Macauley Gillesphey’s first half goal was sufficient for Charlton Athletic to defeat Leyton Orient in their Sky Bet League One play-off decider under the Wembley arch.
Goal chances were few and far between for either side but three clean sheets in three play-off games proved that Charlton had the steel to earn their promotion to the EFL Championship.
Their three defenders, Gillesphey, Lloyd Jones and Kayne Ramsay, were immense again and snuffed out most of the threat from the East London side.
Ethan Galbraith had the first shot of the match for Orient but his twenty yard shot was well off target. Ollie O’Neill had another effort for the O’s that was charged down bravely by Ramsay.
However, it was the Addicks who went ahead in the thirty-first minute. Tyreece Campbell was fouled twenty five yards out and Gillesphy sized it up before firing over the wall and out of the reach of the diving Josh Keeley.
Campbell then combined well with Greg Docherty before trying a cute clip cross-shot but Keeley read it and saved comfortably.
As half time loomed, Orient’s Dan Agyei had a shot deflected wide and when the deep corner found Rarmani Edmonds-Green he was unable to hit the target with his header. Charlton’s Alex Gilbert had the last attempt before the break but he hoisted his shot well over after good work by Docherty and Thierry Small.
Will Mannion, the Charlton goalkeeper, was called into action early in the second period when holding on well to a low driven in cross by Galbraith before the tricky Campbell was again fouled, this time out wide, but nothing came of it.
The Charlton attacker then showed his defensive resolve to throw himself into the path of Jack Currie’s shot and stuck out his left foot to direct it just past the far post. When the corner came over, it was knocked down into the path of Jordan Brown whose shot on the turn just missed the angle of bar and post.
Charlie Kelman came even closer moments later when his shot took a deflection to take it over Mannion and crash into the bar before being cleared at the cost of a corner. That delivery was aimed towards the near post and met by Sean Clare who headed into the side netting.
In order to stem the tide, Charlton manager Nathan Jones made a double change and it almost paid immediate dividends when one of the replacements, Karoy Anderson, set up Docherty whose shot was tipped over brilliantly by Keeley. Josh Edwards took the corner deep to the far post where Gillesphey was just unable to turn it home.
Richie Wellens then made two changes to the Orient team then five more substitutions were made, two by Charlton, and three by the O’s and all the momentum of the game was lost. That was further hampered by a problem with the officials’ communications system causing a six minute break.
When play eventually resumed, Chuks Aneke blasted a shot from wide that stung Keeley’s palms as he turned it around the post.
Eleven minutes of stoppage time was indicated and in the tenth of them, Dan Happe managed to get a header on target for the O’s but Mannion was untroubled and the Charlton players and management were soon able to start their celebrations with their forty-four thousand or so supporters.
Charlton Athletic: Mannion, Small (Watson 67), Edwards, Ramsay, Jones, Gillesphey, Gilbert (Anderson 67), Coventry, T. Campbell (Mbick 80), Godden (Aneke 80), Docherty.
Subs not used: Maynard-Brewer, Mitchell, Berry.
Goalscorer: Gillesphey (31)
Yellow card: Jones (90+2 delay of restart)
Leyton Orient: Keeley, Edmonds-Green, Gabraith, Brown (Ball 74), Beckles (Happe 82), Currie, Clare (James 74), O’Neill (Abdulai 82), Donley, Kelman, Agyei (Williams 82).
Subs not used: Phillips, Markanday.
Goalscorers: None
Yellow cards: None
Referee: Andrew Kitchen
Assistant Referees: Blake Antrobus and Shaun Hudson
Fourth Official: David Webb
Reserve Assistant Referee: James Wilson
VAR: Michael Salisbury
Assistant VAR: Nick Hopton
Attendance: 76,193
Pictures supplied by Keith Gillard