Charlton 0 Scunthorpe 1 (Toney 31).

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

It ain't mathematically so. Not yet it ain't. But it's liable to be. Because in every other way, it's becoming obvious. Charlton will be competing again in League One next season. They belong there. When push comes to shove, they're just not good enough even to make the play-offs.

Back-to-back 1-0 defeats by Wimbledon and Scunthorpe thrust the tiresome campaign into sharp relief. The performance near Norbiton was ghastly and for those unfortunate wretches who suffered it, then loyally turned up at The Valley four days later, some sort of therapy might be in order. Nobody should be asked to endure twin nightmares like those traumatic ordeals. Not to mention having to pay for the bitter experience.

The tactical explanations for Charlton's prolonged demise are many and varied. Some experts advocate the diamond, some pundits prefer a more lozenge-shaped set-up, others argue for three at the back, still more big up 4-4-2. Then you've got your wingbacks, hole players, false number 9s, midfield sitters. To press or not to press, play out from the back or get it up front asap.

It's all so technical that it's likely Stephen Hawking would have failed his coaching exams miserably. On the other hand, he might have concluded that football is a simple practice unnecessarily complicated by theory. Its primary aim is to stick the ball in the net more times than your opponents and, in that regard, both Wimbledon and Scunthorpe had the edge over the Addicks.

Charlton's deceptive total of 54 league goals was swelled recently by the surprising 9-goal burst during the false dawn of Lee Bowyer's first three games in charge. Their lack of a proven goalscorer has cost them dearly in otherwise seemingly winnable games. At Wimbledon, blond-thatched Lyle Taylor seized on Patrick Bauer's disastrous slip and coolly poached the game's only goal. Taylor scored again at Walsall on Saturday and his crucial strikes will almost certainly keep modestly-budgeted Wimbledon in League One. The Dons should have been made an offer they couldn't refuse when his availability became an issue earlier this year. But imagination isn't among Roland Duchatelet's characteristics. He keeps his pragmatism close to his chest, which is where you will also come across his chequebook.

Scunthorpe's matchwinner was claimed by Ivan Toney, currently on loan from Newcastle United. His 1-yard tap-in owed more to the work of its creators Jordan Clarke and Hakeeb Adelakun but was celebrated with religious fervour. Giving thanks to a loftier presence, Ivan crossed himself, knelt in prayer, dedicated his achievement to world peace and generally carried on as if he'd scored the world's first-ever goal . He was just a little over the top which muddies the point that he was also an outstanding leader of the Iron's attack. If his magnificently struck second half volley had not been equally magnificently tipped over the bar by Ben Amos, though, the visitors might have had to collect him at an A1 service station on the way back.

Featuring on loan for Charlton in Saturday's glorious sunshine were Sullay Kaikai and Michal Zyro, neither of whom made much of a contribution. Kaikai is highly rated by Bowyer, which comes as a surprise to fans who see a trier with little else to recommend him. The Addicks improved markedly when he was replaced by feisty Tarique Fosu. Slow and clumsy, meanwhile, Zyro suffered in contrast to Toney's excellence while a third loanee, Stephy Mavididi, who replaced Joe Aribo, was again hugely disappointing.

Apart from Fosu, Amos was the only full-time Addick to emerge with credit. His early one-on-one block with his feet after Adelakun was sent clear by Duane Holmes was the first of three great saves by the defiant keeper. His instinctive, flying tip-over spoiled Toney's bid for Goal-of-the-Season and was followed by another electric reaction to beat clear Adelakun's venomous drive. No blame could be attached to Charlton's stand-alone keeper for Toney's goal.

Sprinting through a square defence on to Duane Holmes's through pass, Adelakun was offside by a whisker, wisely paused for thought, then delivered a firm, low cross which left Toney the easy task of converting from a yard out.

Toney's goal - and Taylor's before it - has probably condemned Charlton to another season in the doldrums of League One. The muffled drums are beating slowly, the fifes are playing lowly, the band is rehearsing the last post and chorus. It'll be time soon for Charlton's promotion hopes to be lowered down and for the massed pipers to lament their death with "Flowers of the Forest."

Unless, of course, they win at Shrewsbury while Portsmouth lose at Bradford, in which case... well, you can never tell with football, bloody football, do you?

Charlton: Amos, Dijksteel, Bauer, Pearce, Dasilva, Aribo (Mavididi 76), Forster-Caskey, Zyro (Magennis 53), Reeves, Kaikai (Fosu 54), Ajose. Not used: Phillips, Kashi, Lennon, Konsa. Booked: Kaikai.

Scunthoepe: Gilks, Clarke, Wallace, McArdle, Townsend, Yates, Holmes (McGeehan 76), Ojo, Moris, Toney (Novak 69), Adelakun (Vermijl 84). Not used: Watson, Bishop, Hopper, Burgess.
Referee: Graham Salisbury.

Att: 11,877 (586 visiting).

AFC Wimbledon 1 (Taylor 45) Charlton 0.

Kevin Nolan reports from Cherry Red Records Stadium.

When the dust settled following this painfully inevitable defeat, Charlton were left hanging on by a fast fraying thread to sixth place in League One. By gamely limiting fifth from bottom Wimbledon to a single-goal win, they defiantly held off doggedly pursuing Portsmouth with two precious goals to spare. The play-offs are still in their grasp. That's the good news.

The not-so-good news is that Charlton were outplayed, out-hustled and outfought by a gritty side who were willing to go an extra yard in their efforts to stave off relegation. The Dons won every 50-50 challenge; were first to every second ball; maintained their intensity from whistle to whistle. Their visitors, as the saying goes, failed to show up.

