Charlton Athletic 2 Sunderland 1

You’ll never going to believe us, but the reds are going up. Allez, Allez, Allez.

Well, what a journey that was. What a day. What a team, what heroes Lee Bowyer and Johnnie Jackson are. Yesterday will be a day Addicks, team and supporters as one, will remember for the rest of their lives.

The finer details of the game are a little blurry. It was game that flipped from scrappy to nervy to a finely balanced battle. It’s interesting that reports of the game seemed to think we were deserving winners. I wasn’t so sure from where I sat, but Sunderland are a very functional side, hard to beat, but lacking flair. Meanwhile Bowyer has put together a team that can change a game, be the more adventurous, can play around sides. The first goal, which was pure poetry, a great example.

Set against a wall of noise nothing much happened until the 5th minute and almost in front of us Naby Sarr passed the ball back to Phillips in slow motion. What a horrendous moment. I wasn’t sure how we were ever going to come back from that. The goal threw cold water over our end of the stadium. My brother said to me the good thing was that it was early. There wasn’t much else good about it.

Importantly Phillips then made an excellent save getting down low to his left. Sunderland’s fans enjoyed that start, but in a noise possession stakes, it was the Addicks making most of it. On the pitch though it was apparent that it was taking a long while to pull ourselves together.

Getting the equalizer before half-time was crucial. Purrington arriving late at the far post, not put off by Pratley hurling himself at the ball, to convert a Taylor cross after a lovely passing move. Addicks’ fans shook the stadium on it’s foundations. Bielik skipped the celebrations and made his way over to Phillips to hug him.

Bowyer is not afraid to make a half-time substitution. Possibly he started too defensive, although Pratley played well and after the own-goal we needed all the old heads we could get. Pearce contribution was great as well but I like Bielik in midfield and he started to get his foot on the ball.

Off the bench Aiden McGeady may have got the welcome of the messiah, but it was Jonny Williams who made the biggest difference to the game. Whilst others squandered possession or just wanted to pass it on quickly, Williams found space and time and ran at Sunderland’s tiring defence time and again.

The clocked ticked on, 76,000 plus people awaited the inevitable extra time, and we looked knackered. Christ I was knackered. Yet, in those last few minutes it was us who pushed men up to get the win. A couple of outside edge of the box free kicks, the last of which both Pearce and Bauer stayed up. We picked up the ball in middle of the pitch and it was worked out to Aribo, who flicked it to Cullen….

Hell, I don’t need to describe the goal, you like me would have watched it a gazillion times. It’s a thing of beauty and Bauer’s determination to first win the header, and then to sweep his foot at the loose ball from a sitting position brought absolute delirium and celebrations.

93.55 minutes on the clock, and we partied like it was 1998.

Addicks at Wembley Stadium: Doctor Kish; Addicks Third Division Diary; Albury Addick; And Nothing Else Matters; Blackheath Addick; Drinking During the Game;
Bow: “It was a crazy game wasn’t it. Nothing is straight forward with us. Obviously the mistake early on. I can’t say I’ve really ever seen that before, especially in a final. It shows the character of the players that were put together. I’ve been saying all season that we’ve got a unique group of players. I’ve said it so many times. They could have easily gone under there once we gave that goal away but they didn’t, they were brave and they were men.“
Photo: @K_AndrewsPhotos