I can (just about) handle losing, god knows I’ve had enough experience of it over the years but my overriding thought was please don’t lose to a goal like that.
I predicted to my friends we would lose 2-0 so was already pessimistic and then seeing the ball roll in that didn't help my pessimism. Dispair at going 1 nil down and then scoring 4 seconds from end. Pandemonium.
Was in disbelief what I’d just seen. That won’t ever happen again in Dillon’s career, it just happened in the biggest game for the last 21 years. I knew a Bowyer side would get back into it tho, just glad it happened so early.
I can (just about) handle losing, god knows I’ve had enough experience of it over the years but my overriding thought was please don’t lose to a goal like that.
Agreed... For me it was who had made the mistake as well
i.e. Still dont think that Dillon deserved to be dropped at the start of the season yet when he came back into the side we won so many points thanks to the saves he was making - Bit like Ilic in '98 I feel we reached Wembley partly thanks to him and just think it would have been such a horrible and cruel way for his first season as No.1 to end
I felt so ill, then went through everything trying to rationalise it. We owed Sunderland that from '98, they deserved some luck from their Wembley failures and thought that maybe this was it, no more goals and that was fair enough.
Somewhere, deep down I had a thought it might do us a favour letting in such a bizarre goal, that this team are a great bunch and that none of them would let Sarr and Phillips lose this way and that we would come back. I'm not sure how much I believed myself but I had hope
Never in a million years did I think we would score such a late winner to completely custard pie Sunderland. All of our celebrations on scoring the winner speaks for itself. Absolute scenes
I was honestly thinking that it might not be such a bad thing! I had confidence we would get back in it. You only have to look at many of Sunderland's results to see that they let teams back after scoring a ridiculous amount of times. I was probably most nervous with about ten to go, as you know that a goal then is hard to come back from.
I had to watch from home and Sky completely missed it as they were showing a replay. They suddenly cut back to the game just as the ball was crossing the line. I was totally dumbfounded as I didn't know what had happened until the replay was shown.
Before the match, I’d played out in my mind that we’d get an early goal, soak up the pressure for the rest of the match and grab a goal on the break to seal the win. When the ball rolled into the net, I turned to my mate and said it’s alright, we’ve got 85mins to pull this back. I was confident that we’d create chances but never in a million years did I think we’d win with the last kick. We’re Charlton and that rarely happens ..
Didn’t feel angry, but I just desperately didn’t want that to be the deciding goal. I’d have rather they thrashed us 3-0 instead of that being a 1-0 deciding goal.
Total shock.The muted celebrations of the Sunderland players and checking the scoreboard becoming 0-1 kicked me back into reality, with the hopeful thoughts 'they"ve scored too early' and 'surely we can't lose to a goal like that' ! The half hour wait for the equaliser seemed to take forever!
Disbelief then a sense of relief that it happened in the 5th and not the 85th minute. The sense of bewilderment must have been unbearable for those poor souls who's team conceded in the 94th minute.
I felt calm as i was just happy to be watching my team at Wembley which is so rare for us. Of course i wanted to win but i had decided to enjoy the day either way.
Stunned. Time just stood still for me. Watching it back it was obviously a lot quicker. Immediately said to my other half that’s it. Ye of little faith eh?
Anyone else think that the clock sped up in that period more than any other... i.e. from their goal to our goal it seriously felt as though 5mins had passed!!
Stunned is the word being used and it was exactly that. Just a how and why kind of moment. After about 10 seconds though of pure silence like the cringe bag I am I tried to get everyone around me to get over it and cheer them on.
I knew based on Sunderland's season they would settle for a lead with a negative manager and I knew based on ours we wouldn't give up.
I was already feeling a bit queasy with nerves and tension. Wasn't totally concentrating at the moment of the back pass - just saw the ball go past Dillon and him scrambling in horror. Agree it was in slo mo - for a second I even thought he might stop it crossing the line.
Then I felt really sick. So upset for him and Nabs and all of them.
As we took the kick off, I tried to shout and clap a bit of encouragement. Not much came out and no-one else joined in. Then I thought, oh please don't let us end up battered like Watford.
I missed the back pass as it happened in a bit of play that had no urgency to it anyway. I'm always worried when they do that pass it around the back 4 and goalie thing that something will go wrong, it just had to happen on the biggest game in years. Once it had registered, I was relatively calm. I thought "OK, we've got the bad bit out of the way" and when Phillipps went on to pull off a good save a few minutes later I felt we'd be alright. That Bowyer has installed such a winning mentality it's even affected me is a testament to the job he's done. We never do it easy. 3 goals - all scored by Charlton defenders. We win 2-1. Phew! Cue delirious celebration.
I involuntarily had my head in my hands like that typical shot you see on TV of a depressed football supporter (honestly the first time I have ever taken such a posture supporting Charlton). Then started singing with some of the other fans as an act of defiance. Then my emotions sunk anew. The team looked like it had really got to them and I feared the worst. After about 20 mins or so I felt that they had stabilised and so too in turn did my emotions. I remember thinking that if we could go in at just 1-0 down then I would be happy with that. The equaliser was such a great surprise.
At half time I bought a beer still trying to calm my nerves. Again this was a first for me. I've never in my life bought a beer in the ground. It wasn't until the start of the second half that I had really got over that calamitous moment.