When lively Lyle Taylor capitalised on Patrick Bauer's ghastly error to score the game's only goal, he did so in the last minute of the first half. Though there were a total of 49 second half minutes available to find an equaliser, the Addicks were already a beaten side. Only the formalities were left to observe. So they huffed, they puffed, then went back and huffed some more. And they were blown away by more determined, resolute opponents.

At Bristol Rovers three days previously, the home side had been gifted the lead by Jason Pearce's woefully underpowered header intended for Ben Amos, on which Ryan Bennett pounced to prod Gas into the lead. Ben Reeves levelled before the break which, to some extent at least, got Pearce off the hook. There was no such luck here for his centre back partner.

In unchallenged possession outside his penalty area, Bauer disdained the option to launch the long ball, as Deji Oshilaja and Jon Meades, at the other end, did unapologetically all evening, but instead turned back with the obvious intention of routinely passing back to Amos. Inexplicably, his feet disappeared from under him, leaving Taylor to keep calm, carry on and coolly slot the up-for-grabs ball past the desperately advancing Amos. Playing out from the back is admirable, of course, but it shares similar perils with Russian Roulette. From time to time, there's a self-destructive bullet in the breech.

Chances before Taylor's strike were few but the Dons enjoyed what there was of them. As early as the second minute, Amos bravely left his line to save at Harry Forrester's feet, with Ezri Konsa reacting alertly in blocking Taylor's attempt to convert the rebound. As the home side continued to press, Will Nightingale headed Dean Parrett's free kick narrowly over the bar.

It's difficult to recall a shot on target from the Addicks, though there has been vague mention of one from Saturday's saviour Reeves. Doesn't ring a bell but there were three wildly wasted free kicks from Sullay KaiKai (2) and Jake Forster-Caskey, which brought with them a whiff of nostalgia for Ricky Holmes, twice Wimbledon's tormentor from setpieces. It's true that Pearce headed a Forster-Caskey corner against George Long's right hand post but he seemed unaware of his achievement and it might have been accidental. With most of the final ten minutes spent in undignified scuffling in the far left corner, as far from Long's goal as it was possible to get, Charlton's latest humiliation at the hands of pesky, troublesome Wimbledon petered out tamely.

But they're still a live entry in the struggle to nail down the final play-off spot. Upcoming games at home to Scunthorpe on Saturday and away to Shrewsbury Town and Portsmouth next week line up like murderers' row. If they emerge from that little lot still with a pulse, who knows?

AFC Wimbledon: Long, Fuller, Meades, Oshilaja, Nightingale (Charles 34), Parrett, Soares, Trotter, Forrester (Francomb 82), Taylor, Pigott (Barcham 71). Not used: McDonnell, Abdou, Kaja, Kennedy. Booked: Taylor.

Charlton: Amos, Konsa, Pearce, Bauer, Page, Aribo, Kaikai (Ajose 80), Forster-Caskey, Mavididi (Magennis 56), Reeves (Marshall 70), Zyro. Not used: Phillips, Dijksteel, Dasilva, Lennon. Booked: Pearce.

Referee: C. Hicks.

Att: 4,457 (745 visiting).

Northampton Town 0 Charlton 4 (Reeves 14, Fosu 19, 51, Magennis 79.

Kevin Nolan reports from Sixfields.

With this second impressive victory since taking over temporarily from Karl Robinson, Lee Bowyer improved his chances of landing a permanent job -at least as permanent as it gets at The Valley- as Charlton's new manager.

With the wise counsel of Johnnie Jackson at his elbow, Bowyer's combative attitude has already rubbed off on an increasingly rudderless team. Newly focused, spirited and tenacious, they're being made over to reflect their new boss' unquenchable commitment as a player, not to mention the considerable skill he brought with him in a successful career, which began as a junior Addick and ranged far and wide at the top level of English football.

After the winning start he made by seeing off in-form Plymouth Argyle, Bowyer followed up with this tape-to-tape drubbing of relegation haunted Northampton, currently managed by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, an ex-teammate at Leed United in the late 90s. Ironically, his main rival for the Charlton job is Harry Kewell, a third member of Leeds' Premiership side which trounced the Addicks 4-1 at Elland Road in November 1998. If the club, as has been rumoured, passes into Australian hands, fellow-antipodean Kewell would be favoured to take over. That would, almost certainly, be a mistake to rival the treacherous sacking of Chris Powell in 2014. And be honest, a Valley-full of sobbing, breast-beating Aussies would be difficult for us whingeing Poms to stomach.

Confident and assured, Charlton had this important win wrapped up in little over a quarter of an hour, the time it took them to move effortlessly into a two-goal lead they were never in danger of relinquishing. Smooth and fluent, they carved their way through the Cobblers' right flank, with Lewis Page played clear by Joe Aribo's weighted pass. The left back's perfectly flighted cross was met by Ben Reeves, who beat Shaun McWilliams to the ball before directing his header off Richard O'Donnell's left hand and in off a post. If, as Reeves later confessed, it was his first-ever headed goal, it was taken with surprising ease.

After Matt Grimes skimmed the bar from 25 yards, the visitors responded by doubling their lead with a splendid goal. Breaking over the halfway line, commanding centre back Patrick Bauer zipped a raking diagonal ball to Nicky Ajose's feet, over which the lively forward instinctively dummied. With the bedazzled home defenders heading in the wrong direction like so many Keystone Kops, Fosu weaved sinuously between them, defied Shay Facey's earnest effort to chop him down and created an angle for a low, right-footed drive which homed in on the bottom left corner.

