Charlton u-18s 0 Wigan Athletic 2 (Fulton 6, Brown 74)

Kevin Nolan was at The Valley to see Charlton's young generation experience the agony of defeat.

Charlton's U-18s fought the good fight from whistle to whistle but were fairly and squarely beaten by a well-drilled Wigan side who had their number on an unpleasant evening masquerading as May when it more properly belonged in January. The visitors held a slight edge in nous and, more importantly, finishing. But Anthony Hayes' boys left nothing out on The Valley pitch and owe neither apology nor explanation.

A tough task became that much tougher when the visitors went ahead after just six minutes. The Addicks survived the original confusion caused by Sean McGurk's left wing corner thanks to James Beadle's brilliant save from Millen Brown. They were not so lucky in dealing with Chris Sze's delivery from the opposite flank as a scuffed clearance reached Jason Fulton near the penalty spot. One touch on the centre back's chest set up an unstoppable volley which left Beadle helpless. There were two fine young keepers in opposition in this keenly contested PDL2 final and Tom Watson matched Beadle's excellence with an outstanding response to Kai Garande's top-corner bound drive. Charlton's barnstorming left back had been played clear by Ryan Viggars and seemed momentarily to have beaten Watson until the plunging keeper's fingertips diverted his shot to safety.

Watson was in action again five minutes later when Viggars was sent through by Jeremy Santos, a restless thorn in Wigan's side, and succeeded in rounding the advancing keeper. With the narrowing angle limiting his options, Viggars's shot was resourcefully smothered by the retreating Watson. An end-to-end clash between these talented sides continued to throw up chances, with Brown guilty of missing the apparently unmissable before the interval. Kieran Lloyd combined with Tom Costello to set up the unmarked striker to finish from six yards. His shot, possibly deflected, instead hit the post. Brown should have scored - an error he duly rectified later on.

The hard grafting Viggars came close to equalising ten minutes into the second half. A breathtaking move cooked up by Aaron Henry's cheeky nutmeg and garnished by skipper Charlie Barker's extraordinary sleight-of-foot which bamboozled Marcus Snell, tore the visitors apart down the right. Barker quickly advanced and cut back for Viggars to finish from six yards. The big lad's hasty shot cleared the crossbar and the visitors had been spared again. They already had reason to thank Watson for saving smartly from Jason Adigun soon after the break. Santos probed and experimented ceaselessly -an old-school maverick who took risks and persistently chose the incisive pass over the careful cop-out. He ran into an occasional roadblock but was a pleasure to watch. So was Barker, who ran him close as Charlton's best performer and played with his heart on his sleeve. But then Hayes was not let down by any of his young charges. They gave him their best and brought out the best from Wigan. As the Addicks began to run out of attacking steam, it remained only for the confident visitors to apply the coup-de-grace. Sze could have lowered the boom but his athletic volley from close range sent Lloyd's precise cross spiralling over the bar. Instead it was Brown who provided the Latics with the two-goal margin they sought. More confusion from a corner - this one swung over by McGurk - was resolved by his crisp drive through a crowded six-yard box into the bottom right corner.

There was to be no coming back from this second blow and it was Wigan's captain, James Carragher, who led the wild celebrations at the final whistle - in-yer-face celebrations, it should be said, which initially ignored the anguish of their vanquished opponents until the magnificent Watson led a breakaway deputation of more gracious Latics to commiserate with a bristling Barker and his heartsore mates. Put it down to teenaged exuberance...

Charlton: Beadle, Barker, Bakrin (Asimwe 73), Elewere, Garande (Leaburn 85), Henry, Adigun (Mitchell 75) Santos, Campbell,

Burstow, Viggars. Not used: Whitling, Ladapo. Booked: Bakrin. Wigan: Watson, Lloyd, Snell, Carragher, Fulton, McHugh, McGurk, McGee, Costello, Sze (Pinnington 89), Brown (Welsh 90). Not used: Smith, Tickle, Brooks.

Att: 592.

Charlton u-18s 3 (Henry 9, Burstow 71, 90+3) Birmingham City u-18s 2 (Wakefield 84 pen, 89).

Kevin Nolan looked forward to a pressure-free afternoon at The Valley but ended up a basket case.

