Nathan Jones holds aloft the League One play-off trophyRex Features

Nathan Jones has led Charlton Athletic to promotion to the Championship in his first full season in charge with the Addicks

Chris Peddy
BBC Sport, London & South East at Wembley Stadium

Charlton Athletic beat Leyton Orient in an all-London play-off final at Wembley to win promotion to the Championship.

Macaulay Gillesphey's first-half free-kick was all there was to separate the two sides in the contest.

Striker Charlie Kelman hit the crossbar with a deflected shot as the O's chased the game, as Richie Wellens' side failed to find a way back into the tie.

Charlton saw out 11 minutes of nervy added time to move back up to the second tier after five seasons in League One, alongside champions Birmingham City and Wrexham.

Addicks back in second tier after five-year exile

Charlton Athletic players celebrate after Macaulay Gillesphey scores the game's only goalRex Features

Charlton won promotion to the Championship after five years in League One

Alan Curbishley's Addicks side won promotion to the Premier League with one of the greatest ever play-off finals in 1998, beating Sunderland on penalties after drawing 4-4.

This final will not be remembered in the same way.

The game's big moment came after half an hour of largely forgettable football when former Charlton defender Rarmani Edmonds-Green, who moved to the O's in the winter transfer window, fouled Tyreece Campbell on the edge of the area.

With Alex Gilbert standing over the ball, Gillesphey stepped up to send a curling free-kick away from the dive of Josh Keeley, who could only get his fingertips to the ball before it nestled in the back of the net.

The O's goalkeeper had left a large space to his left for the Addicks defender to aim at, with the wall looking like an extra player was needed to provide enough cover.

Orient were much improved after the break as they attacked the end housing their fans, with Jack Currie deflecting a shot narrowly wide before Jordan Brown fired just over the bar.

Kelman came closest as his deflected effort from outside the box flipped up off the top of the bar.

A lengthy stoppage needed for referee Andrew Kitchen to resolve a technical issue with his video assistant referee (VAR) headset led to 11 minutes of added time.

Substitute Dan Happe's looping header looked to be Orient's final chance, as the ball looped up and into the grateful arms of Charlton keeper Will Mannion.

Wellens and O's fall just short at the end

Leyton Orient boss Richie Wellens consoles Charlie Kelman after the O's defeat to Charlton AthleticRex Features

Leyton Orient had beaten Stockport County on penalties to reach the Wembley final

Wellens and his players stood and watched from the pitch as the Charlton players climbed the steps and claimed the League One play-off trophy.

A season where they have climbed from the relegation zone in November to the top six at the end of the season ended in heartbreak for the east Londoners.

They have earned their reputation as a big-game team, winning four knockout matches via penalty shootouts this season - including their play-off semi-final at Stockport County.

At Wembley they were slow to get going, with star striker Kelman having just six touches in a subdued first half.

Wellens admitted afterwards he didn't feel the free-kick should have gone in, saying "everyone makes mistakes" without naming Keeley directly.

Orient put several balls into the box as they chased the game, but could not find the target man they needed to take the final to extra time and a fighting chance of reaching the second tier of English football for the first time since 1981-82.

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