Charlton 3 (Taylor 25, Aneke 75, Gallagher 83) Stoke City 1 (Ince 37).

Kevin Nolan reporting from The Valley.

Showing that their opening day victory at Blackburn was no flash in the pan, Charlton made it two wins in a row by seeing off Stoke City. On a gusty afternoon when fans bonded with players to create an irresistible atmosphere, the briefly impressive visitors were swept away on a tide of raw emotion. Some of the football produced by Lee Bowyer's iconoclastic warriors was pretty nifty too, it's pleasing to report.

The first 20 minutes made admittedly awkward viewing for the buoyant home crowd. City kept the ball on the deck, passed it around accurately and probed for openings. Doggedly, the Addicks kept their shape, picked up runners diligently and hung in. Then midway through a one-sided first half, they suckerpunched their over-confident visitors with a goal of stunning quality.

At the end of what was apparently a difficult week (as a virtual stranger to social media, the "difficulty" passed me by), Lyle Taylor had been struggling to get a look-in as the Potters dominated possession. He's not a player it pays to take your eye off, though, as Nathan Jones' complacent men discovered. Picked out on the left flank by Jonathan Leko's arrowed pass, Taylor stepped inside on to his favoured right foot before detonating a venomous drive which found the opposite corner off Jack Butland's straining fingertips. His second goal of the season qualified as a collector's item. He seldom - if ever - scores from outside the penalty area.

Falling behind galvanised City. The penny dropped that their pretty approach play needed end product, which new signing Scott Hogan came close to providing by beating Dillon Phillips with a faintly deflected effort which unluckily cannoned off the bar. Three minutes later, Tom Ince equalised with a long range blockbuster which saw and raised Taylor's effort for sheer quality.

Having conceded possession near the halfway line, the Addicks retreated instinctively as Ince made ground and let fly from over 30 yards. His shot was still rising as it hit the net behind a full length Phillips. Game most definitely on.

Ince's fine goal handed the pre-interval initiative to the visitors and Lee Gregory, cheerfully jeered for his Millwall connections, hit the post during an untidy goalmouth scramble. By the time Tommy Smith shot conveniently straight at Phillips from inside the penalty area, the break came as sweet relief to Bowyer's rattled men.

The second half didn't quite start as Charlton meant to go on. They were spreadeagled by Joe Allen's menacing run along the right byline but with scoring the easiest of his options, Gregory incredibly scooped an absolute sitter over the bar. The Addicks had their moment too, with Taylor breaking away to set up Leko for a tap-in which Butland's alertness bravely smothered. With a useful draw looking likely, The Valley erupted in primeval joy as a two-goal salvo instead destroyed the Potters.

Interpassing between Ben Purrington and Johnny Williams on the right made a fleeting opening for Taylor, which Butland foiled. Picking up the scraps on the left, Josh Cullen made positive inroads to improvise a cross half scuffed clear to the penalty spot. Substitute Chuks Aneke practically licked his lips before drilling Charlton ahead. Celebrations were mighty but the home side were not yet finished.

From Cullen's right corner - Charlton's first of the game - a rehearsed routine saw Taylor come short along the byline before turning to drive a hard low ball into the middle. Butland's parry fell perfectly for Connor Gallagher to sweep a game-clinching third goal past him. The Valley could even allow itself the rare luxury of relaxing. This game was won and lost.

For Bowyer, there were resounding performances to savour all over the pitch, with certain reservations about the flimsy nature of some of Charlton's defending a cause for concern. Full backs Purington and Solly were sound enough, with the latter recovering from a shaky start to put a sock into the mouths of a persistent band of detractors, some of whom judge him at second sight from hand-me-down accounts. Solly's was his usual 7 out of 10 contribution. No call to worry about him.

Restless and insatiable, Cullen was a popular choice as man-of-the match, his re-signing shortly before the transfer window closed, a coup for Bowyer and his staff. He was run close, however, by the unsung, prodigious contribution of Darren Pratley, who belied his veteran's label with selfless, unstinting commitment to Charlton's cause. Pratley made himself hard to drop, despite the 11th hour arrival of several midfield candidates. Debutant Leko was a clever, twisting box-of-tricks, who only occasionally hung on to the ball a trifle too long, Gallagher a youthful bundle of energy with no air of Chelsea swanking about him. Good kid with good pedigree.

What's not to love about these honest, talented Addicks? It's a pleasure to report their progress. So I'll go on doing it, if you don't mind.

Charlton: Phillips, Solly, Lockyer, Pearce, Purrington, Leko (Aneke 69), Cullen, Pratley, Williams (Lapslie 86), Gallagher, Taylor. Not used: Amos, Oshilaja, Forster-Caskey, Bonne, Sarr.