A madcap smash-and-grab finale to a rip-roaring semi-final saw Charlton qualify for the PDL2 final against Wigan Athletic - venue yet to be decided but hopefully at The Valley next Saturday May 22nd. The smash was provided by the visitors from the Second City, who stunned their hosts by wiping out a two-goal deficit with a devastating one-two in the 84th and 89th minutes to make it 2-2 going into five added minutes. But it was Charlton who grabbed a place in the final in the third of those minutes through as cool a piece of finishing as you are likely to see at any level, much less this tender category.

With the young Brummies flooding forward in search of the winner they clearly thought was inevitable, they were caught short-handed as the Addicks countered with lightning pace along the left flank. An error by right back Tom Fogarty added to their confusion and Jason Adigun's pass picked out Mason Burstow at the far post. Turning down a right-footed shot which Brad Mayo might well have blocked, the tall centre forward's clever turn inside deposited the outwitted goalkeeper on his backside before an ice-cold left-footed finish was carefully placed beyond two desperate defenders on the goalline. As a delirious pyramid of red shirts defied gravity near the left corner flag, the pitch was littered with prostrate Blues, their hearts broken and their illusions shattered. Bloody football! Unless, of course, you're on the right side of it.

The opening exchanges of an always entertaining clash were less breakneck but no less important to its exciting conclusion. Charlton came within centimetres of forging ahead when skipper Charlie Barker's gutsy header from Aaron Henry's inswinging corner was hacked off the line with no more than one revolution of the ball required to make it legal. Their bright start was soon rewarded when the side's heartbeat Henry accepted Tyreece Campbell's routine pass and tried his luck from 25 yards. His shot was powerful and on target but found the net with an inadvertent assist from Mayo, who allowed the ball to pass under him. It was a dream start for Anthony Hayes' kids and impressive keeper James Beadle made sure the lead stood up before the break with an outstanding save from Rico Patterson, City's bright young attacking spark. Patterson picked his way through a crowded penalty area to make space for what seemed a certain equaliser. His close range shot seemed an inevitable coup-de-grace but Beadle spread himself expertly and blocked bravely. Later on, he performed the same feat to deny Kieran Wakefield.

The well-schooled goalie was part of a hectic sequence of goalmouth scrambles which launched the second half. He made a couple of point blank saves and there were selfless blocks by several colleagues as the junior Blues swarmed all over them. Somehow the Addicks survived an endless siege (which probably lasted no more than a minute) and settled down to produce the perfect riposte of a second goal on 71 minutes. Hitting their increasingly reckless visitors on the break, a flowing move down the left flank was decorated by the deft final pass, delivered with the outside of Adigun's right boot, and an instinctive finish by Burstow into the far corner. At 2-0, it seemed reasonable to check the time and location of the final. This result seemed not only done but dusted. Except that these young City slickers weren't having it.

Charlton were beginning to wilt but looked likely to hang on until Leo Dos Reis carved out a shooting chance for Wakefield inside their penalty area. As the skipper prepared to pull the trigger, Nathan Asimwe's clumsy challenge took his legs from under him. Wakefield picked himself up and, after a nervous wait, buried the spotkick past Beadle. Five chaotic minutes later, City's No. 9 met George Hall's hard low cross from the left and slammed an emphatic equaliser past Beadle.

The dramatic late developments, including Burstow's matchwinning heroics, were missed by Lee Bowyer, who sidled out with the score still 2-0. You'd think he might have known better. After all, he was Charlton's manager when Birmingham's senior side caught up with the Addicks in added time and virtually sent them down from the Championship in 2020. Late finishes are par for the course when the Blues and the Reds collide. And this one finished right side up. Pity you missed it, Lee. Might have cheered you up no end.

The bad news for Anthony Hayes as prepares his youngsters for the final is that Jeremy Santos and Tyreece Campbell are unlikely to make the final. Both sustained painful injuries and were limping participants in the wild celebrations which greeted the final whistle. But Zach Mitchell, who replaced Santos, was outstanding and Joseph Ladapo, an 86th minute substitute for Campbell, is a frequent starter in his own right. Beadle impressed, Barker looked like a veteran in this company while Henry -what's to say about the all-round excellence of this mature operator? Except to predict that he will be in Nigel Adkin's first team mix next season. That might be a little soon for Adigun and Burstow but they will be heard from eventually, as will cool centre backs Nazir Bakrin and Deji Elewere. The kids are alright at Charlton. They'll be worth waiting for...but first, that final.