So used to seeing their side falter when in the lead, a healthy contingent of travelling Londoners were unusually relaxed about their immediate future. Clearly the Cobblers' superiors, Charlton had no intention of resting on their laurels and Jason Pearce's header from Jake Forster-Caskey's corner was hacked off the goalline by Grimes. There was no sign of the nerves which so often unmanned them when in front during this exasperating season and resulted in so many disastrously conceded late goals. Calmer on the touchline than he was on the pitch, Bowyer always had a healthy distaste for losing. His new charges have inherited his hardnosed attitude. Like dogs and their owners, football teams and their managers get to resemble each other. Charlton have adopted their new gaffer's terrier-like tenacity.

Game but limited, meanwhile, Hasselbaink's men fell further behind six minutes after the interval, through another beauty from Fosu. Supplied by the quietly effective Michal Zyro, the rejuvenated wide midfielder jinked past a posse of defenders, drew a bead from 25 yards and left O'Donnell sprawling helplessly with another low shot into the bottom left corner.

Having played his full part in a team effort, Zyro was replaced by Josh Magennis, who promptly rubbed salt in Town's wounds. Picked out by Reeves' cleverly chipped cross at the far post, the selfless target man nodded in a fourth goal to round off a soggy but satisfying Good Friday afternoon in the rain.

It might prove to be too little too late but Bowyer has breathed life into Charlton's promotion ambitions. It seemed as good as over just two short weeks ago. Now they dare to hope again. Bowyer in!

Northampton: O'Donnell, Moloney (Ariyibi 41), Taylor, Buchanan, McWilliams (Bunney 52), Long, Crooks, Van Veen (Mathis 68), Facey, Grimes, Turnbull.

Not used: Cornell, Barnett, Hoskins, Pereira. Booked: Moloney, McWilliams.

Charlton: Amos, Dijksteel, Bauer, Pearce, Page, Aribo, Reeves, Fosu (Kaikai 80), Forster-Caskey, Ajose (Mavididi 64), Zyro (Magennis 66). Not used: Phillips, Konsa, Marshall, Sarr. Booked: Pearce.

Referee: Gavin Ward.

Att: 6,416 (1,208 visiting).

Southend United 1 (Cox 24) Charlton 1 (Crofts 89).

Kevin Nolan reports from Roots Hall.

Already struggling with the lengthy absence of several key players since taking over at Charlton, Karl Robinson faced fresh problems in naming his side for this difficult New Years Eve assignment by the seaside. Injured skipper Johnnie Jackson was unavailable while teenage sensation Ademola Lookman was forced to withdraw due to "illness", a sudden virus which is expected to also rule him out of Monday's home game against Bristol Rovers. You just can't mess around with these mysterious bugs, which waft in on the draft caused by transfer windows being carelessly left open. Rest is the only cure.

Lookman is apparently on his way to Everton, where rumours that he's been guaranteed a first team place should be taken with a large pinch of salt. Hardened old codger Ronald Koeman is unlikely to be buffaloed by a promising kid's agent into such a foolhardy commitment. More probable is a place in the Toffees' U-23 side, with appearances in Cup competitions an occasional sop. More than one aspiring hotshot's career has atrophied in similar circumstances because you know what George Gerschwin had to say on the subject...fish gotta swim... birds gotta fly... footballers gotta football. Let's hope the money makes it worthwhile.

At left back for the Addicks at Roots Hall, meanwhile, was Morgan Fox, currently linked with a move to  Sheffield Wednesday. Responsible pro Fox had typically resisted the germs which laid Lookman low and gamely put himself on the line for the usual hate-filled garbage he receives regularly from the anonymity of the stands. It drove Simon Francis from The Valley but he did pretty well for himself elsewhere. The intrepid Fox will leave with not so much as a backward glance at his faceless tormentors. As with Francis before him, the last laugh will more than likely be his.

The vacuum left by Lookman's inevitable departure was promptly filled by the latest cab off the Sparrows Lane rank. Up stepped Joe Aribo at Southend to mark his first start with a man-of-the-match performance. An impressive blend of industry and skill, he worked tirelessly at both ends of the field, never allowed his head to drop and supplied the last gasp assist for Andrew Crofts' dramatic equaliser. By which time he had been joined from the bench by subs Karlan Ahearn-Grant and Josh Umerah to give the Addicks irresistibly youthful momentum as the increasingly desperate Shrimpers wilted.

Twenty minutes from time, Aribo had cut in from the right to beat outstanding goalkeeper Ted Smith with a deliciously curled shot which heartbreakingly rebounded back off the bar. At the time, it seemed possible that we'd seen Charlton's best chance come and go but Aribo was having none of it. Driving powerfully into the home penalty area, he picked up a shrewd pass from Jordan Botaka, another high-impact substitute, and crossed hard and low. Meeting the ball inches above the turf, skipper Crofts buried a volley off the underside of the bar and into the net behind the valiant Smith.

On an early afternoon of lusty shooting, Stephen McLaughlin provided the first spectacular strike, with a 30-yard stunner which whistled inches wide as Dillon Phillips scrambled helplessly across his line. Josh Magennis replied for the visitors by spinning on to Crofts' pass to bring Smith down low to his left to save his firm drive.

Midway through the first half, prolific striker Simon Cox combined accuracy with power to fire United in front. Picking up the ball with back to goal as Wordsworth's corner was headed clear by Ezri Konsa, he skilfully disguised his intentions from the shadowing Magennis before turning sharply to place a vicious left-footed shot beyond Phillips' groping left hand. Before the interval, Fox cleverly slipped Aribo in to sting Smith's palms with a rising effort while, in an absorbing duel of young keepers, Phillips responded with a fine save from Anthony Wordsworth's corner- bound effort.

