Charlton Athletic 1 Leyton Orient 0 (Wembley)
Exhausted, but the best kind of 🔴⚪️
I learnt a long time ago that these kind of days do not come along very often, and when they do you have to soak it in, cement it into your memory. Soak it in, Addicks.
It was quite apt that it was Macaulay Gillesphey who was our goal scoring hero this afternoon. Oft maligned including on these pages, Macaulay is in many ways the poster child for Charlton’s incredulous season turnaround.
The game was another tight, tense encounter of few chances that had to rely on one moment, and that came in the 31st minute when Gillesphey curled in a left-footed free kick that their keeper could only get a finger to as it fizzed into the net.
And then fizz did the Charlton end of Wembley.
Before that there was little between the sides. The O’s tried to play it through the middle a couple of times, but were snuffed out by Charlton’s redoubtable defensive team.
The 2nd half carried on in the same vein, but then came a five minute spell when we really had our backs against the wall.
An O’s shot was deflected wide of Mannion’s goal, from the resulting corner another shot was fired over and then the most heart-in-the-mouth moment came when a deflected drive bounced off and then over the bar.
That sparked a couple of changes from Jones as Watson replaced Small, and Anderson took Gilbert’s place.
Anderson was immediately busy and set up Docherty for a shot that was also deflected and had their keeper backpedaling to push it over.
The Addicks end was making an incredible noise at this point, but then came a long delay for reason unbeknownst to anyone in the stadium. It turned out that the referee had a VAR technical breakdown. It would’ve been nice to have been told.
If anything the delay helped us as we comfortably moved into injury time, nearly all of which was due to the official’s issues. By that time Aneke and Mbick had replaced TC and Godden, which raised an eyebrow amongst us, but they both helped close the game out. Aneke in fact a had a shot that was saved.
As the clock ticked down Mannion came out and calmly collected three crosses and the last one via a free-kick was celebrated like a goal and then that was it. The Championship beckons.
This club ♥️
🎙️“I didn’t come here to be a League One manager, I came to be the Charlton manager.” – Nathan Jones
⭐️ Lloyd Jones
🏟️ 76,193 (40,000 Charlton)
📸 Paul Edwards
Nathan in the dressing room Priceless …. As for the blocks of thousands of empty seats , just makes my blood boil having been to Two Sunderland Finaks, but denied tickets for this final. Hope that Charlton take up a major complaint with EFL AND WEMBLEY as to why thousands were denied the chance to be there today . Amazing noise from those that were there however. UP THE ADDICKS
In LA couldn’t enjoy the game…was a bag of nerves all game. Everytime they came charging down, I expected the worst…with their goal scoring record. Those 10 second half mins seemed like an eternity as they seemed like scoring. But hadn’t counted on our much already proven defense holding out once again and great to see Mannion keep coming out to catch the ball…but the early season much maligned Gillesphy…what a great bend to the ball even Beckham would have been proud.
Twenty five clean sheets(?) …never thought I would see the day especially when six months ago we seemed to be throwing away goals every game. What a turnaround.
Now to start worrying about next season:)
What an unbelievable end to an amazing season! This was my third Wembley play-off final with Charlton and I am pleased to be able to say that I have a 100% win record.
It was fantastic to be among so many Charlton fans, although I did wonder where the extra 15,000 came from and how many of that number had actually seen us play this season. But no matter. Let’s just hope that many of those come along to watch a game or two next season.
I cannot praise the team enough for their efforts since Christmas and keeping three clean sheets in the play-offs was a magnificent achievement.
Tonight I feel just like the little boy that I was when I started watching them in the 1950s!
Brian Goddard
Same here Brian but I watched on TV!
Who,at Christmas, would have bet on us staying up,let alone get promoted. Ever since the play-off places were cemented I have worried about us having to play Orient. Today on neutral soil that worry came true. However, our defence was superb, masterfully led by Jones who won every arial duel, and strong fullbacks who protected the flanks. The midfield worked their socks off,and likewise Godden and Campbell.Our 39,000 fans were as good as a 12th man, and it seems NJ is indeed The Messiah. Now lets see if the owners back him again in the closed season, to strengthen a squad that is good enough to consolidate a position in the Championship. Today was a day for us Addicks to celebrate, God knows we have waited long enough for some good news. Today at around 4pm we had it in abundance. COYR’s.
