EFL Editor.
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Charlton Athletic are back in the Championship after five years away after beating Leyton Orient 1-0 in the League One play-off final.
Just 12 months after their lowest league finish in 98 years, Nathan Jones led the Addicks back into the second tier after victory at Wembley, sealed by Macaulay Gillesphey’s first-half free-kick.
For Orient, the dream of ending their 43-year wait to play in the second tier is over for another season.
Gillesphey’s free-kick provides the breakthrough
It was a free-kick that provided the breakthrough at Wembley on 31 minutes, Gillesphey wrapping his left foot around the ball and bending it around the wall. At first glance it looked brilliant, but replays showed Josh Keeley should really have done better with it in the Leyton Orient goal.
“The goalkeeper shouldn’t be getting beaten from there,” former Leyton Orient player and manager Jobi McAnuff said on Sky Sports Football.
“Josh Keeley will be so disappointed,” Lee Hendrie added. “He’s got his fingertips on it. I think he could have done better.”
Charlton put up the red wall to shut Orient down
Orient huffed and puffed in the second half, but the Charlton house would not be blown down.
For every shot attempted, there was a red shirt there making a block. Posts were clipped, efforts were tipped over and some deflected just wide.
It was a victory earned by graft and endeavour. A team carved in the image of their enigmatic leader Nathan Jones, who won his first play-off campaign as a manager at the third time of asking.