Resuming with added purpose, the Addicks began to take over. Magennis' pass set up Ulvestad to shoot wide, then Nicky Ajose's free kick, following Michael Timlin's foul on the persistent Aribo,was met at the far post by commanding centre back Jorge Texeira, meatily headed down but alertly flicked over the bar on the bounce by Smith. McLaughlin replied for the Blues with another example of his potent shooting but unluckily hit the woodwork with Phillips beaten.

As the visitors turned the screw, a neat one-two between Botaka, an effective replacement for the disappointing Ajose, and Konsa opened up the Shrimpers' defence for Fredrik Ulvestad to shoot on the run. Smith reacted smartly with a one-handed parry, which almost paled into insignificance alongside the marvellous save the keeper made to deny Fox. Meeting Aribo's partially cleared corner, the left back popped up on the right side to unleash a blockbuster destined for the top right corner until Smith twisted acrobatically to fingertip it over the bar.

Despite missing two point-blank chances, the first of them aimed too close to Phillips by Will Atkinson, the second headed weakly wide by Marc-Antoine Fortune, in-form Southend seemed to have scraped over the line en route to their fourth consecutive league victory. Their failure to add a second goal came back to haunt them, however, against a side which has made a habit this season of late equalisers. And they reckoned without either the indefatigable Aribo or the sheer exuberance of youth. Neither of them were in a mood to be denied.

Southend: Smith, Demetriou, Thompson, Ferdinand, Timlin, Atkinson, Leonard, Wordsworth, McLaughlin (McGlashan 81), Cox (Ranger 73), Fortune. Not used: Bexon,White, O'Neill, King, Bridge.

Booked: Cox.

Charlton: Phillips, Konsa, Bauer, Texeira, Fox (Ahearne-Grant 77), Aribo, Crofts, Ulvestad (Umerah 86), Chicksen, Ajose (Botaka 64), Magennis. Not used: Mitov, Foley, Johnson, Lennon.

Booked: Bauer, Fox, Umerah.

Referee: Mark Heywood.

Att: 10,329 (1,847 visiting).

Carlisle United 0 Charlton 1 (Wright-Phillips 76).

Kevin Nolan reports from Brunton Park.

For the third time in living memory - at least the living memory of supporters of a certain vintage - Charlton clinched promotion at distant Brunton Park, home of Carlisle United. To the celebrations of 1981 and 1986 can now be added the wild jubilation which saluted the end of four agonising added minutes. A short pause to confirm that Sheffield Wednesday had indeed been held to a draw by Colchester United preceded joy unconfined. They're used to playing second fiddle to it in these parts.

A single, 76th minute goal bundled in by Bradley Wright-Phillips added the crucial touch to a performance which fell far short of perfection but had just enough about it to edge them past play-off hopefuls Carlisle. And, frankly, after 43 exhausting tests of spirit and stamina, not one of their 903 ecstatic followers wasted breath in pining for quality. This magnificently defiant side was entitled to their thanks, gratitude and wholehearted commitment. The feeling was entirely mutual.

Wright-Phillips' historic goal was simplicity itself and came as no surprise that it was scored from one of the setpieces which have proved so productive for the Addicks this season. Practice makes perfect and the left wing corner swung out by Johnnie Jackson was headed goalward by Yann Kermorgant but saved athletically by keeper Adam Collin. Trotting over to the right flank, where earlier he had been clearly irritated that Dale Stephens had been assigned flagkick duties, the skipper's inswinging delivery was deliberately nodded back from the far post by Stephens, before being forced past Collin at close range by the predatory Wright-Phillips.

Pragmatic and ruthless, this solid display of teamwork nutshelled the the all-for-one, one-for all virtues of a truly remarkable outfit. Inevitable injuries and suspensions have been covered with seamless effiicency, no better example of which has been the outstanding contribution of Bradly Pritchard, as deputy for banned midfield workaholic Danny Hollands.

Busy, skilful, competitive, Pritchard didn't put a foot wrong at the heart of Charlton's engine room. Not a player to instantly catch the eye, his selfless, all-round effort, however, wouldn't have gone unnoticed by a watchful management team. He set impossible standards for tackles successfully made, passes alertly intercepted and passes of his own accurately completed. His decision making was spot on and having secured a virtual unknown from Hayes & Yeading and watched him rapidly develop into an accomplished professional, Chris Powell positively purred with pleasure.

Pritchard's excellence was hardly isolated. There isn't room in this Charlton side for any player not prepared to do his bit for the cause. Unbeaten from open play in some 630 minutes since March 10th, underrated Ben Hamer continued his steady improvement while, in front of him, League One's best back four registered their 20th clean sheet of a parsimonious season. A fluid midfield, which has weighed in with its fair share of goals, ensured a steady supply line from back to front, while three separate strikers have scored in three consecutive 1-0 wins.

It wouldn't be Charlton, of course, if they didn't subject their fervent fans here and huddled over their wirelesses back home, to almost ritual torture. Their failure to score until only a quarter hour from the end left them vulnerable to a mistake or unexpected moment of brilliance from their hosts. Their goals have dried up recently but they remain capable of ekeing out one when they need it most. But this promotion-clinching victory was based on the usual rock-solid, no-nonsense defending.

Unlucky to lose their top scorer Lee Miller last week, United had their moments, none more threatening than the subtle 18-yard shot curled past a transfixed Hamer by Lee Noble, which rebounded off a post in the 56th minute. Their escape concentrated the Addicks' minds wonderfully and United were barely allowed a sniff of a further chance as the league leaders proceeded to dominate the second half. Jordan Cook did turn in the penalty area to fire over the bar but the home side's threat gradually faded.

