Millwall 2 (Hutchinson 6, Smith 90) Charlton (Leko 51)

Kevin Nolan reports from The Den.

The more things change, the more they stay the bloody same. There's a more stylish French saying which covers the subject without my sanguinary embellishment but let's stick with English to make the bleedin' point. It's reassuringly Anglo-Saxon.

Fact is there's things upon which you can depend as stone-cold certainties. You can rely, for example, on night following day; the seasons changing; the tides ebbing and flowing; the sun rising; the sun also setting; and Millwall beating Charlton. Or at least Millwall nearly always beating Charlton. There have, after all, been 27 draws among their 75 league meetings and - say it neither proud nor loud - 12 wins for the Addicks. The last of those victories was by 2-0 at The Valley on March 9th 1996, with current manager Lee Bowyer opening the scoring. Since that distant afternoon in a mothballed century, eleven more league games have been played; needless to say, Charlton have won none of them. To be fair, though, they drew five times.

A sixth draw looked likely when, with the score 1-1, three added minutes were announced at the Den on Saturday. On second thoughts, make that not so bloody likely! For among 2,211 Charlton fans in attendance and countless others following events through the media, you'd find hardly one of them who was genuinely surprised by what followed. Let's drag the French into it again and put it down to deja-vu. Yet again.

Having forced a left wing corner, the Lions loaded the goal area with hulking attackers. Among them was Matt Smith, called from the bench by Gary Rowett five minutes previously with this situation in mind. At 6'7", Smith is a rare handful at setpieces but in 6'5" man mountain Naby Sarr, Charlton had his physical match. Jed Wallace's expertly delivered inswinger duly targeted Smith at the far post, where the towering substitute swatted aside Sarr's powderpuff challenge and headed firmly past Dillon Phillips. There was scarcely any sense of shock in the upper tier of the stand behind the goal. Some colourful language, of course, but bitter experience soon reduced it to a sullen silence. It's happened too often to be dismissed as an unhappy accident.

An understandably seething Bowyer was scathing in his criticism of his players. As a museum piece member of a Charlton side which actually beat Millwall, he had history on his side when insisting that in defending setpieces, you "do your job and make sure your man doesn't score... coming to a tough place like this, you have to be a man. Stand up and do your job properly. The players know the importance of this game. I've been telling them all week... Smith was more hungry to win the ball."

Bowyer no doubt had also warned them about the careless concession of setpieces in the first place. Their clinical execution is clearly prioritised at Calmont Road and practice made perfect as early as the sixth minute after Jason Pearce's pointless foul on Jon Dadi Bodvarsson dangerously close to Charlton's penalty area. Shaun Williams' wicked delivery was headed home forcefully by Shaun Hutchinson at the far post. Sarr was again flatfooted but was probably no more culpable than a cadre of ball-watching colleagues.

Hutchinson's opening goal punished a disastrous start by Bowyer's men. Sarr had already hacked Wallace's shot off the line, with Phillips saving smartly from Mahlon Romeo's follow-up effort. But the visitors, encouraged by Josh Cullen's fearless example, recovered to control most of the action until the interval. Cullen was desperately unlucky when his shot beat Bartosz Bialkowski, cannoned off the underside of the bar but was scraped off the line by the startled keeper. Bialkowski performed heroically before the break when spectacularly tipping Macauley Bonne's thunderous volley over the bar, then getting down to turn away an effort from Darren Pratley, following fine approach play by Adam Matthews.

By now the better side, Charlton resumed their onslaught in the second half and drew level six minutes into the session. The Lions displayed similar vulnerability to setpieces when Cullen's inswinging left wing corner was scuffed clear only as far as Jonathan Leko, who found the top right corner from a difficult angle. His third goal of the season hardly compensated for a passive contribution from the WBA loanee.
Cullen continued to courageously carry the fight to the wilting Lions. He received sturdy support from Pratley and Conor Gallagher who, despite being singled out for early attention, with two fouls committed on him within the first minute, refused to be cowed. Up front, Bonne grafted gamely and Phillips seemed to have secured his side at least a point with a fine save from the excellent Ben Thompson's point-blank volley. But the late initiative and the points belonged with Millwall - as they have on 36 occasions since this one-sided fixture began at The Den on New Years Eve 1921. Plus ca change...

Millwall: Bialkowski, Romeo, Hutchinson, Cooper, M.Wallace, J.Wallace, Molumby, Williams, Thompson (O'Brien 86), Bradshaw (Smith 86), Bodvarsson (Mahoney 76). Not used: Steele,Ferguson, Pearce,Skalak.