Stoke: Butland, Smith, Batth, Lindsey, Ward, Woods (Duffy 69), Allen, Clucas, Ince, Hogan (Campbell 61), Gregory (Verlinden 78). Not used: Federici, Vokes, Cousins, Collins.

Referee: Simon Hooper. Att: 17,848 (2,340).

Charlton 2 (Purrington 35, Bauer 90+4) Sunderland 1 (Sarr 5,o.g.).

Kevin Nolan reports from Wembley Stadium.

Considerable slack should be cut when reading this admittedly sketchy account of Charlton's heart attack-inducing victory over arch enemies Sunderland, a town it might be prudent to swerve for the time being. Much of what occurred passed in a daze for your reporter, recumbent as he was for much of the time on the floor of Wembley's press box. But we do our best so here goes.

Let's start at the end where, in the last seconds of four added minutes, the latest in a series of free kicks conceded by the increasingly physical Mackems was quickly taken on the left, with the ball switched short to Josh Cullen. Moving on to his right foot, the indefatigable midfield maestro crossed to the far post, where Patrick Bauer's header bounced back to him off Tom Flanagan and was prodded over the line, again off the helpful Flanagan, by Charlton's big friendly German. Celebrations were mighty, even in the supposedly neutral surroundings of the media centre but we pulled ourselves together promptly. There were, after all, six tricky seconds to negotiate before promotion to the Championship became official. Whereupon, frankly, all bets were off. Everyone went unapologetically garrity.

Now we'll go back to the beginning. The euphoric mood much later was a stark contrast to the disbelief and despair Charlton fans felt when the Wearsiders were given a goal start after just five minutes of this winner-takes-all clash. For once, that over-used word "surreal" can be justified in describing the debacle which, in an almost dream-like sequence, persuaded Naby Sarr to routinely return Dillon Phillips' roll-out to the keeper. Perhaps a confirmatory glance might have spared the Addicks grief but Phillips seemed the guiltier party in taking his eye off the ball and allowing it to trickle almost furtively into his net. "Something we couldn't control" was Lee Bowyer's charitable post-game comment. If Charlton had lost, his reaction might have been saltier.

To his credit, Phillips held his nerve and contributed an important save from Grant Leadbitter as Sunderland sensed an opportunity to put the tie on a safer footing.

Inspired by the calm authority of Cullen and the streetwise experience of Darren Pratley, order was gradually restored with the former passing it about and the latter putting it about, so to speak. The ugly spectre of that disastrous own goal continued to haunt them, though, until an unlikely scorer purged it with a 35th minute equaliser.

Since replacing long-term injury absentee Lewis Page, left back Ben Purrington has operated under the radar, unsung and taken for granted as a solid, unfussy defender. Without a senior goal to his credit, Purington updated that statistic by arriving at the far post, with Pratley at his elbow, to tap in Lyle Taylor's hard low centre across the six-yard box. Coolly impressive Anfernee Dijksteel and Premier League target Joe Aribo had distinguished themselves in the approach play which set up Taylor's assist. And while his goal didn't quite match the quality of Clive Mendonca's magical strikes in 1998, Purrington's name, like those of Chris Duffy and Clive Mendonca, will resonate down the years as scorer of one of the defining goals in the club's Wembley story. He was joined later by another improbable scorer.

Having drawn level, the next imperative for the resurgent Addicks was to come up with a winner to spare us extra-time and, perish the thought, penalties. To that end, old pro Jason Pearce was a sensible interval replacement for Sarr, recipient of a first half yellow card and an obvious target for Sunderland's wind-up merchants.

Stalwart Pearce shored up the defence but it was the 71st minute introduction of Jonny Williams for braveheart Pratley which decisively shifted the momentum in Charlton's favour. A known quantity as far as the Mackems are concerned, their plan to curtail his free-roaming incursions was simplicity itself. Having clearly placed a bounty on his head, they took turns to bash him up, accepting cautions as a fair price to pay to curb his enthusiasm. Brave as a bible, he invited their mistreatment and was fittingly involved in the last gasp free kick which turned the tables on his tormentors. In the process of relishing their ultimate discomfort, the Nolans dangled precariously from the press box like Statler and Waldorf. We couldn't have complained if we'd been aimed out of the stadium. But who cares anyway? We'll always have Wembley May '19 to remember, a magical day when the good guys won through, one which confirmed for us that it's a privilege to support Charlton. See you in the Championship. You're all welcome.

Charlton: Phillips, Dijksteel, Bauer, Sarr (Pearce 46), Purrington, Bielik, Pratley (Williams 71), Cullen, Aribo, Parker, Taylor. Not used: Maxwell, Forster-Caskey, Reeves, Solly, Lapslie. Booked: Sarr.

Sunderland: McLaughlin, O'Nien. Ozturk, Flanagan, Oviedo, Cattermole, Leadbitter, Power (Morgan 9), Honeyman, Wyke (McGeady 72), Maguire (Grigg 57). Not used: Stryjek, Matthews, Gooch, Dunne. Booked: O'Nien, Flanagan, Leadbitter, Grigg.

