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Charlton v Leyton Orient playoff final: Latest ticket sales, odds, what both clubs have said

Ahead of the Charlton v Leyton Orient playoff final, we check out the latest ticket sales, odds, and what both clubs have said.

Charlton, who finished 16th in League One last season, edged past Wycombe Wanderers in the semi-finals, with Matt Godden’s goal securing their place. And who can forget that dramatic reaction from Nathan Jones.

Leyton Orient, finishing sixth, upset Stockport County via penalties, led by Golden Boot winner Charlie Kelman’s 23 goals. The O’s are unbeaten in nine, peaking at the right time.

Charlton won two of three meetings this season, including a dramatic late comeback in March.

HOW MANY TICKETS HAVE BEEN SOLD?

Charlton sold out their initial 36,945 allocation for the final in just 40 minutes, with the club going on to say they secured and sold out the extra 1,400. It means that there will be 38,345 Addicks fans in attendance.

More than 30,000 Leyton Orient fans will be attendance, with tickets now off sale.

WHO ARE THE BOOKIES FAVOURITES?

Sky Bet – 23rd May
Charlton – 8/15
Leyton Orient – 11/8

BetVictor – 23rd May
Charlton – 23/20
Leyton Orient – 5/2

Paddy Power – 23rd May
Charlton – 6/5
Leyton Orient – 5/2

Bet365 – 23rd May
Charlton – 6/5
Leyton Orient – 12/5

Ladbrokes – 23rd May
Charlton – 23/20
Leyton Orient – 12/5

William Hill – 23rd May
Charlton – 6/5
Leyton Orient – 12/5

WHAT HAVE BOTH CLUBS SAID?

Charlton’s Nathan Jones said: “There are certain things [I’ve learned]. The first campaign with Luton was my first one as a manager. We were a really good side and we’d beaten Blackpool twice in the league that season.

“We didn’t go there complacent, but on the day we didn’t really prepare well. Maybe there was a little bit too much pressure on us.

“There are lessons from every play-off campaign, and I’ve been fortunate to be a part of them as a player and an assistant manager, now this is my third one as a manager.”

Charlton’s Macaulay Gillesphey said, when asked per South London Press if his previous experience of playing at Wembley will help going vs Leyton Orient: “I’d say so. I was speaking to some of the lads on Wednesday and telling them we didn’t visit Wembley the day before last time.

“We just turned up on the day and that was a big shock to the system for the players. Whereas this time I have been to Wembley and we’re going the day before as well – which is good.

“I’ve never been involved in a play-off final before so this is probably the biggest game of my career so far, just because it means so much to the fans, all the players and the staff.

“Orient have had a brilliant second half to the season. I don’t think it really matters who you play in a final because it’s a totally different ball game – you have got to turn up on the day, try to get the result.”

“When I first joined it was pretty much carnage. The gaffer was sacked and the new gaffer came in. It took us a little while to get going under the way he plays but once we got to grips with that I feel I’ve improved a lot under him.

“I’ve enjoyed it.

“Our defensive strength probably to do with the pressing side of things, from the front to the back – it’s the way the team works. As defenders we crave clean sheets, we do everything possible to keep the ball out of the net.

“The manager demands the best out of you every day.”

Leyton Orient’s Charlie Kelman said: “I watched Solihull Moors last year because my best mate was there. I remember saying, ‘I want to play here.’

“If you’d said a year ago I’d be playing in a play-off final for Leyton Orient, I’m sure people would’ve laughed. But here I am. I’m excited, and I’m ready to take on the challenge.

“I remember watching West Ham win the play-off final against Blackpool in 2012. I was just a kid, a proper fan, sitting in the stands with my dad, seeing Ricardo Vaz Te score the winner. That was my team growing up.

“Seeing that atmosphere, that occasion, I dreamed of being out there one day. To think I’ll be walking out onto that same pitch now, it’s surreal. Real full-circle stuff.”

Orient boss Richie Wellens said: “I spoke to the players before Stockport that a special group of players, special group of staff.

“I’ve absolutely loved working with them all year. I believe that a special group of players shouldn’t finish their season at Stockport County.

“It should be at a special place and and thankfully we’re going to do that. Now it’s about winning. And it’s been such a rollercoaster of a season as well.

“We’re playing against an unbelievable team. This has everything lying on it. This is life changing for for the players. It’s different for the club. the club can evolve and grow and get better.

“So, yeah, listen, we can beat around the bush count. We can say it’s just another game, but it’s not. It’s a it’s a big one.

“And it’s been just over a week now since that second leg of the playoff semi-final. It was that was a roller coaster in itself.”

Asked how have the lads rested and recovered from that one, he replied: “Fine. We took him away to Portugal for a few days just because I didn’t want a a long buildup, a long talking about it.

“I’ve been in these situations before as a player and it’s like you train the next day and then and by the time the fifth and sixth day you’re like when’s the game coming and you talk about tickets and you talk about suits and you talk about this and that and the other and it can be mentally draining.

“So we made sure that mentally we rested the players for three or four days, come back in training, make sure we get all the the side issues sorted and now the next the last two days and and um and the next few days we just concentrate on the game and we’ve actually you know played so much football as we’ve said and put in so many hours on the training ground already.”

Asked what does this final week of training look like, he replied: “Well the we’ve only got one more training session now. We’ve trained today this morning.

“We’ve only got one more training session and them two sessions are just about how we can exploit them, how we need to stop their strengths.

“Charton have good players as well. You know, they’re a good team. They’ve finished above us in the league. And they’ve been on a long run in the last 30 games. They’ve got the same points us.

“So, we’ve both been really, really good form. Listen, there’s no you don’t get to this stage and get an easy game. So, I’ve stressed it to the players this week. I’ll keep stressing it.The players need to turn up and they need to be at it.

See more of what he said below…

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