Put through by Kermorgant's defence-splitting pass, after Pritchard's ball-winning intervention, Wright-Phillips should have put the visitors in front but shot against the advancing Collin's legs. Biding his time, though, the prolific sharpshooter wasn't kept waiting long for the chance which he converted gleefully before heading over to the corner where his exuberant public awaited him. Kermorgant might have eliminated any late nerves when he stepped inside on to Stephens' pass but saw his cleverly curled effort brilliantly saved by Collin. One goal proved enough, however, as it has done on eight occasions in 2011-12.

Wright-Phillips' strike, meanwhile, meant that the most important item on Charlton's agenda had been dealt with but until they deliver the League title, their race has not been run. England might not expect but many thousands of success-hungry acolytes certainly do. We will re-convene next Saturday in hope, not to mention expectation. Until, then, rejoice.

Carlisle: Collin, Simek, Livesey, Michalik, Murphy, Taiwo (Beck 82), Noble, McGovern (Welsh 82), Berrett, Cook (Madden 74), Zoko. Not used: Robson, Thirlwell.

Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Morrison, Cort, Wiggins, N'Guessan (Wagstaff 62), Pritchard, Stephens, Jackson, Kermorgant, Wright-Phillips (Taylor 86). Not used: Sullivan, Hughes, Haynes.

Referee: D. Webb. Attendance: 6,625.

Charlton 1 (N'Guessan 35) Walsall 0.

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

Forty eight hours after limping away from a pitched battle in Oldham on a soggy old pitch which practically guaranteed a battle, Charlton were up to their necks in pressure from relegation haunted Walsall. And whaddya know, they dug in again, manned the trenches and emerged with a second 1-0 win of vital importance. Call it defiance, bloodymindedness, guts, call it anything you like but I go for "gumption". It's a lovely, old-fashioned word, ain't it? Gumption, otherwise known as commonsense. Roll it around your tongue. Savour it. But only use it when it fits the bill.

The Addicks were up against it at The Valley on Easter Monday. Without midfield workhorse Danny Hollands and 100 percenter Scott Wagstaff, both sent off at Boundary Park by Pa Kettle, that hanging judge of a referee, demands were made on Chris Powell's resourcefulness. The return of skipper Johnnie Jackson from injury was timely and he replaced Lee Cook on the left. Dany N'Guessan moved over to fill in for Wagstaff on the right flank, where he proved to be a roving revelation, while eager rookie Bradley Pritchard brought non-stop endeavour with him in covering Hollands' absence in central midfield. Show Powell a gap and he plugs it. He's a clever plugger.

Perched above the relegation trapdoor though they were, the Saddlers were hugely impressive. Keeping their shape admirably, they trusted their ability to play along the ground and enjoyed at least as much possession as their league leading hosts. Their Achilles heel, unfortunately, was an obvious lack of cutting edge up front. After Florent Cuvelier bounced an early shot wide and tricky customer Alex Nicholls blistered Ben Hamer's hands with a ferociously angled drive before ten minutes had elapsed, their neat approach play achieved little end product. Not that Charlton could ever relax. That luxury was denied them by their persistent visitors. Every game takes more out of both players and fans. You should see my fingernails.

Allowing for the bitterness of defeat, Walsall boss Dean Smith was possibly a little carried away in claiming that his side had bossed virtually the whole game. His frustration also led him to label the free kick, from which N'Guessan headed the 35th minute winner as "soft", a dopey footballing euphemism understood to mean "unjustified." Let's have a glance at the old notes here and see if we can clear it up for him. No, sorry, Smudger, it says here that your left back Mat Sadler blatantly fouled N'Guessan on the right touchline, some 60 yards, remember, from your technical area, and it was just your wretched luck that Mr. Phillips was better placed than you to catch him at it. The quality of Jackson's wickedly inswinging free kick and the no-nonsense header from N'Guessan were, of course, beyond dispute, as no doubt you'll concede. It's without rancour that we remind you that games of football are decided by goals, not the promise of goals. It's a sod sometimes but that's just the way it is.

It helps enormously, of course, if you can also stop the other side scoring, something the Addicks have achieved on 19 occasions this season. In fact they have conceded only 31 goals in 42 games, which works out at, er, .75 per game or, put it another way, let's see, 3/4 of a goal per 90 minutes. Do your own maths, I can take you only so far. Just don't forget to carry the one.

The touchingly blinkered Smith probably doesn't have a lot to worry about, based on the West Midlanders' spirited display. We wish him well but here on this website, you're naturally more interested in Charlton's prospects. Well, very briefly, they're looking up with four games to go. For the second time over Easter, Sheffield Wednesday were given the obvious advantage of kicking off before the league leaders. And for the second time, Powell's wounded warriors held them at bay. Now nine points behind, Sheffield United play at Rochdale on Tuesday evening, which looks like a gimme but might not turn out to be. Catch these Addicks if you can.

Back to Easter Monday. It might be invidious to pick out individuals from an outstanding team display so we'll firmly resist the temptation? Except to say that N'Guessan was terrific, as were the elegantly understated Dale Stephens and the wily coyote that is Chris Solly. Left back Rhoys Wiggins attacked as well as he defended, while centre backs Leon Cort and Michael Morrison were impregnable. Pritchard ably made up for Hollands' absence, Jackson's smooth influence was pervasive, strikers Yann Kermorgant and Bradley Wright-Phillips not quite at their impressive best but still a handful.

