Charlton 4 Sunderland 4: Clive Mendonca’s incredible hat-trick helps Addicks to promotion – every word we wrote in 1998
Sunderland take on Charlton in the League One play-off final and it was a game nobody will ever forget when the two sides last met at Wembley 21 years ago
CHARLTON face Sunderland for a place in the Championship and nostalgic thoughts will immediately turn to their incredible triumph in 1998 - one of the greatest games ever to take place at the Old Wembley.
To mark the rematch of that famous day at the National Stadium, here is every word SunSport's Colin Young wrote 21 years ago as Clive Mendonca's hat-trick helped the Addicks to the Premier League.
SHAUN NEWTON scored the £10m penalty that took Charlton into the Premiership.
But pity poor Michael Gray, the Sunderland-born player whose miss blew it for Peter Reid's side.
After 13, yes 13, successful penalties in a dramatic, nerve-jangling shoot-out, young Gray - one of Sunderland's players of the season - stepped up.
His weak left-foot shot barely reached the goal. Charlton keeper Sasa Ilic dived to his left and performed the simple task of palming away the ball.
Charlton stars and their manager Alan Curbishley - who was unable even to watch Gray's strike - danced on the Wembley pitch.
And at that moment, to a man, Sunderland's heartbroken players raced up to Gray, who was still stood by the penalty spot. Boss Reid was one of the first to put a consoling arm around him.
Penalties are a cruel way to complete any game, but was this really the way to decide what is now the biggest and most valuable game in the English calendar?
John Sadler's play-off verdict
FOOTBALL matches do not come better than this. If there has been one at Wembley these past 30 years, I was not there to see it.
For drama, excitement, never-say-die commitment, spirit and pulsating action to test every emotion imaginable, the sudden-death First Division promotion encounter between Charlton and Sunderland surpassed the lot.
Even after almost 78,000 breathless fans had emptied the place last night, I swear the old stadium was still vibrating and echoing from the sights and deafening sound of an epic confrontation.
The legions of Sunderland fans who had swamped Trafalgar Square the night before flooded North London in their red-and-white stripes more than three hours before kick-off...
Convinced their team were on the verge of creating something extraordinary, something on a par with the revolution Kevin Keegan created at nearby Newcastle on their way back to the big-time.
And Charlton's followers, slightly outnumbered on the day but equally thunderous in their vocal backing for the club they rescued and led back to The Valley after years in 'lodgings' at Selhurst Park and Upton Park...
Marvelling at the transformation under the management of Alan Curbishley and dreaming of restoring top-flight football at their ancestral home for the first time in 41 years.
Good, ordinary people with dreams of impeccable merit that did not deserve the cruelty of seeing those hopes die over 90 minutes of honest endeavour. Nor in 30 minutes of extra-time.
And certainly not in the agonising lottery of a penalty shootout.
Fate, of the supreme or savage kind, was waiting for somebody.
Rival managers Peter Reid and Curbishley were looking for brave men by then, players of real bottle.
Others in the arena needed pacemakers!
After eight goals had been shared over 120 minutes of open play, the 14th penalty brought the moment no professional sportsman should have to endure.
Sunderland left-back Michael Gray took it, fluffed it and Charlton keeper Sasa Ilic dropped to his left to make the barely necessary save.
Distraught Gray just stood, hands on hips, right by the penalty-spot, where his boot had scuffed the turf. He must have wished the ground would open up and swallow him.
He stood for what seemed like an eternity until Niall Quinn jogged across to console the inconsolable. Within seconds, Charlton's Keith Jones was alongside him too, offering sympathy.
A humane gesture in keeping with the entire, unforgettable occasion.
So it is Charlton, the modest South London club who were forced out of house and home not so long ago, who earned the right to take their place in the Premiership next season.
Along with the £10million prize said to await the newcomers to the division.
It is another of those enchanting stories that perhaps only English football can provide.
Last year Barnsley, this year Charlton.
People will wonder whether they have the financial clout to survive in a division where money rules, despite extending The Valley's capacity to 20,000-plus.
Yet this is not a time for concern or speculation, but for celebration.
Not only by Charlton's fans, who have displayed faith beyond the call of duty, but by everyone who values the game in this country.
Even the detail, Clive Mendonca's outstanding hat-trick, Quinn's double and a Kevin Phillips gem that wrote his name in Wearside folklore and the record books, paled a little in comparison with the overall impact of an extraordinary match.
There was another touch that summed it up for me. Charlton defender Richard Rufus had hauled them from the brink of defeat yet again with a headed equaliser at 3-3 on 85 minutes.
Both managers were on the touchline.
With shredded nerves and pounding hearts, they found the sporting instinct to exchange understanding embraces before returning to the bench.
The only question now is whether Curbishley, Nottingham Forest's Dave Basset and Middlesbrough boss Bryan Robson will put their players on viagra.
To try to ensure for next season that what has gone up, stays up.
Promotion has earned Charlton £10m before a Premiership ball has even been kicked.
It was certainly a devastating way to end an incredible day's football.