Referee: Robert Jones. Att: 17,109 (2,211).

Fulham 2 (Cavaleiro 55, Mitrovic 63) Charlton 2 (Gallagher 41, Bonne 57).

Kevin Nolan reports from Craven Cottage.

Battered, bruised and brainweary, Charlton trudged off after this punishing, enthralling Thameside derby clutching a precious point. They had withstood a second half pounding from a wave of white-shirted attackers, ridden their luck at times but shown genuine character in clinging on to a share of the spoils. With four points quarried from an unholy trinity of recent games against Championship high flyers Leeds, Swansea City and Fulham, they had earned rest and recuperation during the second international break before tackling another daunting schedule featuring Derby County, Bristol City and West Bromwich Albion.

Not that the first lay-off worked in their favour; it disastrously cost them the services of top scorer Lyle Taylor, injured while on duty with Montserrat. There was brief alarm as the Addicks promptly lost to the modest likes of Birmingham City and Wigan Athletic; in Taylor's absence, in fact, they have picked up just four points from five games. But their spirited defiance at Craven Cottage, not to mention the ability and guts they showed, encourages hope that their mini-slide has been checked. They gave almost as good as they got, fought courageously and survived.

Among a catalogue of superb performances, the pick of which was a stupendous display of goalkeeping by Dillon Phillips, another more unlikely hero emerged. Taylor's injury has given Macauley Bonne an opportunity to step up from non-league football with Orient to the Championship with newly promoted Charlton. The massive leap in class proved initially tricky and the overawed tyro struggled to impress. Then the small matter of Charlton's winning goal against Leeds, which was claimed with a veteran's chutzpah by the newcomer despite only vague evidence it was his to own, changed his fortunes. Bonne had bravely thrown himself in where the boots were flying and, at the very least, forced defender Stuart Dallas to put through his own goal. The record book duly credits him with his first Charlton goal and nobody any longer disputes his right to it. Least of all Dallas.

Having made little impression on Swansea during midweek defeat at The Valley, Bonne came into his own against Fulham. He was significantly involved in the Addicks' first goal and brilliantly scored their second. His overall performance up front on his own, meanwhile, was accomplished and effective.

A first half during which Charlton held their own with Scott Parker's talented Cottagers was drawing to an entertaining close when Bonne cleverly nodded Phillips' long clearance on to Conor Gallagher, who instantly relayed the ball to Jake Forster-Caskey near the left touchline. Stepping inside to cross right-footed, the wide midfielder picked out Chris Solly closing in at the far post. Solly's canny header was cushioned perfectly for Gallagher, intelligently on the move as usual, to half-volley past Marcus Bettinelli. Five players had contributed to a fine team goal.

No doubt irritated to find themselves behind at the interval, Fulham took steps to redress the situation. Inspired substitute Bobby Decordova-Reid was immediately dangerous, his sharp exchange of passes with Ivan Cavaleiro outwitting the attentions of Forster-Caskey and Naby Sarr and sending the electric-heeled Portuguese winger through to beat Phillips with a blistering 25-yard strike.
Fulham's equality lasted just two minutes, the time it took Bonne to put the visitors in front again. Josh Cullen's right wing corner was scuffed clear for Jonny Williams to re-cycle possession to Darren Pratley on the left. The wily campaigner switched feet and crossed for Bonne to climb above Aleksandar Mitrovic and flight a deft header over Bettinelli and sweetly under the bar. This goal had "Bonne" indelibly stamped on it.

Again Charlton's lead was shortlived. After Joe Bryan and Mitrovic had each rattled the crossbar, the bustling Serb drew Fulham level again under frankly dubious circumstances. Returning from an offside position as Phillips brilliantly saved Tom Cairney's diving header, Mitrovic re-joined the action, turned and bullied a second equaliser over the fallen keeper. Neither referee Keith Stroud nor his equally myopic assistant were interested in Charlton's protests.

A riproaring, rumbustious game now seemed Fulham's - and especially Decordova-Reid's - for the taking but Phillips had other ideas. Two wonderful saves from the Jamaican flyer, first from a point-blank header, then a corner-bound curler, were mere tasters for the frankly incredible block on the goalline which kept out Decordova-Reid's sure thing in added time. His save defies description so none will be offered here, except to point out that goalkeepers hear a different drummer and are often not accountable for their actions. Many of them are not all there but Dillon was the coolest customer inside Craven Cottage on Saturday. Anyway, I can't talk. I swore in fluent Hungarian when the added time board showed seven extra minutes, then broke into a fit of hysterical giggling when they were over. See you after the break if they let me out in time...