Referee: Andy Madley. Att: 76,155.

This one is for Betty Hutchins. No explanation is necessary.

When John Marquis put Doncaster ahead during the first half of extra-time last Friday, there was the briefest of pauses - a distinct catching of breath - in the ceaseless wall of sound which had been urging Charlton on all evening.

It was time to face defeat. Enough was enough. The Addicks had given everything. There was no shame in losing. They'd done their best.

But the moment of doubt -and it was only a moment - passed before the Valley Roar spontaneously re-doubled. Twice as loud, twice as fierce, totally illogical, it made spines tingle and hairs stand out on necks. To borrow and bend a phrase, "c'est magnifique...mais ce n'est pas le football".

Still elated by their success, the visitors were clearly taken aback by the defiant swell of emotion, while Lee Bowyer's band of brothers instinctively tapped into its sheer, bloodyminded rejection of reality, before being swept along on its tide of irresistible momentum. Surrender was not yet an option. The glorious uncertainty of football hadn't done with us yet.

It takes very little to stir Lyle Taylor's juices and he responded immediately. Waspishly possessed of fresh energy, he wriggled free on the right and lashed over one of his patent-pending low crosses which induces panic in defences. Leaving his line, Marko Marosi prepared to deal routinely with the danger but fatally slipped. Managing only to feebly paw the ball to Darren Pratley's feet, he was helpless to intervene as the combative veteran walked the gift into a yawning net. It was obvious that the wretched keeper was tripped from behind by person or persons unknown. Looking down from the press box, I know what I saw. But I'm no grass. And neither were any of the innocents in the crowd behind his goal. There were forces at work beyond our comprehension.

With the noise reaching new crescendos, the North Stand rose further to the occasion during the penalty shoot-out which had seemed likely since Matty Blair's late goal at Keepmoat Stadium five days previously. So did Greenwich Constabulary who, with health and safety issues on their conscience, ordered the kicks to be taken at the home end. It was the least they could do for Keith Palmer.

Impeccably behaved while four Addicks and three Rovers efficiently scored from the spot, the diehards came into their own when Marquis stepped up to take Donny's fourth spotkick. Clearly targeted as a weak link in the visitors' penalty chain, a storm of personal comments, many of them impolitely querying Marquis' curious hairdo, greeted the rattled striker. Almost obediently, he shovelled a meek effort straight at Dillon Phillips before fleeing the scene - a broken man.

The tie was now in Charlton's hands but fifth taker Naby Sarr promptly dropped it. His miss left Rovers' survival down to their skipper Tommy Rowe, a spectacular long range scorer much earlier during this semi-final's bumpy ride but still disgruntled over the arbitrary choice of ends for the shoot-out. His distracted effort flew woefully wide and the suffering was over.

Until Sunday, that is, when we return to earth to confront Sunderland in a grudge final at Wembley. Mackems' manager Jack Ross will have noted how Doncaster successfully threw a disruptive spanner into Charlton's normally smooth works. Constantly in the Addicks' faces, they worked tirelessly to deny them the space they needed to stitch together the instinctive, lightning-fast pass-move-pass combinations which characterise them. And when possession was won, they were incisive and imaginative themselves, counter-attacking skilfully and with purpose. They were the better side at The Valley but their hosts, when push became shove, found a way to win - otherwise known as the hard way. Doncaster caught them on a bad day. Sunderland might not be as lucky.

With an almost fully fit squad available to him, Bowyer must solve several selection dilemmas, among them choices to be made between Dijksteel/Solly, Pearce/Sarr, Pratley/Morgan and assuming Igor Vetokele doesn't recover in time, Parker/Williams. Whoever he chooses, the fans will close ranks behind them in solidarity. Once an Addick, always an Addick, from cradle to grave. Charlton is, after all, the greatest football team the world has ever seen.

Charlton 2 (Bielik 2, Pratley 102) Doncaster Rovers 3 (Rowe 11, Butler 88, Marquis 100). Aggregate score 4-4 (Charlton won 4-3 on penalties).

Kevin Nolan reporting from The Valley.

Providing the climax to an evening in which Charlton and their magnificent fans were served through wringers, mincers and shredding machines, this frantic play-off semi-final simmered down, as so often they do, into the clinically dispassionate format of the penalty shoot-out. From the moment, in fact, when Matty Blair's late goal for Doncaster in the first leg changed the course of this tie, it became almost inevitable it was heading in that direction.

Penalty shoot-outs have a life of their own, whereby players still running on adrenaline after more than 120 minutes in a pressure cooker, are forced back down to earth quickly, to confront their fears and go about their lonely business from 12 unassisted yards. Unlike the lottery, to which these gunfights are lazily compared, luck takes a back seat. Cool judgement, not blind speculation, wins the day.

