Alex Gilbert will be at Wembley Stadium next weekend after helping Charlton Athletic reach the League One play-off final.
Gilbert made a rare start in the semi-final second leg against Wycombe Wanderers, which Charlton won 1-0 at the Valley to secure an aggregate triumph after a 0-0 draw in the first leg. The encounter marked only his third start for his loan club since entering in the January transfer window.
Despite mostly coming off the bench, Gilbert had previously contributed four assists to his team’s top-six finish. Although he showed flashes of technical ability against Wycombe, the 23-year-old would have hoped to have taken advantage of his opportunity on Thursday evening.
Gilbert received a 6.9 rating from Sofascore, despite producing one key pass. However, his two shots were both blocked, none of his seven crosses found a team-mate, and he was dispossessed 26 times before being subbed in the 84th minute. Despite this, Gilbert will be part of the Addicks squad that will head to Wembley next weekend for a shot at promotion to the Championship, following Matty Godden’s match-winning goal.
Gilbert simply commented on Instagram following the semi-final triumph, “See you at Wembley!” alongside photos of himself performing and partying on the night. Hayden Hackney, Tommy Conway, and Josh Coburn were among the Boro teammates who responded to the tweet, congratulating him and wished him luck.
Charlton will now travel the short distance to the national stadium next Sunday to face fellow Londoners Leyton Orient in the final for a place in next season’s Championship alongside Boro. Leyton Orient won their semi-final against Stockport County, where another Boro attacker Micah Hamilton had been on loan. However, the former Man City youngster didn’t even make the bench for either game.
Both Gilbert and Hamilton will return to Boro this summer, where Boro’s intentions for the future will be intriguing. After struggling for playing time on Teesside in the early half of the season, neither has been able to effectively compete for regular League One games, raising the issue of whether they will be ready to make a greater impact for Boro next season.
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