Substitutes Matt Taylor, Danny Haynes and Lee Cook did what was asked of them, with Haynes and Cook particularly adept at running down the clock, a practice which Smith cheerfully cited as proof of Charlton's inferiority. But like I say, it wouldn't do to pick out individuals, except to point out that Ben Hamer was mentioned in his manager's post-game dispatches for a couple of key saves and generally sound handling. The ball boys all did well. Not to mention Erol Umit, whose expert gumption regularly pieced together Yann Kermorgant's battered body. Jolly well done, all of you!

Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Cort, Morrison, Wiggins, N'Guessan (Cook 86), Pritchard, Stephens, Jackson (Taylor 90), Kemorgant, Wright-Phillips (Haynes 78). Not used: Sullivan, Hughes.

Walsall: Grof, Beevers, Butler, Smith, Sadler, Nicholls (Chambers 88), Cuvelier, Mantom, Hurst (Paterson 62), Macken (Bowerman 81), Ledesma. Not used: Walker, Lancashire.

Referee: D. Phillips.

Attendance: 15,253.

Oldham Athletic 0 Charlton 1 (Kermorgant 49).

Kevin Nolan reports from Boundary Park.

The first of three gruelling cross-Pennines treks which complete Charlton's peregrinations up and down the green sward that is England, brought them to unlovely but loveable Oldham on Easter Saturday. The old town looked the same as they stepped down from the train, a battered relic of the palmy days when cotton was king, the mills were satanic and the exploited natives occasionally mutinous. They fought for their rights around these parts - Luddites, suffragettes and trade unionists among other turbulent protesters. Their legacy is everywhere.

On the face of it, Charlton's assignment at dogeared Boundary Park didn't seem too daunting. Out of touch with the play-offs but safe from relegation, the Latics suggested precisely the kind of obliging mid-table opposition promotion candidates dream about. The Addicks simply needed to slip into town, pick up the points and prepare for a much tougher Easter Monday task at home to relegation-haunted Walsall.

So much for expectations. The reality pitched Charlton into a riotous, titanic battle which featured three red cards and eleven yellow cards, besides raging fiercely until the last seconds of five added minutes ran out. And when this exercise in suffocating intensity finally ended, the nine-man visitors had clung to an uphill victory of inestimable value. Midway through a deceptively routine first half, to understate the case, that seemed unlikely.

The opening exchanges had been innocuous enough, with only an early chance missed by Scott Wagstaff and a caution issued to Jean Yves M'Voto for hacking down Yann Kermorgant, worthy of mention. Both Wagstaff and M'Voto were to feature heavily in later events.

A spirited but far from vicious encounter was beginning to settle down when deputy skipper Danny Hollands needlessly piled into Kieran Lee on the left touchline. Intent was irrelevant and a red card possibly justified. Deserved or not, the loss of their dynamic midfielder took the wind out of Charlton's gathering sails in a game they simply had to win, with the hot breath of their relentless Sheffield pursuers singeing their neck. As they briefly wilted, M'Voto made it his business to generously even the odds no more than ten minutes later.

Apparently oblivious to his earlier yellow card, M'Voto again clattered into Kermorgant's back, for the second time in the no-man's land of the centre circle. His exagerrated disbelief when given his marching orders was comical - but hollow. The pendulum duly shifted in the league leaders' favour.

Four minutes into the second half, M'Voto's self-imposed absence in central defence returned to haunt the Lancastrians as Charlton grabbed the game's only goal - and what a goal it was. Never reluctant to steam down the touchline, freewheeling left back Rhoys Wiggins was sent on his way by Dany N'Guessan's astute pass and before running out of space at the corner flag, whipped over a juicy cross to the far post. Free from M'Voto's attentions, Kermorgant stooped to guide a precise header beyond Dean Bouzanis' left hand and give Oldham a lesson in devastating counter attacking.

Stung into reprisal, the Latics almost equalised immediately. A sweet exchange of passes between Robbie Simpson and Tom Adeyemi created room for the latter to shoot from 15 yards before the outstanding Leon Cort hurled himself into a key block. The big, commanding centre back repeated the feat in the closing stages to foil Adeyemi again.

A rousing game was rocketing along at breakneck speed when Wagstaff, already booked for tripping Harry Bunn, received a draconian yellow card from disciplinarian Trevor Kettle for a patently accidental foul on Dean Furman. Charlton's hardworking wide man clearly slipped in challenging Furman, with a free kick no more than the Latics had coming. Once again, the pressure was on the visitors.

With the protection of Kermorgant's priceless goal now the pressing priority, Matt Taylor was rushed in to complete a defiant back five as blocks, tackles and interceptions defied the desperate Latics. The thin red line wavered but held. They were magnificent.

Suspensions for Hollands (three games) and Wagstaff (one game) will hopefully be offset by the timely recovery from injury of captain Johnnie Jackson and the welcome return to fine form of Dale Stephens. Jackson's leadership has been missed, while Stephens added genuine non-stop effort to his subtle skills. Chris Solly and Wiggins were again impeccable full backs, Cort overshadowed even the formidable Michael Morrison, whose last minute booking for a foul on substitute Oumare Tounkara was the act of a bone-weary player. Behind the best defence in League One, Ben Hamer put neither foot nor hand wrong. And no doubt, Bradley Wright-Phillips, an unused substitute at Boundary Park, will return refreshed to torment Walsall at The Valley on Monday. A little sleight-of-hand might be required but the gaps will be shored up by a squad whose watchword is never-say-die resilience. Depleted as they were, they had no right to win at Oldham. But win they did for a record-setting 14th time away from home. They're quite a side.

