached Mogensen, Charlton had got bodies back to block his path to goal.

The final chance of the opening period went the way of the home side with Jaiyesimi thrashing a shot high and wide at the end of a run from deep.

Into the second-half and The Bees continued to be the ones asking the questions. Mogensen had a shot blocked by Matthews before an even better defensive intervention from Oshilaja diverted the Danish youth international’s close-range shot up and over the bar.

Brook curled a shot off target and Pressley shot tamely at Maynard-Brewer when well placed before the goal finally came on 63 minutes. Pressley was the one with the calm finish into the corner from inside the D but the goal owed much to the work of The Bees midfield to press high and win it back for the tall striker.

The goal brought about a raft of subs for both sides which disrupted the flow of the game. The only real openings between the goal and the final ten minutes came the way of Mogensen, Maynard-Brewer dropping easily on his curling effort, and Marcondes who shot wide with the aid of a deflection.

There would only be one further effort on goal in those final ten minutes but, when it came, it was well worth the wait. Mogensen switched play from left to right to Hercules. The winger took the ball inside his man, waited for it to drop, and then cut across a right-footed volley, sending it whistling into the roof of the net from the edge of the box.

Maynard-Brewer was helpless, Hercules was ecstatic, and The Bees had a fine win to travel back to West London with.

Brentford B: Thompson; Valgeirsson, Goode, Robb, Gordon (Trialist 76); Bidstrup, Marcondes, Trevitt (Trialist 71); Brook (Hercules 71), Mogensen (Trialist 87), Pressley

Subs not used: Trialist, Trialist, Trialist, Carre

Charlton Athletic XI: Maynard-Brewer; Matthews (Barton 62), Inniss (Taylor 62), Oshilaja, Purrington; Mingi (Powell 46); Allsopp (Quitirna 46), Smith (Campbell 87), Gilbey (Anderson 76), Jaiyesimi; Schwartz (Burstow 87)

Subs not used: Harness