'I couldn't feel my legs for the first 20 minutes at Wembley'

Charlton Athletic keeper Mannion a clean sheet king in League One play-offs

Were there any Charlton Athletic fans in attendance at Wembley Stadium at the end of last month that did not feel the pressure? Whose nerves were not decidedly frazzled, even before a ball was kicked? No, I didn’t think so. But supporters were not alone in feeling the League One play-off final heat. You only need to ask Will Mannion.

I was in the mixed zone at the national stadium as the elated Addicks players walked down the tunnel towards the exits, getting ready to meet back up with friends and family.

Karoy Anderson’s support group had snapped up 54 tickets for the match.

Thierry Small was not one of the lucky ones able to make a quick getaway. The Charlton wing-back was stripped down to boxers as he made trips backwards and forwards to the toilet with a doping official.

None of the players who floated by - high on the fact that Championship football had been clinched - were fully changed out of their kits. The League One play-off medals were still proudly on display around their necks. They were about to join the party which had already started without them at BOXPARK Wembley.

You would imagine that alongside satisfaction at a job well done, Nathan Jones’ squad would have felt a sense of relief. Relief that they had made it a day to remember. It is amazing how quickly the fans in the defeated half of Wembley empties out. It’s obvious why. The pain is real.

The play-offs were a dream for Will Mannion. He did not concede in 270 minutes. Well, actually more than that when you factor that doesn’t account for stoppage time in those three matches. Goalkeeper Owen Goodman - part of an outstanding defence at AFC Wimbledon - mirrored that achievement in the League Two knockouts.