Oldham: Bouzanis, Lee, Brown, M'Voto, Diallo (Tounkara 78), Morais (Hughes 84), Adeyemi, Furman, Simpson, Bunn (Tarkowski 42), Kuqi. Not used: Gerrard, M'Changama.

Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Cort, Morrison, Wiggins, Wagstaff, Hollands, Stephens, Cook (Taylor 76), N'Guessan (Pritchard 70), Kermorgant. Not used: Sullivan, Jackson, Wright-Phillips.

Referee: Trevor Kettle.
Attendance: 3,641 (601 Charlton fans).

Charlton 2 (Wagstaff 7, N'Guessan 82) Leyton Orient 0

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

Strong, committed and defiant, Leyton Orient ticked most of the boxes on the list of demands made of them by Charlton's promotion rivals. Harbouring ambitions of becoming the first- and only - team to pull off a league double over the league leaders, they played some neat stuff, gave their hosts a few nervous moments and weren't above putting it about, as five cautions for physical fouls testified.

The most important box, though, was ticked by Charlton, who bookended a solid, if sometimes nervy, performance, with goals seven minutes from the start and eight minutes from the end of a massively important game. Their victory held off their frustrated Sheffield pursuers by six (United) and eight points (Wednesday) respectively. If they can keep it together now, they will be crowned League One champions. But ifs, like ands, are about as much use as pots and pans as my Mum used to say.

Springing from the starting blocks, the Addicks clearly meant business and visiting goalkeeper Paul Rachubka's heart was probably in his mouth when he clipped Bradley Wright-Philips as the fleetfooted striker rounded him in pursuit of Yann Kermorgant's clever flick. Well up with the play, referee Mark Brown decided against a spotkick but was again ideally positioned to spot Ben Chorley's crude foul on Kermorgant four minutes later.

This time the O's were appropriately punished for their wrongdoing. Kermorgant regained his feet instantly to send left back Rhoys Wiggins careering down the left wing with a quickly taken free kick. Accelerating away from defender Scott Cuthbert, Wiggins fired over a low cross which Scott Wagstaff met crisply at the near post to celebrate his 22nd birthday with his fifth league goal of a start-stop-start again season. A more perfect launch pad was hard to imagine and Charlton appeared to have promptly punched home their advantage but Leon Cort was correctly adjudged to have handled Dale Stephens' corner into the net, with Orient reasonably but vainly suggesting that a booking, not merely a lecture, should have been his reward.

With stylish ex-Addick Matt Spring pulling the constructive strings in midfield, the East Londoners gradually found their feet and it was from Spring's free kick that Kermorgant conceded a left wing corner, swung in dangerously by Adam Reed to cause havoc in Charlton's penalty area. Chorley's ferocious shot was blocked on the line by a human wall formed by Wiggins and goalkeeper Ben Hamer and somehow the rebound was smuggled clear. Spring's blistering 30-yard drive, saved magnificently at the second attempt, by Hamer, confirmed that Orient had recovered from their nightmare start and were firmly in contention.

A roistering first half continued with Cort glancing another of Stephens' inswinging corner narrowly wide of the right post and concluded with David Mooney, one of four former Addicks starting for Orient, somehow escaping a booking for poleaxing Wagstaff with a hopelessly timed challenge on the right touchline. Eccentric Mr. Brown had seen enough by now, with substitute Syam Ben Youssef and Jimmy Smith earning bookings for reckless fouls on Lee Cook and the embattled Kermorgant respectively before the break.

An amazing point-blank double save by Rachubka from Wright-Phillips and Cook, following Danny Hollands' long throw, kept Charlton at bay early in the second period, while their failure to add a second goal transmitted their on-field nerves to the ever-twitchy stands, where a molten mass of tension was already beginning to form. Their peace of mind was hardly helped by the sight of Kevin Lisbie popping up to nod Reed's 68th minute corner narrowly wide or by the desperation with which Hollands hurled himself at Terrell Forbes' cross to clear from Spring at the expense of a corner. Orient were hardly potent but an equaliser was still far from unlikely.

With a quarter hour left, Chris Powell's introduction of loanee Dany N'Guessan for Wright-Phillips caused raised eyebrows, two of them not a million miles north of your reporter's nose. Not for the first time in a hugely impressive first full season, however, the rookie manager trusted his instincts and routed his would-be critics. N' Guessan had hardly touched the ball during some seven fruitless minutes when Cook, who had contributed some neat touches but nothing earth-shattering, picked up a throw from Wiggins, took two steps into space and delivered the kind of cross, for which the description "sumptuous" was intended. Rising above the stricken Forbes, N'Guessan did it complete justice with an emphatic header into the roof of Rachubka's net.

That sudden whoosh of air was easily explained as the collective expulsion of breath being held by another excellent Valley crowd. Like their team, they're standing their ground, paying their dues and praying unaplogetically that May 5th sees them bidding a less than fond farewell to this unforgiving division. We're all in this together, you, me, the chaps from the Bullingdon Club.

Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Cort, Morrison, Wiggins, Wagstaff, Hollands, Stephens, Cook (Green 87), Kermorgant, Wright-Phillips (N'Guessan 75). Not used: Sullivan, Taylor, Pritchard.

Orient: Rachubka, Cuthbert (Ben Youssef 31), Chorley, Leacock, Forbes, Porter (Andrew 82), Spring, Smith, Reed, Lisbie, Mooney (Cox 70). Not used: Laird, Taiwo.

Referee: Mark Brown. Attendance: 17,425.

