Charlton Secure Championship Promotion With Playoff Win Over Leyton Orient

Charlton Athletic secured promotion to the Championship after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Leyton Orient in the League One play-off final at Wembley Stadium. The only goal came from a sublime free-kick by Macaulay Gillesphey in the 31st minute, following a foul on Tyreece Campbell, which curled past Leyton Orient goalkeeper Josh Keeley. Both teams showed strong defensive efforts, resulting in a scrappy and tense match with limited clear goal-scoring chances, especially in the first half. Leyton Orient increased their attacking pressure in the second half, hitting the crossbar and forcing saves, but were ultimately unable to break through Charlton's resilient defense. The victory ended Charlton's five-year absence from the Championship and was met with jubilant celebrations from their nearly 40,000 fans present. Manager Nathan Jones, who had faced doubts during his career, saw this win as a personal redemption and a testament to his leadership.