Charlton: Beadle, Barker, Bakrin, Elewere, Garande (Asimwe 45), Henry, Adigun, Santos (Mitchell 46), Campbell (Ladapo 86),
Burstow, Viggars. Not used: Whitling, Leaburn. Booked: Barker, Adigun.

Birmingham: Mayo, Fogarty, Barratt (Dos Reis), Oakley, Browne, Sullivan, Bellingham, Hall, Wakefield, James, Patterson.
Not used: Brodus, Manton, Khela, Nguepissi,. Booked: Sullivan.

Not so much a definitive record but a series of snapshots that ended again in heartache.

For a second consecutive season, Charlton's fate depended, at least partly, on final day results elsewhere in the league. Last year, they were relegated from the Championship when Brentford conceded a last minute goal to Barnsley while they themselves were being hammered 4-0 by divisional title winners Leeds United. Twelve hugely disappointing months later, they gamely beat League One champions Hull City but lost out on the play-offs place to Oxford, 4-0 winners over Jimmy Floyd Hasseltwerp's disgracefully supine Burton Albion. Robinson's side finished on the same points total but with a seven-goal advantage in goal difference.

The margins were fine but Charlton's second failure could again be traced to self-inflicted wounds. Their chronic vulnerability to added time goals was less costly than last term but an inability to convert three vital penalties told an even grimmer story. Every team misses penalties; the thing is to miss them when they have little bearing on the result. Charlton's unreliable markmanship from 12 yards accounted for five lost points.

The efficient 2-0 opening day win at Crewe was an excellent start but was also a false dawn. It gave us a parting reminder of Alfie Doughty's talent and featured George Lapslie's solitary start of the season. A league debut for 17 year-old Charlie Barker was another encouraging milestone but before long all three youngsters had vanished from the scene. Doughty was soon on his way to Stoke, where he headed straight for the infirmary; Lapslie, clearly not fancied by Lee Bowyer, was loaned to, then later allowed to join Mansfield Town, where an outstanding campaign ended with his nomination as the Nottinghamshire club's Player of the Season; Barker made two more league appearances before being discreetly withdrawn to continue his footballing education at a more realistic level.

While departing the various cup competitions with their usual indecent haste, the Addicks were promptly chastened by back-to-back defeats at the hands of Doncaster Rovers and surprise packets Lincoln City before embarking on an eight-game unbeaten streak, which was distinguished by six successive clean sheets. The centre back partnership of Ryan Inniss and Akin Famewo was rock-solid during their impressive climb to 3rd position but injuries to both defensive kingpins undermined momentum. A 3-2 victory over Fleetwood Town at The Valley and a 1-1 draw at Gillingham on November 21st completed the unbeaten string but it was at Priestfield that the first of the missed penalties cost them.

A dour game was scoreless when Conor Washington, who had proved himself reliable from the spot, prepared to take a first half spotkick. His concentration was compromised by an unseemly squabble with Omar Bogle, whose selfish hunger for a goal mattered more than his responsibility to the team. A clearly distracted Washington failed to beat the keeper and his miss was placed into sharp relief when the Gills converted a penalty of their own to lead 1-0. A late equaliser from Chuks Aneke rescued a point where three had been on offer. Three days after the Priestfield fiasco, new depths were plumbed when Burton Albion ruthlessly punished the Addicks' slavish adherence to "playing out from the back" with two early goals on their way to a 4-2 win.

Contrasting results against Ipswich Town (2-0) and MK Dons ( 0-1) introduced the win-lose-draw sequence which characterised the season and kept Charlton from mounting a serious challenge for automatic promotion. The home loss to Dons in December was followed by a 1-1 draw at Shrewsbury which brought Ben Watson his first Charlton goal but also a disastrously conceded last gasp penalty equaliser. The haul of eight points from seven January games and five from six February games was hardly the stuff of promotion seekers. Seven games were lost, the most embarrassing of them being the 2-1 loss to Burton who duly completed a league double over Bowyer's bunglers. The subsequent 3-0 defeat by Blackpool demoted Charlton to 12th position but the rot was stopped at Wigan (1-0), a result which heralded a return to form. The 14 points realised from six unbeaten games in March kept the Addicks in contention but also brought the second of those three squandered penalties during a 0-0 stand-off at Oxford United. A tense encounter was drifting towards a useful draw when Jayden Stockley turned sharply on to Adam Matthews' throw-in and was brought down inside the penalty area. With Washington having already been substituted, Ronnie Schwartz volunteered for spotkick duty but placed his shot too close to the goalkeeper. We had no way of knowing at the time but the final-day fate of both clubs was to come down to Schwartz's missed penalty.

