Shrewsbury drew first blood in the play-off semi-final thanks to Jon Nolan’s stunning goal.

Charlton wasted first-half chances as the Shrews broke the deadlock late on.

Now, the Addicks must score at New Meadow on Sunday to stand any chance of making it to Wembley.

Here are five things we learned…

The tie is not over

It’s a cliche and it’s so obvious… but it’s true. Charlton have 90 minutes, and possibly 30 more, to save their season. If Shrewsbury had played the Addicks off the park and dominated then there would be more cause for concern.

But that wasn't the case. It was a game of two halves. Charlton had the first and Shrewsbury had the second. The only difference was the Shrews scored.

Charlton beat them in the league less than a month ago - so they should be confident of repeating that feat.

The Charlton takeover edges closer

Australian businessman Andrew Muir was spotted at the Valley wearing a Charlton scarf with ex-Addick Paul Elliott. The pair have been linked with a takeover for the past year.

Caretaker boss Lee Bowyer wasn't aware of Muir’s attendance, however, his Valley appearance does suggest a takeover is close to completion.

Roland Duchatelet’s disastrous four-year reign seems to be coming to an end.

Ben Reeves struggled

Reeves has been one of Charlton’s most consistent performers since Bowyer took charge in March.

Playing in a midfield diamond, the playmaker has hit form at just the right time.

But yesterday, he failed to have an impact on the game and gave the ball away far too often in the final third.

With another in-form Charlton man, Mark Marshall, waiting in the wings, Reeves’ starting place could be at risk on Sunday.

The packed-out Covered End was glorious

Since Duchatelet arrived at the Valley in 2014, it’s hard to remember a bouncing Covered End. But we were reminded about how good the Valley atmosphere can be last night.

You couldn’t see an empty seat in the North stand - and the fans never stopped singing, even when Charlton conceded.

They have been excellent in the promotion run-in and with Shrewsbury away expected to be a sell-out, they’ll be so important this weekend.

Jon Nolan haunts Charlton again

League One’s standout midfielder Nolan controlled the tempo of the game when Shrewsbury beat Charlton 2-0 in February.

And this time around, up until his late goal, Ahmed Kashi and Jake Forster-Caskey had reduced his threat.

Kashi’s tackles and Forster-Caskey’s never-ending energy left Nolan with little space to work his magic.

But his quality shone through in the end when he riffled home a sweetly hit half-volley from 20 yards to give Ben Amos no chance.

If Charlton are to progress to Wembley, they need to keep Nolan quiet for the full 90 minutes.


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