Charlton never make it easy. In a dramatic play off final at Wembley today, Charlton came from one goal behind to beat Sunderland 2-1 with a last minute goal to secure promotion to the Championship.
A disastrous own goal in the fourth minute cast a pall over proceedings. I think we use back passes too much at The Valley and Phillips was not able to deal with one from Naby Sarr. But 'The Cat' had his claws out and, like Richard Rufus in 1998, Ben Purrington scored his first goal for Charlton from a Taylor assist to level things up before half time.
Like many others, I thought that the pace of Williams made a big difference when he came on in the second half. All Sunderland could do was foul him.
Sunderland started to pile on the pressure in the last quarter of an hour, but the Addicks stood firm and in time added on Patrick Bauer scored the winning goal.
It was great to see Alan Curbishley shake hands warmly with Lee Bowyer. Grown, even elderly, men embraced me and one kissed me on the cheek.
If we had lost, the future for the club would have been bleak. Now we may keep most of our best players and there is an enhanced chance of new ownership.
Arrangements for the transfer of content to Addick's Championship Diary will be announced later.
Lee Bowyer said, 'It was a crazy game, nothing is straightforward with us. With the mistake early on, I can't say I've ever seen that before, especially in a final. It shows the character of the players we have put together. I have said so many times that we have a unique group and they easily could have gone under, but they were brave and they were men.'
'Once we settled down and started to pass the ball I thought we controlled big parts of the game. The club has been through some bad times. To see everyone to come together and buy into what I was asking for, what we have done is something special.'
A half decent report and pictures from the Sub-Standard, although I do get fed up with the amount of advertising crap on some newspaper pages which affects their load time: Charlton comeback
Charlton never make it easy......so very true
ReplyDeleteI was so pleased that we got the equaliser - even if we didn't win. Naby and Dillon have been fantastic this year and they didn't deserve to have to live with that. Elsewhere - immense, the team has worked hard and gone through the pain barrier to win promotion. Making it harder is the Charlton way, why change that now?
ReplyDeleteJust massively proud of the players and manager. They deserved to go up. All year the players have bought into what it is to play for Charlton and today was a special way to end a great season. The players have been class but the job Bowyer has done in bringing the fans and players together under the hardest of circumstances is staggering. Above all I think this should be recognised as Bowyer's achievement more than anyone's.
ReplyDeleteThis time in Bangkok I met other Charlton supporters, but hardly any Sunderland supporters watching the game. Very different to 21 years ago. I wonder if Duchatelet now thinks he may have done this all wrong when he saw the size of the support both last night at Wembley and at the Valley just over a week ago.
ReplyDeleteDuchatelet's ego is hard to puncture. Oddly enough when I got on the train at Leamington several Mackems got on and there were a number on the train already. I have lived in Leamington since 1974 and I have never met a Sunderland supporter before (other than my pharmacist).
ReplyDeleteDuchatelet does come across as a stubborn man, unfortunately based on ignorance. You sometimes seem similar with some of those Silicon Valley entrepreneurs.
ReplyDeleteI found out the retired managing director of the Bangkok Post newspaper and Charlton fan was Woolwich born and like me in the long gone British Hospital for Mothers and Babies on Samuel Street. Was that the closest hospital to the Valley?
Possibly. I was born at St.Alfege's (sp?) hospital in Greenwich, my father was able to go there straight from the first game in our 1947 cup triumph.
ReplyDeleteHa-ha, important things first!
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