Following Greenwich Police's flawless call (who says there's never a copper around when you need one?) that, for security reasons, the spotkicks would take place in front of Charlton's raucous covered end, the Addicks also earned the slight advantage of going first. And emerging from their ruck of players in the centre circle came the  reassuring, if unlikely, figure of Chris Solly. He proved an inspired choice.

A 110th minute substitute for battered Krystian Bielik, 28 year-old veteran Solly might -or might not - have been introduced with penalties in mind. His low effort was buried well out of keeper Marko Marosi's reach, calmed local misgivings and provided the template for his teammates to follow. When Dillon Phillips saved John Marquis' fourth penalty, Naby Sarr was handed the opportunity to seal the tie at 5-3 but failed to beat Marko Marosi. No problem really because Rovers' clearly legweary skipper Tommy Owen sent his effort well wide and the pent-up, sell-out crowd erupted like so many corks from pent-up bottles on to the pitch in spontaneous celebration. 4-4 result, followed by penalties... those figures might cause a flutter or two up on Wearside, where 1998 is a year stricken from local calendars.

It was Bielik whose second minute goal apparently simplified Charlton's task in exploiting the narrow lead brought back from Yorkshire five days earlier. Fouled by Owen, he headed Josh Cullen's cleverly feinted free kick irresistibly past Marosi and The Valley's relief was palpable. Not for long, unfortunately, as Owen redeemed himself by finding the space he needed to leave Phillips helpless from over 20 yards. Phillips promptly averted early collapse by saving smartly from Marquis as Donny pressed home their advantage.
Sensing the tension undermining their hosts, Grant McCann's men took over. While not exactly playing Charlton off the park, as McCann claimed, they were the better side and should have levelled the tie long before spiky centre back Andrew Butler turned the trick with just two minutes remaining. Meeting Ali Crawford's left wing corner at the far post, Butler's header found the bottom right corner and Sunderland's Wembley opponents were as far from being identified as they had been at Keepmoat Stadium at 12.15 p.m. five days previously.

The smart money was now, of course, on Donny and they duly justified their narrowing odds by moving in front for the first time in the tie ten minutes into extra time. The close range finish was provided by Marquis but its inspiration was provided by the increasing influence and trickery of Leeds loanee Mallik Wilks. Feinting on to his left foot to shake off a bemused Anfernee Dijksteel, Wilks darted to the right byline before standing up a delicious cross which made scoring a 3-yard headed formality for the prolific Marquis.

Out of sorts, beset by nerves and unable to string together the impressive pass-and-move football which has so often characterised them this season, the Addicks dug deep and refused to quit. A frustrated Lyle Taylor was in no mood to concede defeat and while the visitors were still basking in their success, wriggled free on the right before hammering over one of his trademarked low crosses. Diving outwards, Marosi fumbled, leaving interval substitute Darren Pratley to prod home the point blank rebound. His somewhat startled effort hardly matched the quality of the resounding volley he netted at Shrewsbury back in January but outclassed it in every other respect. In two words, it was scruffy but priceless.

Still juggling with his formation -3-5-2 reverted to a 4-4-2 diamond after the break - Lee Bowyer has an almost full squad and key decisions to make before the rematch with Sunderland next Sunday. Here's one man's opinions...for what they're worth.

Re-deployed in both semi-final legs, Bielik must surely start the final in midfield; Solly's old pro nous should get him the nod at right back over the the irreproachable Dijksteel, whose day will come; if willing to be patched up, Igor Vetokele picks himself to partner Taylor up front; if not, Jonny Williams has to be considered behind Taylor, with Josh Parker the sole forward on the bench. Discuss among yourselves.

Charlton: Phillips, Dijksteel, Bauer, Sarr, Purrington, Bielik (Solly 110), Aribo, Morgan (Pratley 46), Cullen, Parker (Williams 96), Taylor. Not used: Maxwell, Pearce, Forster-Caskey, Lapslie. Booked: Bielik, Aribo, Pratley.

Doncaster: Marosi, Downing, Blair (May 86), Butler, Whiteman, Andrew, Rowe, Coppinger (Sadlier 96), Wilks (Wright 105), Kane (Crawford 80), Marquis. Not used: Lawlor, Anderson, Beeston. Booked: Marosi, Butler, Whiteman, Downing.

Referee: Gavin Ward. Att: 25,428 (1,351).

Doncaster Rovers 1 (Blair 87) Charlton 2 (Taylor 32, Aribo 34).

Kevin Nolan reports from Keepmoat Stadium.