N.B. No supporters of Leyton Orient were injured in the making of this report. Their feelings were scrupulously protected. Greenwich.co.uk accepts that the same claim cannot be made, in respect of the supporters of Huddersfield Town, Charlton Athletic's opponents last week. Feathers were ruffled, angry words exchanged. We feel an apology is in order and proffer this one in a spirit of North-South rapprochement.

We are sorry you lost your temper and suggest you look for it in the same place as you last saw your sense of humour. We also share your embarrassment at Geoffrey Boycott's claim to be Yorkshire-born and that most of the characters in Emmerdale appear to be Cockneys. We also stand ready to relay to Lancashire your remorse that the unpleasantness between you in the 15th century was all your fault. There was certainly no need for it. We need to get along together so don't be strangers. Call us.

Huddersfield Town 1 (Rhodes 13,pen) Charlton 0.

Kevin Nolan reports from the Galpharm Stadium.

An incendiary game of numerous flashpoints, most of which involved embattled midfielder Darrel Russell, sent Charlton crashing to a first away league defeat of 2012. They departed West Yorkshire embittered about the part played by an East Yorkshireman in their downfall. And they had a point.

By any system of judgement, Carl Boyeson's control of this vital promotion clash was appalling. It defies belief that the Hull born Tyke was even considered to referee a Yorkshire team with so much at stake. Unless, of course, we're meant to assume that antipathy between East and West Yorkshire rules out any possibility of bias. Only joking, m'lud, but it shouldn't be an issue, should it?

Mr. Boyeson's first key decision effectively sealed the issue and it must be conceded unreservedly that this time his decision was correct.

Chasing back to challenge Gary Roberts as Town attacked their visitors on the break, Russell hunted down the winger, fell for his trickery as he twisted into the penalty area and left enough leg carelessly dangling to make Roberts' fall dramatic. Prolific netbuster Jordan Rhodes calmly made it 32 league goal this season from the penalty spot.

As Charlton were beginning to recover from their nightmare start, Boyeson' second pivotal decision before the interval was much less impressive. His inexplicable reluctance to punish a dreadful, studs-up challenge by Antony Kay on Scott Wagstaff in the centre circle poisoned this tense game's atmosphere beyond recall. Backpedalling self-importantly from the scene of Kay's crime, the official's initial body language suggested that Kay was for the high jump. Surrounded by the perpetrator's colleagues, however, Boyeson softened his stance, showed Kay neither yellow nor red but instead re-started the game with a bounce-ball, though not before booking Ben Hamer for dissent, an insignificant offence alongside the violence that prompted his outburst.

Early in the second half, Russell, who had been performing adequately enough in central midfield was fouled by Kay but re-acted senselessly in kicking out at his opponent as they tangled on the ground. A red card was another of Boyeson's correct calls but Russell should have been accompanied off the field by Lee Novak, who used both hands to push him over again. "If you raise your hands you leave the referee with no option but to dismiss you", that's the mantra we're regularly fed. Well, Mr. Boyeson succeeded in finding an option, which entailed turning a judicial blind eye to Novak's offence. Be fair, though, he did book Kay for the original foul and, remarkably, awarded Charlton a free kick. So the Addicks emerged from the incident with at least a diluted dollop of justice.

Sandwiched between the sporadic mayhem, Charlton, even with ten men, were marginally the better team. Missing the ailing Yann Kermorgant's creativity and aerial threat, they coped comfortably with the Terriers' long ball tactics, while making few chances of their own.

In the early going, Hamer's magnificent save from Rhodes stood out in the general mediocrity. From point-blank range, League One's Player-of-the-Season was set up by Roberts, headed firmly but Hamer's instinctive block foiled him. Rhodes also stabbed wide at the near post after Ward's cross dropped amid flailing feet.

At the other end, Charlton were all too toothless. Michael Morrison glanced Danny Hollands' centre wide, then Holland himself shot over the bar. During a late rally, Hollands crossed, Morrison nodded back from the far post but Leon Cort, despite an heroic effort, could do no better than head down into the turf and harmlessly over the bar.

Defeat increases the pressure on the stuttering Addicks. It's essential that they climb out of the clutches of League One, which, for all the fancy spin, boils down to Division Three, before they become institutionalised in it. That's precisely what happened to the freewheeling side of 1957-58, which mounted a brave effort to climb directly back to Division One (think Premiership) the season after they were relegated in 1956-57. A tempestuous, wildly entertaining effort ended in crushing anti-climax in the season's last game on April 26th 1958, with 4-3 defeat by Blackburn Rovers, who leapfrogged the Addicks to join champions West Ham in the top flight. Over 56,000 hearts were broken on that fateful afternoon.

It's fair to say that Charlton Athletic were shattered by their heroic failure. They subsequently endured seemingly endless seasons of yo-yoing between Divisions Two and Three until Lennie Lawrence hauled them back into Division One in 1986.
If we don't learn from history, we're doomed to repeat its mistakes. And 1957-58 hands us down a warning from history.
Failure this season is unthinkable. There might not be another chance half as golden as this one and it musn't slip through Charlton's fingers. The repercussions would dwarf those of 54 years ago. And some of us don't have the time to wait it out again.

Huddersfield: Smithies, Hunt, Peter Clarke, Morrison, Tom Clarke, Roberts (Lee 69), Arismendi (Arfield 90), Kay (Gudjonsson 69), Ward, Rhodes, Novak. Not used: Bennett, Woods.

Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Morrison, Cort, Wiggins, Wagstaff, Russell (sent off), Hollands, N'Guessan (Stephens 60), Hayes (Pritchard 81), Wright-Phillips. Not used: Sullivan, Taylor, Cook.

Referee: Carl Boyeson. Attendance: 15,735.

Edit: This post was amended at 20.04 on Sunday 25th March.