Lee Bowyer: Charlton Athletic promotion at Wembley is special

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

Lee Bowyer described Charlton Athletic’s League One play-off final win as “special” – as the Addicks ended their absence from the Championship.

Patrick Bauer scored six seconds from the end of second-half added-time to secure a 2-1 win over Sunderland.

Ben Purrington had cancelled out Naby Sarr’s own goal – a mistake by Dillon Phillips as he took his eyes off the Frenchman’s back-pass.

It is second time lucky for Bowyer, after play-off semi-final defeat last May.

Bowyer said: “A crazy game, wasn’t it? Nothing is straight-forward with us.

“Obviously a mistake early on, I can’t say I’ve ever seen that before – especially in a final – but what I’d say is it shows the character of the players that we’ve put together. We’ve got a unique group.

“They was brave and they were men, when you have had a mistake like that.

“Once we settled down and started to pass the ball then we controlled big parts of the game.

“It’s up there – it has to be. I got a bit emotional walking out on the pitch. This football club gave me a chance as a kid, coming through the youth ranks, and then working my way into the first-team.

“I moved on after that but to come back to the football club that gave me my chances in playing and then to manage them and walk them our at Wembley was so special.

“What we have done is something special.”