Charlton were knocked out of the FA Cup by AFC Wimbledon on Sunday.

Karlan Ahearne-Grant’s goal cancelled out Cody McDonald’s early strike before Lyle Taylor’s brace ended the second-round tie.

Here are five things we learned…

The cup exit is a blessing in disguise

Charlton were never going to win the FA Cup this year. But they do have a very realistic chance of achieving their main objective - League One promotion.

With the FA Cup over and done with, the Addicks can fully focus on the league, while using the Under-23 players in the Checkatrade Trophy.

Charlton are sixth in League One with a game in hand and injured first-team players are working their way back to full fitness. So the Wimbledon defeat isn't going to live too long in the memory.

Karlan Ahearne-Grant is finally playing with confidence

He’s scored in back-to-back senior games for the first time in his career. The young forward was on hand to tap home Mark Marshall’s cross-shot.

Ahearne-Grant was one of Charlton’s biggest attacking threats on the day. He always looked to take his man on and beat him.

He is playing with a new-found confidence which will only benefit the Addicks in the long run.

No nasty reception for Karl Robinson

Robinson is hated by Wimbledon fans after managing their arch rivals MK Dons for six years.

His last trip to Kingsmeadow ended in controversial circumstances when a Wimbledon employee confronted him on the pitch.

That was back in February, and yesterday marked the third time the Addicks boss has faced the Dons this year.

He got a bit of stick when leaving the pitch at full-time, but overall, the abuse was minimal.

Harry Lennon returns

The biggest positive of the day was seeing Lennon make his long-awaited comeback.

The Charlton academy graduate made his first competitive appearance in 13 months after coming on as an 88th-minute substitute.

Lennon suffered a groin problem last November, which ended his season. He was meant to return to first-team training in the summer, but suffered a setback.

It’s been a year of hell for the defender, but with Patrick Bauer injured and Jason Pearce not fully fit after recovering from a knee injury, Lennon might have a chance to stake a claim for a starting berth.

Mark Marshall shows his undoubted quality

Charlton’s trip to Wimbledon was the fifth successive game Marshall has started following Tariqe Fosu’s quad injury.

And during that time, he’s missed one-on-one chances against MK Dons and Scunthorpe. With Ben Reeves, Billy Clarke and Fosu crocked, it’s meant that Marshall has had to play on despite looking fatigued.

However, he put in his best performance in a Charlton shirt yesterday. He assisted Ahearne-Grant’s goal and was a constant threat on the right.

Now, Charlton fans will hopefully see the best of the former Bradford man.