At the end of March, Nigel Adkins replaced Bowyer, by then manager in name only as his clandestine negotiations with Birmingham City became public. Adkins' debut was hardly auspicious as a jaw-dropping misunderstanding involving Famewo and Ben Amos, both stalwart contributors to the promotion bid, gifted Wimbledon a second half equaliser in a 2-2 draw.

Away wins at Doncaster Rovers (1-0) and Sunderland (2-1) more authentically began Adkins' tenure, the victory at the Keepmoat Stadium bringing with it a first club goal for the irrepressible Ian Maatsen. A colourless 0-0 draw at home to Ipswich brought us down to earth but three days later, a club record was equalled as Plymouth Argyle were demolished 6-0 at Home Park. Barnsley had been similarly crushed at Oakwell during Chris Powell's reign, which had stood briefly as the club's record away victory. Charlton's see-saw form was exemplified during the same week by Championship-bound Peterborough United's 1-0 triumph at The Valley, a game which included the third of those fateful missed penalties. Posh were leading through prolific Johnson Clarke-Harris' early opener when Stockley stepped up to the spot after Liam Millar was brought down in the act of shooting. His effort was comfortably saved and Charlton had wasted yet another golden opportunity to claim what was to prove a pivotal point.

Still in with a viable shot at the play-offs, Charlton hosted Crewe Alexandra in a twice-postponed fixture at The Valley on Tuesday April 27th. Having led twice, they were unabashedly hanging on during six added minutes when blind panic set in. To be fair to Inniss, he managed two effective headed clearances before Keystone Kops' defending allowed Owen Dale, scorer of Alex's first goal, to master an awkward bounce and smash home a 97th minute equaliser. Nothing - not even constant repetition - prepares you for the sickening disbelief such a goal inflicts on its victims.

April began with a 1-1 draw at Accrington, where Aneke's 96th minute equaliser stunned Stanley, then continued with home victories over play-offs qualifiers Lincoln City and Grant McCann's relaxed champions Hull City. News of the white flag hoisted by Burton at the Kassam Stadium quickly destroyed Charlton's always tenuous hope of a miraculous reprieve and an atmosphere of resignation ushered in the end of another if-only season for the Addicks. Close again - really close - but again, no cigar.

As Adkins and his staff assess the fall-out, the immediate priority will be to form a squad from the survivors capable of mounting a serious challenge for automatic promotion next season. The usual post-season shakedown will see numerous departures from SE7, some of them, as in Maatsen's case, regrettable. Millar improved game-by-game but has already spoken like he's on the way elsewhere. Stockley joined during the January window, made his debut at MK Dons and went on to score eight goals in twenty starts. This brave, uncomplicated centre forward should be made an offer he can't refuse - as should Aneke, whose 15 league goals in roughly the same number of starts were remarkable. A Stockley-Aneke partnership up front would keep League One defences up at night.

Adkins brought the best out of Alex Gilbey, so pointedly ignored by Bowyer, and it was the rangy midfielder's 85th minute goal against Crewe which seemed to have clinched Charlton's play-offs place. Gilbey's rise mirrored the eclipse of Andrew Shinnie, with the new manager clearly preferring the former. There should be room for both as squad members operating in a midfield dominated by the revitalised Jake Forster-Caskey, deserving recipient of the club's Player of the Year trophy. Shame that midfield won't include Lapslie, another victim of Bowyer's freezing out policy as was Albie Morgan, whose error led to the disastrous added time equaliser at Shrewsbury. Morgan's career is on an upward curve. If he can add the occasional goal, he should be around for a while.