At the risk of sounding churlish, let's begin this otherwise positive account of Charlton's vital victory in South Yorkshire with a minor gripe. Better make that a medium-to-major gripe because Matty Blair's scruffy, ungainly but potentially priceless goal for Doncaster changed the dynamic of Friday night's second leg at The Valley. There's a world of difference -psychologically for openers - between starting the second leg 2-1 rather than 2-0 down, especially when you've scored so late. Blair's lucky strike gave gritty Rovers a boost at a pivotal time.

And the gripe? That comes with the suspect, what-we-have-we-hold attitude Charlton adopted during a second half they virtually conceded to their inferior hosts. As they gradually gave ground, there was already an ominous whiff of legweariness about them by the time Mallik Wilks' left wing cross spiralled, via a wicked deflection, to the far post where right back Blair popped up to bundle the ball over the line. Significantly, it came as no surprise to either side. But it gave this semi-final fresh legs.

If he was irritated by the late setback, Lee Bowyer manfully hid his feelings."It's disappointing," he allowed, "because I think we worked so hard and shut up shop well." True enough, in which case Blair should have his collar felt for shoplifting.

With last March's fortunate 1-1 draw in mind, Bowyer set his troops out in a fit-for-purpose 3-5-2 shape, with full backs Anfernee Dijksteel and Ben Purrington advanced on the flanks to counter the raids on the break with which Donny caught them out so often during the contentious league fixture here. The adjustments did mean, however, that Krystian Bielik spent most of the game behind Dijksteel in what appeared to these tactically archaic eyes to be an orthodox right back position. There were none of those rampaging runs from his own half which instil panic in opposition ranks and frequently turn games on their heads. A newly swashbuckling Bielik might be unleashed on unsuspecting Rovers in Friday's second leg.

Until Blair's inconvenient intervention, a disciplined first leg performance was on offer for a packed away end, which held its collective breath when left back Danny Andrews free kick, awarded for Patrick Bauer's bookable foul on Kieran Sadlier, beat Dillon Phillips but clipped the bar on its way to safety. They also saluted their brilliant young keeper for diving full length to keep out veteran James Coppinger's venomous low drive. At the other, far distant end, the ineffable Lyle Taylor drew a similarly sharp save from Marko Marosi and Josh Parker headed Purrington's perfect cross wastefully off target.Just past the half hour, Taylor gave the Addicks a precious lead. And who better than the serial scorer himself to describe the goal?

"The ball came in (from Albie Morgan), it's flicked off Butler and I just saw Josh Cullen stood on the line and I thought 'what's he doing there?' It's gone straight to him. It popped back in the box and I thought 'I'm going to have my head taken off here but I need to score, I have to score. I'm going to have to head this,' so I just threw myself at it and thankfully didn't get volleyed in the head." And there you have it -the anatomy of a goal by its owner. No sub-titles necessary.

Two minutes later, Taylor had a hand in the Addicks' second goal. In the throes of another hectic goalmouth scramble, his adroit pass set up Joe Aribo to finish off Marosi's hand from an awkward position not dissimilar to Cullen's on the right byline. "Definitely a shot, not a cross", as clarified by Taylor by way of claiming an assist for Aribo's fourth goal in as many games and tenth of the season. Not for charismatic Lyle those guarded interviews favoured by so many players; when he's got something to say (and that's pretty often), he comes right out and says it without worrying if it frightens the horses.

With their two-goal lead nicely tucked away, Bowyer's talented troops embarked on their ultimately damaging safety first policy, with both second half subs statements of defensive intent. It might have been a welcome change to chomp on a cigar (unlit of course), sit back with feet up and relish watching them toy with Donny in an academic second leg but that was never going to happen. It's just not the Charlton way. So sit tight, folks, strap yourself in and get ready for a white-knuckle ride. It's worth more that way. Trust me.

Doncaster: Marosi, Blair, Butler, Downing, Andrew, Whiteman, Kane, Coppinger ((Rowe 46), Sadlier (May 84), Wilks, Marquis. Not used: Jones, Crawford, Anderson, Smith, Lewis.

Charlton: Phillips, Dijksteel, Bauer, Sarr, Purrington, Bielik, Morgan (Pratley 61), Cullen, Aribo, Parker (Pearce 66), Taylor. Not used: Maxwell, Page, Forster-Caskey, Williams, Lapslie. Booked: Bauer.   

Referee: Oliver Langford. Att: 11,140 (3,688 vocal visitors).

Charlton 4 (Aribo 19, Andrew 32 o.g. Taylor 40, Bielik 75) Rochdale 0.

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

The buzz sweeping The Valley at half-time wasn't entirely due to Charlton's perfect performance which left Rochdale breathless at the break. There was plenty to celebrate, of course, but it was news from other key venues which iced a tasty cake.

