The lowdown on Charlton Athletic 1 Wycombe Wanderers 0 – Matty Godden fires Addicks into League One play-off final

Charlton Athletic set up a Wembley showdown with Leyton Orient for a place in the Championship thanks to Matty Godden’s late goal.

Here is the lowdown on the match.

THE LINE-UPS

Charlton Athletic: Mannion, Ramsay, Gillesphey, Jones, Coventry, Docherty, Edwards, Small (Aneke 71), Campbell (Watson 89), Gilbert (Anderson 84), Godden. Subs not used: Maynard-Brewer, Mitchell, Kanu, Mbick.

Wycombe Wanderers: Ravizzoli, Grimmer, Bradley, Taylor, Reach (Westergaard 87), Simons (Kodua 87), Leahy, Udoh, Humphreys, Kone (Onyedinma 73), McCleary (Sadlier 87). Subs not used: George, Low, Bakinson.

SNAPSHOT OF THE GAME

Another cagey affair with chances at a premium. Wycombe started brightly but Charlton ended the first period on top and should have led when Lloyd Jones somehow headed wide from close range.

More of the same after the break but the game began to stretch as both sides started to try and force the issue. The Chairboys could have edged ahead inside the final 15 minutes but for two thunderous blocks from Kayne Ramsay.

And the tie was settled nine minutes from time as Lloyd Jones caused chaos in the Wycombe area – the ball falling for Matty Godden six yards out. Cue bedlam in SE7.

TACTICAL APPROACH

Nathan Jones made two changes from the drab goalless draw at Adams Park on Sunday – with Theirry Small fit enough to start on the right and Alex Gilbert perhaps a surprise inclusion from the off with Luke Berry unavailable.

The game transpired with limited chances for both sides – in a similar vein to Sunday. He made a bold call to replace Thierry Small with Chuks Aneke as the forward returned from a three-game suspension.

Karoy Anderson was already prepped to come on as Godden snatched the winning goal. The midfielder did eventually enter the play soon after the goal, before Tennai Watson came on for the final minutes to ensure the Addicks protected their lead and their trip to the national stadium.

STAR MAN
Macauley Gillesphey. Repelled plenty in the air and did well to force Richard Kone wide when he bore down on goal in one of Wycombe’s few big opportunities.

BEST MOMENT

The eruption of noise when Godden planted the winner in the back of the net. Football fans live for moments such as that and The Valley was a very special place to be when that went in.

MOAN OF THE MATCH

The play-offs aren’t healthy. Nobody should be put through 90 minutes of that gut wrenching, nerve shredding action. And we’ve got to do it all again on Sunday week.

A TALKING POINT DOWN THE PUB

You don’t get many nights like that in football – whether you’re involved as a player, manager or bellowing out your support from the terraces.

For the long suffering fans, it will go down as one of the most memorable evenings at The Valley in many a year. From the fireworks as the players entered the field to the pitch invasion that greeted the final whistle, there was a real feeling that the club and it’s support base had finally awoken from the slumber that has hung in the air over the last five years. All the years of grey nothingness faded away, traded for noisy hope, expectation and celebration.

For Nathan Jones and his tireless players – the culmination of a remarkable turnaround. They were floundering in early December. But Jones has regimented a side that fought their way back in the second half of the campaign – relentless in their pursuit of success. And now they’re one game away.

One more game.

WHAT THE BOSS HAD TO SAY

“I’m just so proud of the players. The players have gone through a lot. I’ve asked them to trust me, I demand from them. I’m difficult sometimes to work with, I’m relentless, I don’t let them rest. I demand certain stuff, I question certain things they do but they’ve responded and they deserve all the credit they get. They’ve been magnificent, they really have.”

PHOTOS: PAUL EDWARDS