Old sweats Watson and Darren Pratley regularly copped critical flak but proved their worth to Adkins. Another year each seems worthwhile, as long as experience has a part to play even in the modern game. No doubt Famewo will leave but Inniss will stay, which makes the acquisition of a tried-and-trusted centre back something of a priority. Like Watson and Pratley, club captain Jason Pearce has earned a contract extension. Deji Oshilaja fell out of favour with Bowyer following the 3-0 home defeat by Blackpool on February 27th and was never reinstated when Adkins took over a month later. His future must be in doubt. Right back Adam Matthews seems sure to continue with Ben Purrington filling in for the effervescent Maatsen on the opposite side. Another full back looks vital. With Millar expected to re-join his parent club, Liverpool, en route to a loan spell elsewhere, Diallang Jaiyesimi could step up to fill the gap.

And while the comings and goings are resolved, the scouting and recruiting of essential reinforcements begins. Two seasons of heartbreaking failure have been more than enough. The Championship is where Charlton belong. Just get us out of this dreadful division, Nigel. And while you're at it, spare us the play-offs please!

Charlton 3 (Stockley 47, Inniss 65, Aneke 67) Lincoln City 1 (Anderson 89).

By Kevin Nolan at The Valley as Charlton toy with our emotions yet again.

It may prove to be irrelevant to the promotion race but Charlton's ebullient second half performance no doubt sent shivers through Portsmouth and Oxford United. Those worthies had begun to believe that it had turned into a two-horse race for the final play-offs slot. But not yet it hasn't.

The scramble for sixth place now moves on to a high noon shootout on Sunday when the Addicks must beat Hull City at The Valley and hope their rivals fail to beat Accrington Stanley and Burton Albion respectively. The draw no longer guarantees either Pompey or Oxford a post-season crack at the play-offs. It's not quite as cut and dried as that, what with goal difference in the mix but let's not go there at the minute. It's enough to say it's a longshot but a longshot's better than no shot at all.

Already qualified for the play-offs, Lincoln City showed up in SE7 for the first time in most memories and collaborated with their hosts in serving up a first half of unremitting tedium, during which Adkins' Addicks failed to trouble the visitors' goal. The Imps, meanwhile, were only marginally more menacing, though centre forward Callum Morton should have put them in front after just ten minutes. Sent through the home defence by Tayo Edun's glorious reverse pass, the WBA loanee was left with only Ben Amos to beat from 12 yards. The brilliant keeper won the one-on-one duel by turning Morton's shot to safety. There was little else to distinguish a totally uneventful first period, enlivened only by the replacement, on 31 minutes, of injured referee Kevin Johnson by fourth official Carl Brook. Much later on, Charlton would have reason to be grateful for the unscheduled switch. More of that... much later on.

Another replacement, that of Ben Purrington by Chuks Aneke, was of more immediate impact. Considered surplus to the requirements of the 4-3-3 formation he prefers, Aneke came on to support Jayden Stockley in a revamped 4-2-2 set up. Playing behind Stockley in a No.10 role suited to his shirt number, Aneke caused immediate havoc. Just two minutes after resumption, the big striker cushion-headed a deftly dinked cross from Alex Gilbey back to Stockley, who brutally half-volleyed past a startled Alex Palmer to give Adkins' side the lead. The estimable Stockley claimed his eighth goal since coming on board in January, his first scored with his feet, then continued to thrive alongside Aneke. Proving again that players, not formations, win football games.

Though Amos was again called on to protect the lead with another smart save from Morton, the Addicks took over. Albie Morgan, who had taken over from an ominously injured Jake Forster-Caskey, dispossessed TJ Eyoma and fed Aneke to sting Palmer's palms with a ferocious drive. Stockley was then inches away from converting an excellent cross from Liam Millar, himself caught up in the new mood of attacking enterprise. An important second goal was not, however, long delayed. In fact, two came along close together. The first of them was spartan in its creation and execution. An inswinging corner from Morgan reached Ryan Inniss beyond the far post and was headed down past Palmer by the huge centre back. His first goal for the club was followed, two minutes later, by Aneke's 15th in the league. Capping a personal purple patch, Millar left the right side of City's defence in tatters as he surged through them to set up Aneke to efficiently sidefoot beyond a suddenly shellshocked Palmer.