While the Addicks were finding it difficult to misplace a pass, mistime an interception, much less miss their chances, play-off rivals Portsmouth and Sunderland were busy bottling it against similarly modest opposition. Both of them were struggling at the interval and if they continued to flounder, one more goal would catapult Charlton over them into third place and with it the prize of visiting Doncaster Rovers in the first leg of the semi-finals. While being careful what they wished for, most fans and probably Lee Bowyer had no problem with that surprising outcome.

The addition of a fourth goal to a 3-0 scoreline which actually flattered 'Dale, seemed the least of Charlton's concerns. They had outclassed the mid-table visitors and were expected to blow them away while attacking their favoured covered end. To their credit, they buckled to the task but things began to go wrong.

Referee Charles Breakspear's baffling decision that Jimmy Keohane's deliberate foul which hauled back Josh Parker as he burst clear to confront Josh Lillis deserved a yellow rather than the red card it clearly deserved, sowed the first seeds of doubt. And when the otherwise excellent Albie Morgan sidefooted Lyle Taylor's deft cross wide, they began to grow. But it was Parker's remarkable miss before the hour which lent substance to the mounting suspicion that Bowyer's rampant men might be on the verge of  squandering a golden opportunity.

Parker, whose wholehearted contribution deserved better than the abuse he received from a small minority of an enthusiastic crowd, found himself facing a yawning net after Lillis had smartly saved Taylor's crisp low drive. With the keeper still prone, the burly forward placed the easy rebound lamentably wide of the target.

At precisely the same time, Portsmouth equalised at Fratton Park to ramp up the pressure.

In no mood to accept disappointment, Charlton continued the hunt. Joe Aribo's clever chip sailed narrowly over the bar before Parker's artful flick sent Taylor's right wing cross inches wide. At the other end, Ryan Delaney volleyed Aaron Morley's corner over the in a rare respite for overworked Rochdale. With a quarter hour remaining, they finally capitulated although it took a marvellous goal to unravel them.

Along with Josh Cullen, Krystian Bielik ranks as one of the shrewdest loan acquisitions ever to pitch up in S.E.7. Versatile, powerful and richly talented, the Arsenal midfielder is vital to the Addicks' play-off prospects. He showed exactly why with a trademarked solo surge over the halfway line and the intuitive one-two he played with Morgan. The return pass sent him clear of Rochdale's ruthlessly filleted defence and his cool finish into the bottom left corner applied a fitting coup-de-grace. It also provided Morgan with his second assist of the evening, which neatly returns us to a fuller description of Charlton's exhilarating first half display.

A bright opening, during which Aribo's close range effort to convert Ben Purrington's cutback was bravely blocked and Taylor's low drive forced a smart save from Lillis, brought the first of the Addicks' three-goal salvo after 19 minutes. Aribo both started and finished the process which set up Taylor's shot, gamely smothered by Lillis, but re-cycled by Parker for Aribo to curl unstoppably inside the left-hand post from the edge of the penalty area. His ninth goal of the season -and third in as many games - enhanced the loose-limbed 22 year-old's growing reputation as a free-scoring midfielder.

Just past the half hour, the lead was doubled, but not before Dillon Phillips did his bit by athletically tipping over a meaty effort hit by Callum Camps with minimal backlift but surprising power. His solitary save protected a third consecutive clean sheet.

As irrepressible as ever, meanwhile, Taylor was doing pretty much as he pleased. An electric turn and burst to the right byline was followed by a firmly hit centre which eluded Parker in the middle but was turned into his own goal, under pressure from Purrington at the far post, by Rochdale skipper Calvin Andrew.

Inevitably, Taylor added his name to the scoresheet before the break. Sent down the middle by Morgan's precisely weighted through ball, he made easy work of slotting Charlton's third past the optimistically advancing Lillis.
So that's the marathon all but done and dusted. Now for the sprint finish. With a full squad at his disposal, Bowyer is primed and ready. Late knocks to Bielik and Taylor caused him brief palpitations, no doubt, but his decks are cleared for action.  He's got some side at his disposal. They're a pleasure to watch. Bring it on!

Charlton: Phillips, Dijksteel, Bauer, Sarr, Purrington, Bielik (Pratley 84), Morgan, Cullen, Aribo (Reeves 89), Parker, Taylor (Marshall 83). Not used: Maxwell, Page, Pearce, Lapslie. Booked: Sarr.

Rochdale: Lillis, Morley, Delaney, Hamilton, Ntlhe (Bunney 62), Adshead, Williams, Camps, Keohane, Andrew (Wilbraham 69), Pyke (Bradley 76). Not used: Wade, McNulty, Done, Henderson. Booked: Delaney, Keohane.

Referee: Charles Breakspear. Att: 12,705 (290 visiting)

Gillingham 0 Charlton 2 (Aribo 24, Cullen 42).

Kevin Nolan reporting from Priestfield Stadium.

