Tuesday's results set up an interesting finish

After Portsmouth lost 2-3 at home to Peterborough and Sunderland were defeated by a last minute goal at mighty Fleetwood, Saturday becomes much more interesting from a Charlton perspective. Luton and Barnsley have secured automatic promotion and I didn't want to face the Tykes in the play offs.

Charlton could finish third but that would not necessarily mean meeting a faltering Doncaster. Sixth place could be taken by a resurgent Peterborough who, as we saw earlier in the season, can be a bullying side.

Peterborough may not find an in form Burton easy to defeat at home, but equally Doncaster may not find Coventry there for the taking in their home game. Southend at home to Sunderland have everything to fight for, but Portsmouth can probably overcome the thugs from Accrington at home.

I'm not that good at predictions, but one possible scenario is that Charlton finish fourth and play Sunderland but with the second game at home. My pharmacist, a black cat, has been forecasting all season that we will knock them out in the semi-finals. Perhaps. What is clear is that we need to beat Rochdale decisively.

Our sister site discusses why Sunderland's finances require promotion: Sunderland's financial plight

Equally, failure for Charlton could lead to the loss of our manager (if he has not been driven out by incompetent contract negotiations) and key players.

Roland accuses CARD of 'soft terrorism'

In an interview in Belgium, Roland Duchatelet has described the recent visit of CARD to the Belgian Embassy to raise issues about his conduct in charge of Charlton as 'a form of soft terrorism'.

He said, 'Everything is going well now, the club is playing well.' It's never just been an issue about results on the pitch.

'Selling a club is not as simple as buying a club,' says the man who famously didn't do a good enough due diligence job when he bought Charlton.

Evidently the visit has rattled him.

Josh Cullen gives thanks

Josh Cullen says that his year at Charlton has been a priceless experience and Lee Bowyer has been brilliant for him. He hopes to claim a first team place at West Ham next year (well, maybe): Hoping to establish himself at West Ham

Cullen has not always been the most obvious player on the pitch, but his contribution has been considerable. The more general issue his impending departure highlights is the need to rebuild the team whether we go up or stay in League One. The first step along that road is a proper contract offer to Lee Bowyer. A giant step would be the departure of the barmy Belgian, but I am not living in hope despite recent press reports.

Who could we face in the play offs?

Louis Mendez and one of his respondents on Twitter have worked out we could face any one of eight teams in the play offs. Admittedly, some outcomes would require some very strange results. The most likely semi-final opponents are Sunderland.

It's a remote possibility, but I just hope it isn't Coventry City. [As things worked out, they only managed a draw with Shrewsbury today and are out of the reckoning]. We lost twice to them this season, even though I didn't think they were that good in either match (I went home and away). But they were still singing about the three spires at Charlton Station as if they had won the cup.

I do have some sympathy with Sky Blues fans because of the way they have been treated by Sisu, among the worst of the rogue owners. But that's as far as it goes.

My non-league team Leamington have a song about why the fans don't support Coventry. We beat them 5-0 at the New Windmill Ground a few years ago in the Mayoral Cup and they have never shown their faces there since. They don't loan us Academy players like the Baggies, Blews and Saddlers.

Historically, Leamington used to be a strong area of Villa support with several coach loads of supporters going to home games. These days there seem to be as many supporters of Birmingham City or West Bromwich Albion. Sky Blues supporters are thin on the ground. My next door neighbour used to support them because his sons did, but he now goes to Wasps rugby games.

The play offs are a lottery. Either Sunderland or Portsmouth would be tough opponents, Barnsley perhaps more so. But we do have momentum, and we do have Lee Bowyer and Lyle Taylor. We are second in the form table, albeit behind Portsmouth, but well ahead of Sunderland.

Betdaq to end shirt sponsorship

Betdaq is to end its shirt sponsorship at Charlton. This is part of a more general pull back from shirt sponsorship by betting companies with GVC Holdings, the owner of Ladbroke's and Coral, calling for all sponsorship of shirts by betting companies to end to reduce gambling harm: Ban on gambling ads proposed

I do not know how much the shirt sponsorship is worth to Charlton, but it can't be a great deal of money.

Nine Premier League clubs have betting companies as their main shirt sponsor, the most lucrative deal being for £10m at West Ham: Betting company deals

Victory at Gillingham

Charlton won at Gillingham this afternoon for the first time in nearly forty years, defeating the Gills 2-0 in front of 2,306 Addicks enjoying the amenities of the temporary stand. It was the sixth clean sheet in eight games for the Addicks. Victory was achieved without Lyle Taylor and Patrick Bauer who were left out after picking up minor knocks.

On 19 minutes a last minute challenge from one time Addick Fuller denied Williams. Two minutes later Phillips tipped the ball over after an angled shot from Campbell.

Shortly afterwards Aribo made it 1-0 to the Addicks. A Purrington cross hit a defender. Phillips had to fist away a corner.

Sarr hit the crossbar with a ball from a corner. Then on 41 minutes Cullen scored his first Addicks goal. A Williams shot was spilt by Holy and Cullen scored from six yards.

On 55 minutes Vetokele was denied when he was one on one with the keeper and another shot deflected for a corner. Two minutes later a close range effort from Purrington was save by Holy.

On 78 minutes Williams was replaced by Parker to some boos from the home crowd. He managed to give the ball away twice in his first five minutes on the pitch.

Morgan replaced Lapslie on 86 minutes. Cullen headed over from an Aribo cross when he should have made it 3-0.

Elsewhere Luton lost at Burton, allowing Barnsley to draw level with them on points after a home win over Blackpool. Portsmouth and Sunderland drew and Doncaster managed an away draw at Oxford.

The report from Louis Mendez can be found here: Another clean sheet

Curse of Charlton strikes before game

Managers are often sacked after they fail to beat Charlton. However, this time the curse of Charlton has struck before the match has taken place. Gillingham sacked manager Steve Lovell this afternoon.

Lovell was in charge for 18 months and had a year left on his contract. The immediate reaction of Gills fans on social media has been one of shock, stating that he was a 'club legend'. It has been pointed out that he was operating on a small budget.

Mark Patterson will be in charge tomorrow.