At 3-0 the result was dusted if not completely done. Charlton inexplicably stepped off the gas and allowed Michael Appleton's overachievers to hit back. Substitute Tom Hooper neatly set up Harry Anderson to reduce the deficit but of greater concern to the Addicks was the curious behaviour of Aneke and that of his manager during the closing minutes.

Before Anderson's 89th minute consolation, Aneke went on one of those rampages which has brought him official trouble throughout the season. Pursuing a departing Imp to the halfway line, he clumsily decked his flying opponent and received a thoroughly deserved caution. A managerial hook should have promptly removed him from harm's way but Adkins seemed slow to react. While making his mind up, Aneke launched himself into a second ill-advised challenge only yards away from where his manager stood. Local hearts leaped into mouths as deputy referee Brook briefly weighed his choices. Possibly sharing sympathy with a fellow-substitute, he contented himself with delivering a stern lecture to the belligerent Addick and thus spared him to turn out against Hull on Sunday... no doubt from the bench as per usual. Aneke was eventually replaced by Darren Pratley in added time; his deputy had no more than five minutes to get himself booked. He duly made it with time to spare.

Adkins will have learned from this heartwarming fixture that Stockley and Aneke can operate together. Also that Aneke, his best player, galvanises his teammates, particularly the likes of Gilbey, Morgan and Millar. With winning his only viable option, an aggressive selection seems the way to go - not in kamikaze style, of course, but free of inhibitions and going for the throat of Hull's Tigers. It might not be enough but better to go out as lions rather than lambs. We'll know how it played out at about 2 pm on Sunday. There will probably be the customary twists and turns, of course, but who knows... let's face it, who knows?

Charlton: Amos, Matthews, Famewo, Inniss, Purrington (Aneke 46, Pratley 90), Watson, Gilbey, Forster-Caskey (Morgan 38), Maatsen, Millar, Stockley. Not used: Maynard-Brewer, Gunter, Pearce, Washington. Booked: Purrington, Aneke, Pratley.

Linclon: Palmer, Poole, Montsma, Edun, Jones, Grant (Hopper72), Scully (Howarth 57), Bramall (Sanders 63), Morton, Eyoma (Walsh 72), Anderson. Not used: Long, McGrandles, Rogers. Booked: Jones.

Referee: Kevin Anderson

Plymouth Argyle 0 Charlton 6 (Forster-Caskey Stockley 45, Watts 47 o.g., Gilbey 49, Millar 56, (Aneke 89).

When Chuks Aneke rounded off the scoring in the 89th minute to make it 6-0, Charlton had equalled the club's record away win so memorably established at Barnsley ten years ago. And incredibly six different players registered on the scoresheet as they had at Oakwell, although Plymouth's Kelland Watts won't relish being included for turning the Addicks' game-clinching third goal into his own net. There was still time for Aneke to squander an easier chance to make it 7-0 but that would have been pure greed. Which, in certain political circles, is of course good.

Argyle were ultimately blown away by an exhibition of clinical finishing not normally associated with Charlton but were far better than the scoreline suggests. During a torrid opening quarter hour for the visitors, in fact, there was little warning of the carnage to come as the Westcountrymen pinned their visitors into their own half and earned a flurry of early corners. A clever exchange between Ryan Law and Danny Mayor set up top scorer Luke Jephcott for a fierce shot which was heroically charged down by Jason Pearce, then Lewis MacLeod's cross was glanced narrowly wide at the near post by Ryan Hardie.

Chronically slow starters, Charlton survived the onslaught and began to find their feet. Diallang Jaiyesimi's crisp drive, well saved by Mike Cooper, lifted the siege and before the half hour, they were in front. Liam Millar surged irresistibly down the left flank before cutting in to force a defiant save from Cooper. Unhappily for the keeper, his parry reached Jake Forster-Caskey, whose deliberate header made it into the top right corner, despite Watts' half-hearted attempt to punch it clear. An eventful evening for the defender kicked off with a booking for deliberate handling.

A fine save by Ben Amos from Law's stinging drive preserved the lead, which the Londoners duly doubled a minute before the break. Combining with Millar near the right touchline, Adam Matthews delivered a fine cross for Jayden Stockley, who shook off Sam Woods and planted a diving header inside the right post. Almost immediately after the break, Nigel Adkins' stick-or-twist 2-0 dilemma was resolved for him by the unfortunate Watts. Plymouth had started the second half brightly with Byron Moore setting up a point blank chance for Joe Edwards; Amos brilliantly saved Edwards' "gimme", then regained his feet to send Millar racing along the left touchline. The winger cut in, potshotted off target with his weaker right foot and was chuffed to see an off-balance Watts drag the ball over the goalline. Charlton had wasted little time in securing their vital win with that often-elusive third goal.