With one eye trained warily on the play-offs, Lee Bowyer's recent team selections have tightrope-walked the finest of lines in brinkmanship. His competitive reluctance to concede defeat has been carefully weighed against the need to tackle the post-season melee with a fully-functioning squad. And apart from his ill-fated use of Chris Solly at left back, his choices have been intuitive.

Judging correctly that Gillingham would approach this fixture with less than their usual fervour once League One survival had been assured, Bowyer made four changes from the side which demolished Scunthorpe. Lyle Taylor and Patrick Bauer were rested, with Ben Reeves and Albie Morgan dropped to bench duty. Starts were given to George Lapslie, Darren Pratley, Jonny Williams and Jason Pearce.

Both performance and result vindicated the manager's decisions. Gillingham were airily dismissed and routinely beaten by first half goals scored significantly by midfielders. The opener was Joe Aribo's eighth of a barnstorming season but even more pleasing was Josh Cullen's first for the club, a close range finish which rewarded the talented West Ham loanee's instinct for regularly supporting his forwards in the opposition's penalty area.

In a dominant midfield, among which 34 year-old Pratley was admirably "down with the kids", Aribo was frequently unplayable. A ceaselessly mobile bundle of effective energy, he was impossible to dispossess; his range of passing imaginative; his will to win no doubt especially dear to his manager's heart. His was a "horse" of a game. A protective rest next Saturday might be advisable since the loss of Charlton's driving force prior to the play-offs, though unthinkable, starts as a racing certainty in this injury-ravaged campaign.

Pratley and Williams, meanwhile, brought contrasting measures of pragmatism and dash to a hustling, bustling midfield which outclassed Gills. Pratley "won it and gave it" in deference to his more expansive colleagues, Williams ran exuberantly with the ball, drawing fouls as usual but needing a goal to rubberstamp his enthusiastic contributions. His solitary chance was deftly laid on by Aribo but was blasted high over the bar.

At the back for the relaxed visitors, an innovative three-cum-four set-up comprising the dramatically improving Anfernee Dijksteel, Pearce, Naby Sarr and Ben Purrington were unruffled by Gillingham's progressively feeble incursions. Behind them, Dillon Phillips was required to make only one noteworthy save, a spectacular tip-over of Tahvon Campbell's potent strike on the turn before the interval. A fifth clean sheet in Charlton's last seven games was effortlessly achieved against hosts prematurely celebrating another season in League One.

Aribo's goal virtually ended Gills' token resistance. Before he scored, Igor Vetokele, a livewire up front without Taylor's galvanic presence, had broken away but was overhauled by Barry Fuller, one of three former Addicks in the home side. Phillips' fine save from Campbell followed, then Aribo crucially struck. Combining with Purrington on the left, he received the left back's pass via a faint deflection off Max Ehmer before placing a crisp low drive beyond Tomas Holy's reach inside the right post. Now adding goals to his impressive repertoire, Aribo was unforgivably omitted from the League One All-Star team as selected by his peers. You might have expected fellow professionals to appreciate his all-round excellence but, in this instance, you might also be disappointed. The chosen eleven was Barnsley-dominated and Addick-free, much to Bowyer's disbelief.

Cullen's overdue goal arrived three minutes before the break. He was perfectly placed to convert the rebound after Holy found Williams' low drive too hot to handle.

After Dijksteel's breakthrough last week, a 13th name was thus added to Charlton's list of 2018-19 goalscorers, a total Purrington came close to swelling when he arrived at the far post early in the second half to meet Williams' right wing centre. His volley was venomously struck but marvellously kept out by Holy. The keeper also pulled off a double save to deny Vetokele reward for an industrious, bighearted performance.

With the naming on the bench of long-term absentees Jake Forster-Caskey and Lewis Page, Bowyer's squad is dangerously close to being at full strength. Forster-Caskey will find it difficult to break into the Addicks' well-stocked midfield, to which the almost indispensable Krystian Bielik is expected to return next Saturday against Rochdale. Likewise, Page's recall to the starting line-up will surely be delayed by the fine form of Purrington, an unsung, discreetly acquired signing who has made the left back berth his own. They are problems, so we are told, that a manager loves to solve. He may also be mulling over the fact that Rochdale beat his side 1-0 at their place in October. Play-offs or not, he owes 'em one. So first things first.

Charlton (3-4-2-1) Phillips 7, Dijksteel 7, Pearce 8, Sarr 7, Purrington 7, Cullen 8, Pratley 7, Lapslie 6 (Morgan 86), Williams 7 (Parker 78), Aribo 10, Vetokele. Not used: Maynard-Brewer, Forster-Caskey, Reeves, Page, Doughty.

Charlton 4 (Dijksteel 24, Aribo 55, Vetokele 63, Taylor 67) Scunthorpe United 0.

Kevin Nolan reporting from The Valley.

