Charlton Athletic 1 v Leyton Orient 0 - EFL League 1 Play-Off Final

At Wembley Stadium

Sunday 25th May 2025 - EFL League 1 Play-Off Final - at Wembley Stadium.

Charlton Athletic (1 ) 1 (Macauley Gillesphey 31 ) v Leyton Orient (0) 0.

Attendance: 76,193

Charlton Athletic: Mannion; Ramsay, Jones, Gillesphey; Small (Watson 68), Coventry, Gilbert (Anderson 68), Docherty (c), Edwards; Godden (Aneke 80), Campbell (Mbick 81) Unused subs - Maynard-Brewer, A.Mitchell, Berry

Leyton Orient: Keeley; Agyei (Abdulai), Brown (Ball 74), Currie, Donley, Beckles (c) (Happe 82), O’Neill (Williams 82), Galbraith, Kelman, Clare (James 74), Edmonds-Green Unused subs - Subs (not used): Phillips, Markandy

The Addicks beat the O’s in both of their League 1 fixtures this season. Way back in August, a 92nd minute Luke Berry goal was enough for Nathan Jones’ side to clinch a 1-0 win at the Valley (attendance 15,126). In March the Addicks came back from 1-0 down to grab a 1-2 win with goals in the 92nd and 97 minutes at Brisbane Road (attendance 8,942). In between times, on December 10th, Orient won 0-2 at the Valley in the EFL (Vertu) Trophy (it stopped being called the Bristol Street Motors Trophy in November 2024), courtesy of strikes in the 93rd and 95th minutes, in front of a crowd of just 1,336.

As I recall, on the night of the EFL (Vertu) Trophy game, it was bitterly cold and though the trains home were virtually deserted, they were also subject to severe delays. But, enough of my sidetracking waffle and reminiscing, the point that these statistics make is that: five of the six goals scored in the games between these two sides this season, were all netted during stoppage time. So I made a mental note not to leave Wembley Stadium until after the full-time whistle had sounded today, lest there might be some more late drama.

Charlton Athletic have won their last three play-off finals; Leyton Orient have lost their last three. This year's Play-Off campaign is Richie Wellens first ever as a manager. Although he did play for Doncaster Rovers when they beat Leeds United in the 2008 League 1 final. Hurrah! For Play-Off trivia. It's all fascinating stuff, isn't it? Eh!?

The Addicks, who finished fourth in League 1, reached this afternoon’s Wembley showpiece final, by edging past Wycombe Wanderers, after grinding out a solitary goal win (on aggregate) over two fairly lacklustre semi-final games, as they looked to return to Championship following a five year hiatus.

The O’s finished the season nine points behind Stockport County, after clinching sixth place. But they beat Dave Challinor’s side on penalties at Edgeley Park, following a 3-3 aggregate score over their two legged semi-final (Richie Wellens’ side drew 1-1 at home and 2-2 away).

Just six years ago, the East London side were playing in the National League. The last time that they were in the second-tier of English football was the 1981-82 season. Today they were apparently travelling to Wembley as underdogs But in spite of what the Bookies thought, the East London side arrived at the National Stadium with an impressive nine game unbeaten run under their belts.

Today's free stuff came in the form of these very stylish flags. Even us jewellery-rattling, prawn-sandwich munching types in the Club Wembley seats got one each to keep.

It was an evenly balanced but cagey opening to the game, with both teams setting up cautiously, obviously not wanting to concede a goal from the off. Orient had the first real sight of goal in the twentieth minute, when Ollie O’Neill fired in a shot from eighteen yards, but Kayne Ramsay blocked the ball. The Addicks solid defence is the foundation on which their recent run of good form has been built. It certainly stood them in good stead today.

Former Charlton player Rarmani Edmonds-Green upended Tyreece Campbell just outside the O’s area on the right-hand side. With a congregation of players deceptively looking like they were ready to move in at the back stick, Macaulay Gillesphey scored directly from the free-kick, curling the ball round the defensive wall and inside the near-post, Josh Keeley dived at full-stretch but could only get his fingertips to it. We joked that that was it now and Nathan Jones well drilled side, were going to create a human-barrier to keep out Orient while preserving a one goal cushion for the remainder of the game. Hmm… there's many a true word spoken in jest.

Almost fifteen minutes into the second-half the game eventually began to open up slightly, with Orient needing to step up the ante to get back into the game. Ramsay was on hand again, getting a touch on Jack Currie’s goal bound strike to nudge it past the post. From the resulting corner, Jordan Brown shot over the bar from close-range.

Richie Wellens’ side went even closer to finding the elusive equaliser when Charlie Kelman’s shot was deflected against the bar by Lloyd Jones. Orient had thrown everything but the kitchen sink at Charlton, but their efforts, commendable as they were, had all been in vain as the Addicks once again got a grip of the game, slowed things down and recommenced dictating the pace.

In fact, Charlton almost doubled their lead, when Karoy Anderson played a sideways pass across the O’s area to Greg Docherty who's deflected strike was tipped over the bar by Keeley. The referee then left the pitch for around ten minutes, leaving almost everybody else in the ground in the dark about what on earth was going on. It transpired that his ear-piece, for communicating with the VAR people had malfunctioned and needed sorting out before the game could restart.

VAR wasn't needed or used once throughout the entire game, but it caused such a delay that eleven minutes added time had to be played out. Isn’t innovative technology grand!? Chuks Aneke’s cheeky angled shot on the turn was fumbled round the post by Keeley in stoppage-time, before it came to pass, that quite a while later than anticipated Charlton saw out the game and will be joining Birmingham City and Wrexham in the EFL Championship next season.

Richie Wellens claimed that the hold-up had cost his side the game because they had lost their momentum during the enforced break. And there was I thinking that Josh Keeley had been the last Orient player to touch the ball prior to all that palaver, when he had prevented Greg Docherty from bulging the roof of the net to put the game beyond the O’s reach.

A stroppy text message arrived during the trophy presentation (I sometimes despair at the calibre of some of the cretins who have access to my phone number): “Just look at that Nathan Jones making it all about him again!”. Well, for the record, it actually is all about him today… and God of course. And I personally don't begrudge the guy a single thoroughly deserved euphoric moment of any purportedly OTT celebrations he might have indulged himself in recently. Let him have his moment you miserable buggers. Congratulations Charlton Athletic and respect where it’s due to Leyton Orient too, for their unstinting efforts today. See y’all next season 👍