Coventry at home. What was the score? Won 4-1 There is a poker expression known as Little Blind and I spunked a few extra dollars last night here in Sin City but I did it with a smile on my face. True, a thumping victory only adds to the head scratching after an unsatisfactory season but even though I wasn't witness to yesterday's fine win, it has spurred me on into thinking that perhaps things are not as desperate as some fans think.

Pardew has made many mistakes, some he has admitted to, although his perserverance in Iwelumo still needs to be knocked out of him, but we came up two wins short of a play-off place. A conclusion, if achieved, that most of us would have been content with 9 months ago.

We failed though, and therefore yesterday was about sending Addicks' home with a spring in their step, a defeat would have made for a grisly summer. But we won and we won well.

Chris Powell rightly took the headlines and made the memories. The man is a hero amongst Addicks young and old, but we are crying out for new heroes we can be proud off, players for whom we can scream their names from the stands until we are hoarse.

But hang on don't we have some likely future heroes? Jonjo Shelvey sounds like he is the real deal. I like what I have seen of Basey and I would love Moo2Kil to prove himself in this team. Wagstaff sounds lightweight but has bags of potential and so does Rashid Yussuff and Kelly Youga, despite a tendency to over-play.

Luke Varney was by all accounts excellent again and he has already won the hearts and minds of Addicks fans, Gray may take a bit longer but Pardew may have finally stumbled across a strike partnership to threaten tier 2 defences, with Toddy (hopefully if finances allow) and Dickson set to return. Another positive is the growing centre-half relationship between the polar differences of Magic and Paddy.

Of course a lot of work has to be done, probably more physche than anything else plus we are bound to go through another summer of departures and arrivals but for now when it comes to Charlton, I am more than a Little Blind, but after yesterday's season closer, I think I can see a little light at the end of this fizzy pop tunnel.

Who saw Chris Powell's swansong: All Quiet; Drinking During the Game; Blackheath Addicted (2nd half!); A Red Divided.
Reports: Daily Mail; Kent Online; Daily Telegraph; cafc.co.uk; Coventry Telegraph.
What did Pardew think of it: "I just felt we played with freedom today as there was no pressure on us. It's that mentality - to be able to cope with the pressure and expectation - that I feel has cost us this year."
A bottle of fizzy pop for: Luke Varney. A mystery why he only appeared in half the games that Big Chris did.  ¶ 21:09