ADDICKS’ LATE RUN TO NICK THE TITLE ON GOAL DIFFERENCE

Charlton Athletic came from way behind to win the Southern Division in a thrilling, season-long title race that included no fewer than five clubs right through to the final month of the campaign.

The Addicks were well off the pace in the early stages, West Ham United storming to the front with Keynsham Town in their slipstream until after the turn of the year.

At the season’s half-way stage Charlton were fifth in the table with just 12 points from nine outings, a huge 11 points behind West Ham and nine lower than Keynsham. 

The Addicks had two games in hand on the Hammers and one on Keynsham; but with only nine of their season’s 18-match fixture programme to fulfil, a run to the title seemed highly unlikely.

Not only were the two pace-setters well clear but also ahead of them in the table were Portsmouth and Cardiff City, each of them, like Charlton, having played nine games.

That was the state of play at the end of February. A month later, however, the picture had dramatically changed. Keynsham were now top with 24 points, West Ham were still on 23 while Pompey had 22 points and both Charlton and Cardiff were on 21.

With only three points separating the top five, a battle royal was set for the run-in. And it was the Addicks who took control, firstly by beating West Ham to make it five wins on the bounce and simultaneously drawing level on points at the top.

That result was a decisive blow to the Hammers’ title chances - but a fortnight later Charlton had a big set-back themselves. They had in the meanwhile won a further two games to head the division, but in what was their penultimate game of the season they lost at home to a Cardiff City team whose victory put them only three points behind the Addicks and with a game in hand.

As the season reached its conclusion, the ace in Charlton’s pack was their goal difference. A 1-0 home win against Queens Park Rangers, courtesy a 19th goal of the season by top scorer Gemma Bryan, meant they finished with a points tally of 36 and with a goal difference of 18.

Cardiff were now the only team that could draw level on points with the Addicks, which they duly did with a 2-0 win at Keynsham in their last game. But they were 11 behind the leaders in terms of goal difference and so had to settle for the runners-up spot - though with the considerable consolation of promotion to the National Division alongside Charlton.

Heading in the opposite direction out of the Southern Division were Gillingham and bottom club Yeovil Town. The Gills would have saved themselves with at least a draw in their final outing, against West Ham, but they lost 2-0 and finished a point below QPR. 

FINAL TABLE

RESULTS 

22/8/2010
Charlton Athletic 0-1 Gillingham
Portsmouth 5-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Queens Park Rangers 0-4 Keynsham Town
West Ham United 2-0 Colchester United

5/9/2010
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-3 Colchester United
Cardiff City 0-2 Charlton Athletic
Gillingham 2-2 Portsmouth
Keynsham Town 3-1 Yeovil Town
West Ham United 1-0 Queens Park Rangers

19/9/2010
Charlton Athletic 2-2 Keynsham Town
Colchester United 1-0 Gillingham
Portsmouth 0-1 West Ham United
Yeovil Town 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion

26/9/2010
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 Queens Park Rangers
Cardiff City 0-3 Portsmouth
Gillingham 0-1 Yeovil Town
Keynsham Town 1-0 Colchester United
West Ham United 1-1 Charlton Athletic

10/10/2010
West Ham United 4-1 Cardiff City

17/10/2010
Charlton Athletic 0-1 Portsmouth
Gillingham 3-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
West Ham United 2-0 Yeovil Town

24/10/2010
Portsmouth 0-5 Colchester United
Queens Park Rangers 2-0 Gillingham
Yeovil Town  0-4 Charlton Athletic
Keynsham Town 0-0 West Ham United

31/10/2010
Colchester United 0-2 Queens Park Rangers

7/11/2010
Charlton Athletic 0-2 Colchester United
Portsmouth 3-1 Keynsham Town
Queens Park Rangers 0-2 Yeovil Town
West Ham United 4-5 Brighton & Hove Albion

14/11/2010
Colchester United 1-2 Cardiff City
Keynsham Town 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Yeovil Town 3-1 Portsmouth

21/11/2010
Cardiff City 2-1 Yeovil Town
Colchester United 0-4 West Ham United

12/12/2010
Colchester United 1-1 Keynsham Town
Yeovil Town 0-0 Gillingham

23/1/2011
Gillingham 1-2 Keynsham Town
Queens Park Rangers 0-1 Cardiff City

30/1/2011
Cardiff City 1-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Charlton Athletic 2-1 Yeovil Town
Colchester United 1-2 Portsmouth
Gillingham 3-0 Queens Park Rangers
West Ham United 0-2 Keynsham Town

13/2/2011
Queens Park Rangers 0-0 Charlton Athletic
West Ham United 2-0 Gillingham

20/2/2011
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Cardiff City

27/2/2011
Cardiff City 1-2 Gillingham

6/3/2011
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-4 Charlton Athletic

13/3/2011
Colchester United 4-1 Yeovil Town
Keynsham Town 2-1 Gillingham
Portsmouth 0-1 Cardiff City
Queens Park Rangers 1-2 Brighton & Hove Albion

20/3/2011
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 Yeovil Town
Cardiff City 1-1 Queens Park Rangers
Keynsham Town 0-3 Charlton Athletic
West Ham United 0-2 Portsmouth
Gillingham 0-2 Colchester United

23/3/2011
Cardiff City 3-2 Keynsham Town

27/3/2011
Colchester United 0-1 Charlton Athletic
Portsmouth 3-1 Gillingham
Yeovil Town 1-1 Cardiff City
Keynsham Town 0-1 Queens Park Rangers

3/4/2011
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-2 Gillingham
Portsmouth 0-1 Charlton Athletic
Queens Park Rangers 0-3 West Ham United
Yeovil Town 0-0 Colchester United

10/4/2011
Charlton Athletic 3-0 West Ham United
Colchester United 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Gillingham 0-3 Cardiff City
Portsmouth 3-2 Queens Park Rangers
Yeovil Town 0-1 Keynsham Town

17/4/2011
Cardiff City 1-0 West Ham United
Charlton Athletic 2-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Yeovil Town 2-2 Queens Park Rangers
Keynsham Town 1-3 Portsmouth

20/4/2011
Brighton & Hove Albion 5-1 Portsmouth
Queens Park Rangers 2-1 Colchester United
Gillingham 1-3 Charlton Athletic

24/4/2011
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-2 Keynsham Town
Charlton Athletic 1-2 Cardiff City
Queens Park Rangers 3 - 0 Portsmouth
Yeovil Town 1-2 West Ham United

26/4/2011
Charlton Athletic 1-0 Queens Park Rangers

27/4/2011
Gillingham 0-2 West Ham United

1/5/2011
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 West Ham United
Cardiff City 3-0 Colchester United
Portsmouth 4-2 Yeovil Town

8/5/2011
Keynsham Town 0-2 Cardiff City