Matty Godden: Reaction of Charlton fans to my play-off winner will stay with me forever

Matty Godden says that his winning goal for Charlton Athletic in tonight’s League One play-off semi-final will be something he remembers for the rest of his life.

The Addicks’ top scorer pounced in the 81st minute to put the hosts ahead in front of a packed Covered End.

Godden has bagged 22 goals this season since making the transfer from Coventry City in the summer.

But the clincher against Wycombe Wanderers this evening sets up a Wembley showdown with Leyton Orient.

Asked about reaching that showpiece fixture, Godden said: “It feels amazing. I don’t really know how to sum it up. It was a bit of an out of body experience when the goal went in – it was so loud and the atmosphere was incredible.

“All I could hear for five or 10 minutes afterwards was my song and it was incredible. To do that in front of all of my family and friends that were here, it is something that is going to stay with me forever.

“I could see that Lloydy was going to get his toe to it and it looked like the keeper didn’t quite want it. As soon as he got his toe to it and the richochet I knew if I get take a touch, I managed to stay calm and in the moment. Easy job putting the ball in the back of the net.

“They changed their style of play to stop us from pressing, like we did in the away league fixture. They had a completely different style of play and we pressed the life out of them and won 4-0. So we knew the two ties were going to be completely different. They were never going to do that again and play into our hands.

“It was a cagey affair and luckily it came to me in the moment and I put the ball away.

“That (a play-off final) is what we wanted at the start of the season. I say the start of the season, we had the tough times before December and then from December onwards we were eyeing the play-offs. We got there and we’ve got a day out at Wembley.

“We never lost belief we could do it. You saw that tonight. We knew in the 90 minutes we would get a big moment and we know, shooting towards the Covered End, it always gives us an extra 10 or 20 per cent.

“We said at half-time: ‘This is our time, this is our moment’. We’ve been waiting to shoot towards them all tie. It is an incredible day for the football club.

“It (the crowd) was ridiculous. I didn’t quite take it in walking out because I was too in the zone and concentrating. I’ve heard about the fireworks, flares and fire – a wall of posters in the Covered End. I’ll have to look back at the pictures to see what it looked like.

“That will live with me for the rest of my life, them singing my name for five or 10 minutes after my goal.”

PICTURE: ALAMY