Distraught,but deep down I was confident that with the team spirit and support we have ,we would get back in it.I really could not see them scoring again, their front line was crap.Wyke was non existent,Griggs was useless,getting booked was his only contribution to the game.
My jaw dropped in complete dispair & belief,it was so surreal what had just happened,I said as Naby passed back,that he put some pace on that...but like others I never expected it to hit the back of the net...but when it did the only thing I could do was console my littleun who was as stunned as me but crying, that we are better team & LB will sort us out,mind after that think it was a good 10mins before I could say anymore...even when Dills made that save I was still stunned,myself thinking we are gonna get thumped here...then slowly we got back in the game...cue one of the greatest memories il ever cherish with my daughter,friends & Charlton family... We Fooking did it....!!!
Gutted but there were still 85 minutes left and knew sometimes these things have to happen - possibly even inspired us although it is not a recommended route to the Championship.
Sick and couldn't believe what had just happened. All I kept thinking was, "Please don't let that be the end, all the hard work all season, please don't let that be it, we don't deserve this".
Then we settled down after being incredibly fragile for a few minutes and we got behind this incredible team. My nerves calmed down and I turned to my girlfriend, we both said "We will be fine, long way to go and we don't ever give up".
And so they done what they have all season. If we get knocked down, we get back up and we go again, and we go again, and we go again. The spirit, and of course the quality, but this togetherness that has been created throughout the squad and staff, aligned with us supporters throughout the season is what got us over the line. It's been said time and time again, but they don't know when they're beaten and that is something special to have. All of this is down to Bow and Jacko.
After the initial shock my thoughts went to my Dad, and what he would have said had he still been with us. " Too early. Too early" He hated it when we scored early. Said the psychology changes. And so it proved. Sunderland were time wasting 15 mins into the game. That shows a real lack of confidence to me. As we started to get a grip they looked so vulnerable.
Sick beyond belief , I felt it more for my son who was there , having put the hard yards in for Charlton I’ve a barrier that always expects the worse but seeing there was sooo much time left meant we weren’t done for , unlike them when Bauer put it in in the last minute . my head was distraught for Naby and more so Phillips, having met him at the training ground and seen first hand what a genuine nice lad he is , he got my two boys to have shots against him and signed his gloves and gave them to them (all off his own back) i just couldn’t have the game ending 1-0 cos that would be too cruel .
Felt sick, and I'm not kidding, thought don't let @oohaahmortimer fears be correct and this ends up being the biggest anti climax for 40k fans with an own goal so bad that it will be shown on Question of Sport (what happens next)
I thought we will be a laughing stock if we don't find the mental strength to battle back.
100% orgasmic ending which I will play over in my mind a thousand times.
Comments
i.e. Still dont think that Dillon deserved to be dropped at the start of the season yet when he came back into the side we won so many points thanks to the saves he was making - Bit like Ilic in '98 I feel we reached Wembley partly thanks to him and just think it would have been such a horrible and cruel way for his first season as No.1 to end
Somewhere, deep down I had a thought it might do us a favour letting in such a bizarre goal, that this team are a great bunch and that none of them would let Sarr and Phillips lose this way and that we would come back. I'm not sure how much I believed myself but I had hope
Never in a million years did I think we would score such a late winner to completely custard pie Sunderland. All of our celebrations on scoring the winner speaks for itself. Absolute scenes
I do remember thinking I would rather they score a couple more and loose 3-0 and it all be over with early but I didn't think they would.
I knew based on Sunderland's season they would settle for a lead with a negative manager and I knew based on ours we wouldn't give up.
Then I felt really sick. So upset for him and Nabs and all of them.
As we took the kick off, I tried to shout and clap a bit of encouragement. Not much came out and no-one else joined in. Then I thought, oh please don't let us end up battered like Watford.
Once it had registered, I was relatively calm. I thought "OK, we've got the bad bit out of the way" and when Phillipps went on to pull off a good save a few minutes later I felt we'd be alright. That Bowyer has installed such a winning mentality it's even affected me is a testament to the job he's done. We never do it easy.
3 goals - all scored by Charlton defenders. We win 2-1. Phew! Cue delirious celebration.
At half time I bought a beer still trying to calm my nerves. Again this was a first for me. I've never in my life bought a beer in the ground. It wasn't until the start of the second half that I had really got over that calamitous moment.
We Fooking did it....!!!
Then we settled down after being incredibly fragile for a few minutes and we got behind this incredible team. My nerves calmed down and I turned to my girlfriend, we both said "We will be fine, long way to go and we don't ever give up".
And so they done what they have all season. If we get knocked down, we get back up and we go again, and we go again, and we go again. The spirit, and of course the quality, but this togetherness that has been created throughout the squad and staff, aligned with us supporters throughout the season is what got us over the line. It's been said time and time again, but they don't know when they're beaten and that is something special to have. All of this is down to Bow and Jacko.
Unreal.
" Too early. Too early"
He hated it when we scored early. Said the psychology changes.
And so it proved. Sunderland were time wasting 15 mins into the game. That shows a real lack of confidence to me. As we started to get a grip they looked so vulnerable.
thought don't let @oohaahmortimer fears be correct and this ends up being the biggest anti climax for 40k fans with an own goal so bad that it will be shown on Question of Sport (what happens next)
I thought we will be a laughing stock if we don't find the mental strength to battle back.
100% orgasmic ending which I will play over in my mind a thousand times.