I think the owners will back him.. they were prepared to back in January but he declined. So contract issues to be sorted out first and then starting signing some players. We cant just throw money around but it certainly will be better than Bowyer had when he got us up.
Three clean sheets in the play-off matches, I think its 25 or 26 all season. In those three PO matches we stopped first Richard Kone and then Charlie Kelman with 50 goals between them. That’s really where we won promotion. Our defence was solid, but we defend so well as a team.
And that gives us another great moment, I don’t think the promotion has sunk in yet.
We need to evolve the team and we have some serious backing behind us, but the squad needs work – we were pretty much down to 18/19 players over the last few weeks, a few players need to be rotated out while some of the younger ones need a loan spell.
I hope the management team and the owners have looked at how clubs have fared in recent seasons after promotion and don’t assume that a team that has just gone up it can stay untouched.
We have a good system and infrastructure to fall back on in the Championship and the work done to boost the off-field team has been positive.
Fixtures are out on June 26th.
I think that Mannion deserves praise for his calm manner in recent games. Playing out from the back no longer causes concern and his catching of crosses when under pressure also no longer gives concern. He has proved a worthy first choice, a great free transfer.
The squad will need some significant additions. The defence is solid with Alex Mitchell and Zach Mitchell as cover. Cover is needed for Edwards as the poor run of results in the Autumn coincided with the time he was injured. If Watson moves on then cover will also be needed on the RHS. A playmaker(s) is needed to bring constructive ability to the midfield. The present players work hard but that little bit of flair is missing. The strike force needs to be augmented. Leaburn and Aneke have had significant
injury problems and Ahadme has been extremely poor. Mbick needs to play regularly in the U21s and in my opinion is a long way away from being in the first team squad.
I will be closely watching Asiimwe this afternoon in Div2 playoff. He has been playing very well as an attacking wing back in recent matches and could provide cover for Small if he maintains his progress.
Mannion was very assured in recent games. His three catches late on were calmness personified.
Since my eldest son became a father (three and a half years ago) his time for football has been heavily curtailed. So much so that we both stopped buying season tickets.
However I desperately wanted him to come to Wembley yesterday, partly for selfish reasons as my health isn’t what it was.
So I sought out two tickets, what a struggle it was. But unlike others I finally succeeded in getting two together.
These two seats were at the very top of the stand, three rows from the back wall.
The view from there is what you could call panoramic. Unfortunately it is so far from the action, I felt no real contact with the game going on below. In that sense the match had none of the passion of 2019 (and obviously not 1998)
Naturally we were delighted with the victory and the return to the Championship, which I have always felt our natural home in the English pyramid.
Three play-off finals at Wembley, three wins. 🙂
The players and manger now deserve some time away. When they begin again next season, it will be a huge challenge. We must not lose this opportunity so hard won.
What a great day….so much atmosphere and Nathan,players and coaching team can be really proud of what’s been achieved.
I had a seat close to the pitch and just absorbed fantastic atmosphere created by Charlton fans….brilliant !!!!
Next season will be brilliant and let’s hope the Valley can be filled by Charlton fans and who knows what can happen.
I’m please youvwere able to be there CA and fight home must have seen you with a really big grin on your face !!!
Still smiling, Cliff 😁
Me too CA and I travelled home in a tube carriage full of disappointed Orient fans and I still smiled….
It’s funny I only saw two Orient fans all day, and they were on the tube afterwards from Green Park to London Bridge. We got out together to be met with one massive chant of Allez, Allez…. 😃
Unfortunately didn’t go as my best friend who I go along to Charlton with and his son, had just had a hip operation, so went over his house to watch it with him, first playoff final we have missed! 🙁 But his son went along with his family and our other friends and they had great seats! 🙂
Anyway a nervy game, but the defence was immense and kept us in it with others who helped out. We were on tender hooks watching the last 20 minutes, as we honestly didn’t think we would have done it, had the game gone to extra time or penalties!
A great day for all us Charlton fans but lets hope this time, we can now bring in some really decent players, to add to the ones who we already have and offload the others, as we don’t want a repeat of last time of going straight down again!
COYR
PS Glad you made it CA 🙂
Thanks Mike. I’m sorry you didn’t. I think it is worse watching it on the box.