Fulham: Bettinelli, Mason, Johansen (Onomah 97), Ream, Sessegnon (Decordova-Reid 46), Bryan, Cairney, Arter (Reed 46), Knockaert, Cavaleiro, Mitrovic. Not used: Rodak, Odoi, Le Marchand, Kamara. Booked: Bryan, Mitrovic.

Booked: Gallagher. Referee: Keith Stroud. Att: 18,654 (1,970 visiting).

Reading 0 Charlton 2 (Leko 51, Taylor 80, pen).

Kevin Nolan reports from the Madejski Stadium.

These Charlton reports are beginning to write themselves. They tell a repetitive story of consistency, team spirit and ability- in a side which features several loan signings, but shows touching pride in the shirt and an insatiable will to win. Operating with one of the most modest budgets in the division, they are already on their way to confounding dire predictions that they would be outclassed at this level. There will be setbacks, of course, but Lee Bowyer's band of brothers seem equipped to deal with them.

This latest success over a side tipped to beat them comfortably showed the Addicks at their most dangerous. Though marginally second best in a testing first half, they stayed in the game, held their nerve and ultimately put Reading in their place. They were denied a clear penalty when home skipper Liam Moore clean-and-jerked Jonny Williams to the ground but survived a scare of their own shortly before the break. Dillon Phillips' save with an instinctively deployed right foot in one-on-one confrontation with George Puscus was outstanding.

The Romanian striker was inches away from telling contact with Omar Richards' pass which bounced freakishly up against the bar and also shot narrowly wide on the turn as the Royals had the better of things. But four minutes after the break, they found themselves behind.

Chosen regularly by Bowyer, West Brom loanee Jonathan Leko has captivated and frustrated in equal measure. Adhering to no obvious plan, he makes his own one up as he goes along but is a troublesome handful for defenders expecting a more orthodox challenge. Typically chancing his arm from outside the penalty area, his well-struck left foot drive enjoyed a treacherous deflection off Tom McIntyre which left Rafael Cabral helpless as it changed direction and found the left corner. Leko's joy at scoring his first goal for Charlton was shared by a healthy contingent of travelling Addicks, who were belatedly joined by their new hero as soon as he realised he was heading off in the wrong direction. The goal crowned his best performance in the famous old red shirt.

Taking, then holding, the lead has been in the still recent past, a problem for Charlton. A chronic habit of conceding late goals had robbed them of points with alarming regularity. This failing has not been inherited by the class of 19-20. Not while a rock-like defence is being marshalled by granite-hewn centre backs Jason Pearce and Tom Lockyer, with full backs Chris Solly and Ben Purrington steady Eddies alongside them. And behind an obdurate back four, Phillips added to his crucial first half save with spectacular flying stops of Ovie Ejiara's resounding drive and a vicious late free kick from John Swift. The Royals were stopped around their visitors' 18 yard-line, with blocks, interceptions and expertly timed tackles frustrating their efforts to break through a stubbornly organised red wall.

While diligently protecting their lead, the enterprising Addicks had passed up several chances to add to it. Leko did the hard part by sharply cutting inside but hit the sidenet with an effort on the turn. With the bit firmly between his teeth, he then set up Connor Gallagher, whose fierce drive on the run forced a fine, full length save from Cabral. Another versatile contribution from the 19 year-old Chelsea academy graduate was slightly marred by the hesitant mess he made of another opening from closer range.

But with ten minutes left, Reading were finished off from the penalty spot. Having emerged from a strong bench to relieve a bruised and battered Williams just past the hour mark, Chuks Aneke had been a physical nightmare for the home defence. Slipped in by Leko, he staggered through one foul but was dragged down by a second, more ruthless offender. Following a bout of kidology involving Lyle Taylor and Cabral, the striker sauntered up from the "D", took two quick steps and slid the ball casually inside the right post. It's not everyone's recommended penalty routine but, listen, it works for Taylor. The same can be said about the methods Charlton are using to put together an impressive, unbeaten start to their season. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Reading: Cabral, Moore, Morrison, McIntyre, Yiadom (Boye 65), Richards (Meite 65), Joao, Gomes (Barrett 81). Ejaria, Swift, Puscas. Not used: Rinomhota, Virginia, Adam, Osho, Barrett.

Referee: J. Gillett. Att: 16,906 (2144 visiting).

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).