Two minutes later, a more salubrious strike extended the Addicks' lead. Quickfire combination involving Stockley and Millar created space for the bustling centre forward to centre low and hard from the right. Making up ground intelligently on the opposite flank, Alex Gilbey's half-volley gave Cooper no chance. As the Pilgrims pondered developments, they fell even more ruinously behind.

Right back Matthews again advanced over the halfway line to link up with Jaiyesimi, who held on to the ball briefly before crossing crisply. Stockley's heads-up dummy left Millar the simple task of slotting past Cooper to put the Addicks 5-0 up. And so it stayed until Aneke relieved willing worker Stockley, equalled the record, then spurned the opportunity to set a new standard. More worrying was his limping departure at the final whistle. His mission magnificently accomplished, Adkins's attention would naturally have switched to results elsewhere. Same as all of us, to be honest. And a more perfect evening would be hard to imagine. Portsmouth had lost 3-1 to bottom-of-table Swindon Town (attaboy, Brett!) and slipped a point behind us with a game more played; Oxford were also beaten, 2-1 at good old Wimbledon (attaboy, Joe!), and with two more games played, were also a point adrift,which was a setback for that smug Oxford fan who pontificates on Quest. And Blackpool's recent winning run was halted 1-0 by lowly Rochdale (attaboy, Ollie!) to leave them squarely in our sights.

Which leads us to Peterborough United, formidable guests at The Valley on Saturday. Posh were beaten 1-0 at home by Steve Evans' Gillingham but it's hard to know how to react to that outcome. It keeps the Gills clinging on to faint hopes of making the play-offs, having achieved the impressive feat of holding the automatic promotion certs scoreless. But does it denote the beginning of a dip in United's form or merely a one-off blip?

We'll know more at the weekend when the Addicks' fine performance at Home Park sets them up to confront second-placed Peterborough. From Amos in goal to Stockley up front, their demolition of Argyle was a thing of beauty. Centre backs Pearce and Akin Famewo were indomitable, full backs Matthews and Ben Purrington as adept going forward as they were defending the flanks; wide men Jaiyesismi and Millar were old school in their touchline artistry but tracked back when necessary; central midfielders Forster-Caskey and Gilbey both scored and controlled the crucial middle ground. Meanwhile Ben Watson diligently shielded the back four until Darren Pratley helped him mop up the closing quarter hour. And Aneke came back to striking form again. So here's to Saturday and an improvement in our home form. We owe it to the Upbeats. Can't let those guys down!

Plymouth: Cooper, Aimson (Moore 38), Woods, Watts, Edwards, Camara, MacLeod (Reeves 58), Mayor, Law, Hardie (Ennis 58), Jephcott. Not used: McCormick, Opoku, Lewis, Fornal. Booked: Watts.

Charlton: Amos, Matthews (Gunter 57), Famewo, Pearce, Purrington (Shinnie 67), Watson, Forster-Caskey (Pratley 76), Jaiyesimi (Morgan 67), Gilbey, Stockley (Aneke 76), Millar. Not used: Maynard-Brewer,

Referee: S. Purkiss.

Sunderland 1 (Scowen 77) Charlton 2 (Scowen o.g 31, Gilbey 61).

This mighty result - against the odds and contrary to most expectations - went some way to erasing from memory many of the setbacks suffered by Charlton during this unpredictable season. It also propelled the Addicks into a position (7th) from which to launch a serious bid to reach the play-offs, in which their current form would make them valid contenders.

There were times during their victory on Wearside when they rode their luck and were indebted to the excellence of Ben Amos to see them through. Several of Amos' saves exceeded the call of duty; even the 77th minute goal, through which Josh Scowen halved his side's deficit and set up a potentially tense climax, was scored in the aftermath of two outstanding stops from Charlton's outstanding keeper.