Sunderland nut Clive Mendonca scored a hat-trick in the rollercoaster 120 minutes, during which Sunderland led three times through Niall Quinn, Kevin Phillips and Nicky Summerbee.
Phillips, Sunderland's No 1 penalty taker, was substituted shortly after scoring his 35th goal of the season, taking Brian Clough's record in the process.
CHARLTON 2 DONCASTER 3 (4-4 AGG, 4-3 ON PENS) Addicks clinch League One play-off final place after Rowe missed spot-kick
Mendonca, whose family were wearing Sunderland shirts among the Wearside faithful, opened the scoring on 24 minutes.
The goal came from a simple throw-in on the Charlton right, launched into the area by Danny Mills.
Mark Bright beat Darren Williams to head the ball on to Mendonca, who brilliantly turned his marker Jody Craddock and side-footed beyond keeper Lionel Perez.
Mendonca's 24th-minute strike finally brought this tense game to life.
Sunderland skipper Kevin Ball could have equalised within minutes but screwed his right-foot shot wide.
Quinn almost had the ball in the net a minute later but he was adjudged to have fouled Ilic in meeting Phillips' deep cross into the area.
Hard-working Lee Clark might have done better two minutes before the break with a chance created by Sunderland's little and large duo.
PORTSMOUTH 0 SUNDERLAND 0 (0-1 AGG) Black Cats set up Wembley play-off final after feisty stalemate at Fratton Park
Quinn headed Craddock's long pass into the path of Phillips, who played a clever pass back to Clark, but his right-foot shot on the bounce cleared the bar.
Not that it was all Sunderland. Nervy at the back and hesitant going forward, they were fortunate not to go in at half-time two down.
Collapse
Mills had Charlton's best opportunity but sliced high and wide after a gap appeared in the defence.
Throughout the game Sunderland boss Reid sat almost motionless at the back of the bench. Fittingly, for a man on the verge of emotional collapse, he was next to a first aid volunteer, who was perhaps wisely wearing headphones, presumably to keep out Reid's swearing.
MOST READ IN FOOTBALL
His half-time team-talk would certainly have been colourful. But whatever he said, it did the trick.
He replaced the petrified Darren Holloway at right-back and within five minutes of the re-start was rewarded with an equaliser.
Quinn stooped to head home Summerbee's accurate corner past Mark Kinsella, who had inexcusably moved from his marking position at the near post.
Quinn then missed a perfect chance from just a year out before Phillips' record-breaking strike. It came from Ball's header midway inside the Charlton half, a loose ball most players would have given up on.
Phillips raced clear of Richard Rufus and gently nudged the ball over Ilic.
How the penalty drama unfolded
HAT-TRICK ace Clive Mendonca gets Charlton off to a flyer 1-0
Nicky Summerbee blasts Sunderland level 1-1
Substitute Steve Brown fires in a high shot 2-1
Scot Alan Johnston sends Sasa Ilic the wrong way 2-2
Keith Jones finds the corner of the net 3-2
Sunderland skipper Kevin Ball makes no mistake either 3-3
Mark Kinsella is captain cool for Charlton 4-3
Sub Chris Makin is relieved as Ilic parries his tame shot over the line 4-4
Defender Mark Bowen finds the top corner 5-4
Alex Rae keeps Sunderland level with a stylish effort 5-5
John Robinson starts the sudden-death phase by wrong-footing Perez 6-5
Niall Quinn keeps his nerve with a cool, low shot 6-6
Charlton forge ahead again as Shaun Newton scores 7-6
Poor Michael Gray sees his weak spot-kick saved by Ilic - and Charlton return to the top flight with a 7-6 shoot-out victory.
Sunderland's first lead lasted just 15 minutes before Mendonca struck again, Keith Jones' long ball forward beat Craddock and so did Mendonca.
He twisted past his marker before calmly beating Perez for the second time with a low, right-footed shot.
Charlton could only keep it level for two minutes before Quinn grabbed his second thanks to slack marking from Mills.
Clark's cross to the far post should have been dealt with by the Charlton full-back. But he missed it completely, Quinn chested it down and then he thumped his left-foot shot inside Ilic's near post.
Sunderland sub Danny Dichio then blew a gilt-edged chance to win it, fluffing his 76th-minute shot from only four yards out.
But after 85 minutes the sides were level again when Perez made a mess of the corner. The Frenchman had just pulled off a super reflex save to deny Mark Bright.
But, when John Robinson's corner flew into the box, Perez came too far out.
History
He claimed Bright fouled him as he tried desperately to reach the ball, but referee Eddie Wolstenholme waved away his protests as goalscorer Rufus celebrated.
And so to extra-time.
Summerbee put Sunderland ahead again after 99 minutes with a fine, low strike.
Five minutes later Mendonca completed his hat-trick. The finish from Steve Jones' cross was quite brilliant - and broke his own family's hearts.
Then, as if we had not had enough, came penalties.
Mendonca, Brown, Keith Jones, Kinsella, Mark Bowen, Robinson and Newton scored for Charlton. Summerbee, Alan Johnson, Ball, Makin, Alex Rae and Quinn replied before Gray's miss.