Seeking to balance the pressure for short-term results with the longer term imperative of preparing his squad for the play-offs, Lee Bowyer adroitly shuffled his pack for the visit of relegation haunted Scunthorpe United. Already without Chris Solly, whose ill-advised appeal against his Good Friday red card was predictably dismissed, he was also deprived of midfield maestro Krystian Bielik through a minor shoulder injury.

Solly's absence was brilliantly taken care of by Anfernee Dijksteel, who crowned a fine contribution with his first goal for the club; solid citizen Ben Purrington returned at left back, with fans' favourite Naby Sarr preferred to Jason Pearce as Patrick Bauer's partner at centre back. There were starts for Ben Reeves and teenage prospect Albie Morgan, not to mention the sooner-than-expected re-appearance on the bench of Jake Forster-Caskey. Bowyer's hand was also enhanced by the quick recovery from injury of Igor Vetokele, whose recent return to scoring form provides a timely boost for Charlton's promotion ambitions.

The resourceful manager, who so often during this arduous campaign has found himself between a rock and a hard place, was rewarded for his handling of another tricky situation by his side's biggest win of the season. A catalogue of close range chances missed by the visitors somewhat compromised his claim that "we were outstanding from start to finish" but he was spot-on that Scunthorpe had been "blown away", never more so than during the three-goal salvo that destroyed them within twelve explosive second half minutes.
Quickly out of the blocks, the Addicks showed early aggression as bright spark Morgan took Reeves' pass in his stride and fired forcibly into the sidenet. Bauer's far post header from Reeves' corner deflected unluckily wide off an unwitting defender but the breakthrough was not long delayed. Again Reeves was involved by alertly combining with Lyle Taylor near the left corner flag.

Turning sharply on to his right foot, Taylor's accurate cross was effortlessly controlled by Dijksteel, whose second touch was a firm finish into the bottom left corner.

Although looking like the relegation candidates they are, the Irons had opportunities of their own during a low key first half. Dillon Phillips was required to make competent saves from Funso Ojo and George Thomas before Ojo missed a sitter in added time. Set up at close range when Lee Novak expertly nodded down Adam Hamill's left wing cross at the far post, Ojo, with an "m" critically missing from his mojo, made a stumbling mess of prodding his shot miserably off target.

Taking up briefly as they'd left off, United began the second period brightly with Novak's near post flick sending Josh Morris' low cross narrowly wide, then Hamill's driven centre barely eluding Novak on its untouched way to the opposite touchline. At which point, the roof fell in on the unfortunate visitors.

Enjoying himself immensely, Reeves' inswinging right wing corner was emphatically bulleted into the roof of Jak Alnwick's net by Joe Aribo's head to begin the onslaught. Scunny were sitting ducks now and Aribo's deft pass sent Vetokele through to neatly steer his 4th goal of the season (all scored in 11 back-to-form appearances since February 23rd) past an onrushing Alnwick.
Working ceaselessly, meanwhile, and with one magical flash of ball control drawing bravos from his appreciative public, the inevitable Taylor provided a fitting flourish to the goalscoring. His crossfield run in search of a shooting chance was interrupted by James Perch's crude foul. From a position at the left angle of United's penalty area, Taylor exacted poetic revenge with an unstoppable free kick which soared into the top right corner. Celebrations of his terrific strike were long, loud and personally conducted by the ultimate performer.

If Scunthorpe manager Andy Dawson -their third of the season - seeks consolation for their heavy defeat, he will surely be comforted by the chances which his beaten side continued to create. Before the end, though perfectly placed, Thomas wildly volleyed effective substitute Kevin Van Veen's deep cross over the bar; Van Veen himself soloed through to unluckily hit the post; Novak marred an industrious shift by unforgivably nodding the point blank rebound over the bar after a wickedly swerving strike from marauding left back Cameron Borthwick-Jackson (twice a spectacular scorer in Scunthorpe's chaotic 5-3 win over Charlton back in November) was spilled on to his napper by a startled Phillips.

No late consolation was to be allowed Dawson's desperate Irons. There was an additional boost for Bowyer, though, in the 20-minute stint accomplished by Forster-Caskey. He won't be tempting fate by mentioning it but with Lewis Page in full training again, a full-strength squad might be available to him for the play-offs.

Charlton: Phillips, Dijksteel, Bauer, Sarr, Purrington, Cullen, Aribo (Forster-Caskey 79), Reeves (Pratley 72), Morgan, Vetokele (Williams 65), Taylor. Not used: Maxwell, Pearce, Parker, Lapslie.

Scunthorpe: Alnwick, Borthwick-Jackson, Webster, Ojo, Morris (Hallam 64), Perch, Lewis (Lund 74), Novak, Thomas, McCardle, Hammill (Van Veen 64). Not used: Flatt, Sutton, McGahey, Wootton. Booked: Morris.

Referee: Brett Huxtable. Att: 11,973 (309 visiting).