First things first, of course, and Nigel Adkins' naming of a team unchanged from that which saw off Doncaster Rovers last week was encouraging enough to merit mention. Gone was the managerial tinkering with personnel and formation which nonplussed fans and no doubt unsettled players. Conspicuously absent also was the almost obligatory dithering at the back which, in fact, blighted Adkins' debut at AFC Wimbledon two weeks ago. The players who represented the club at Sunderland executed a simple game plan which had, as its bedrock, the clear intention of spending as much time as possible in the opposition's half. Even after Scowen's goal gave the Black Cats a glimpse of redemption, they were repulsed with a coolness and sense of purpose not normally associated with Charlton. Much of that confidence can be traced to the timely return of massive Ryan Inniss, whose defensive influence radiates through his colleagues, each one of whom played his own part in dimming the Stadium of Light. Inniss was no one-man band. To be frank, though, it didn't look promising during a shaky opening period. There were only six minutes on the clock when Aidan McGeady, the heartbeat of Lee Johnson's side, set up Charlie Wyke to volley abysmally wide from six unopposed yards. And there were obvious signs of nerves as Darren Pratley's carelessness in possession allowed Wyke a clearcut chance to finish from close range; Amos made the first of his key saves, then was positively Schmeichel-esque in batting away Aiden O'Brien's dead cert while heading in an opposite direction.

It was far from one-way traffic by then and the left post came to Sunderland's rescue when Jake Forster-Caskey's free kick eluded everyone but Luke O'Nien, whose head caromed the ball to safety off the left post. Twenty minutes later, Scowen was less lucky and entered his name on the scoresheet for all the wrong reasons.

Admirable persistence from Diallang Jaiyesimi wrested a left wing corner off Lyndon Gooch, which Forster-Caskey swung on to Inniss' lofty head. The centre back's downward effort was awkwardly parried by Lee Burge, who might have emerged unscathed had Scowen not haplessly sliced his intended clearance into the roof of the net. They all count equally, of course, and Charlton were off and running. More brilliance from Amos, in diving full length to turn aside Callum McFadzean's corner-bound low drive, protected the lead before the break. Soon after resumption, hardworking Jayden Stockley wasted a clearcut chance to double that lead, glancing Jaiyesimi's perfect cross against the right post when scoring from six yards seemed an easier option.

Stockley's miss was quickly forgotten as he played an important part in the Addicks' second goal. Nodding Adam Matthews' throw into Alex Gilbey's path, he was first to celebrate as the rangy midfielder eluded Dion Sanderson and forced his shot through Burge's legs. How important that second goal was became clear when the Mackems hit back through Scowen and complicated the closing quarter hour.

Amos was entitled to a stroke of luck after saving magnificently from First Wyke, then substitute Ross Stewart but was helpless to intervene as the second rebound fell conveniently for Scowen to plunge forward and head into an empty net from the 18-yard line. An uncomfortable finish loomed in front of the Addicks but was negotiated with commendable poise and minimal anxiety.

The last few hundred words belonged to Sunderland's peevish manager Johnson. He and his gimlet-eyed staff had spotted a spot of sneaky blocking by Jason Pearce, which helped Inniss to reach Forster-Caskey's corner and head the opening goal. In a modern penalty area where wrestling, holding and downright villainy are de rigeur, it requires uncanny perception to separate the guilty from the innocent since everybody's at it. But a less-than-jolly Johnson felt badly let down by the myopic officials and felt it his duty to have a moan about it. He was also a bit upset that Charlton seemed to be taller than his chaps - six or seven inches taller in some cases. That was, of course, beyond referee Backhouse's control, but it still rankled. Oh, and another thing...both of Charlton's goals were "soft". So there you have it. Consider yourself told.

Sunderland: Burge, Power, Sanderson, O'Nien, Gooch (Hume 62), Scowen, Winchester (Jones 60), McFadzean (Stewart 62), O'Brien (McLaughlin 60), Wyke, McGeady. Not used: Matthews, Diamond, Leadbitter.

Charlton: Amos, Matthews, Inniss, Pearce, Purrington. Gilbey, Pratley, Forster-Caskey, Maatsen (Millar 66), Stockley, Jaiyesimi (Gunter 73). Not used: Maynard-Brewer, Oshilaja, Shinnie, Watson, Schwartz. Booked: Gilbey, Forster-Caskey.

Referee: Anthony Backhouse.