Football | Charlton Atheltic 1 - 0 Leyton Orient

Charlton Athletic are back in the Championship

Charlton Athletic beat Leyton Orient in an all-London League One play-off final at Wembley to win promotion.

Author | Ajay

League One | Playoffs | Charlton v Orient

In what was a surprisingly quiet game, Macaulay Gillesphey's first-half free-kick was all there was to separate the two sides. 

Striker Charlie Kelman hit the crossbar with a deflected shot as the O's chased the game late on as Richie Wellens' side ultimately failed to find a way back into the tie.

Charlton saw out 11 minutes of nervy added time to move back up to the second tier after five seasons in League One. They are promoted alongside champions Birmingham City and Wrexham.

A memorable day for Charlton fans

The club will be looking forward to a return to Championship football and perhaps a period of relative stability. Check out this video showing the celebrations at their end.

Orient fell short but should be proud

The manager and his players watched on from the pitch as Charlton ascended the Wembley steps to lift the League One play-off trophy.

It marked a cruel end to a remarkable campaign for the east London side, who had risen from the relegation places in November to secure a spot in the top six by season’s end.

READ MORE | Latest Charlton Athletic stories from London Super News

They had carved out a reputation as specialists in high-stakes encounters, having prevailed in four knockout games on penalties this season, including their dramatic semi-final triumph away at Stockport County.

But under the arch, they struggled to impose themselves early on. Star striker Kelman was largely anonymous aa Charlton defended well and kept the Orient attack at arms length.

Orient pushed forward in the closing stages, sending a string of crosses into the box in search of an equaliser. But the cutting edge eluded them, and with it, their hopes of returning to the second tier for the first time since the 1981–82 season.

One fan remained optimistic: “Onwards and upwards. We've been superb since Christmas. Hopefully next year we can go up automatically.”

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