Lee Bowyer: Promotion gives Charlton a chance of keeping captain Patrick Bauer

Lee Bowyer believes Patrick Bauer’s promotion-winning goal hands Charlton a lifeline in their bid to retain their captain next season. Bauer’s last-ditch prodded finish sealed Charlton’s 2-1 League One play-off final victory over Sunderland at Wembley on Sunday, pushing the Addicks back to the Championship for the first time in four years. And now boss Bowyer has revealed Bauer’s goal has opened the door for Charlton to offer the 26-year-old a new deal at The Valley. Bowyer expects a tough time in recruitment this summer at the cash-strapped London club, but hailed promotion as pivotal to those plans. “We can go to Pat (Bauer) and offer Pat a contract now,” said Bowyer. Scoring your first goal of the season and sealing promotion! #StepUp, @patrick5bauer!!#EFL | #EFLPlayOffs | #StepUP pic.twitter.com/FhtuOzWI4j — Sky Bet League One (@SkyBetLeagueOne) May 26, 2019 “We had to get promotion even to talk to Pat, because he was 100 per cent going to go to the Championship. We knew that. “And Joe Aribo, I’m hoping he will now sign, and that he stays and keeps learning. “We’ll have to rebuild, but that would always have been the case. “But as regards building a squad, that’s going to be tough, because I don’t think we’ll have much money.” Charlton so nearly shot themselves in the foot in front of 36,000 of their own fans at a raucous Wembley, the luckless Naby Sarr netting a fifth-minute own goal as Dillon Phillips failed to control a back-pass. FULL -TIME!!! GET INNNNNN! #CAFC pic.twitter.com/C6PZFzkT56 — Charlton Athletic FC (@CAFCofficial) May 26, 2019 Ben Purrington turned in Lyle Taylor’s fine far-post cross to blank out that early aberration though, before skipper Bauer popped up with the dramatic winner. Former Charlton midfielder Bowyer is yet to finalise a new deal to continue at the helm of his first club but still expects to be in charge next term. Asked if he will still be at Charlton next season, Bowyer replied: “I can’t see why not, I haven’t done much wrong. “I spoke to the owner yesterday, he rang to wish us luck for today. 🍾🍾🍾#EFL | #EFLPlayOffs | #StepUp | #CAFC pic.twitter.com/5CZ3TaTCPT — EFL (@EFL) May 26, 2019 “And he said we would speak very soon, so after the weekend. “My phone will be off tonight and then in the next couple of days we’ll talk. “The most important thing has been to see everyone come together again at the club. That alone was an achievement. “I’m sure that we’re going to get an agreement. I hope we do. “I have to stay in football now; it’s probably lucky the way I’ve come back into football. “But after being away for five or six years, and having this taste of winning again, to then come back into the game and be around that feeling, to be involved in something so special like today, I want to stay in the game.” 🆙#EFL | #EFLPlayOffs | #StepUp pic.twitter.com/aTJ0D2yhYw — Sky Bet League One (@SkyBetLeagueOne) May 26, 2019 Bowyer hailed his players for having the guts to shake off that disastrous opening and grind to victory. “They could easily have gone under there once we gave that goal away,” he said. “But they didn’t, they were brave, and they were men. “Because you have to be brave and be a man to get on the ball after a mistake like that.” Sunderland were left to swallow a seventh consecutive loss at Wembley, hot on the heels of their EFL Trophy penalties defeat to Portsmouth. All over at @wembleystadium. Heartbreak for #SAFC as Charlton win it right at the end. pic.twitter.com/7O1YCRAzpj — Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) May 26, 2019 “We’ve had that horrible feeling twice in two months, in difficult circumstances,” said boss Jack Ross. “So now the players have to use that as a driver and motivator for the future. “We knew the significance of the day and to come out the right side of the result, and to lose in that manner was particularly painful.” Topics Charlton, Sunderland, Charlton, Lee Bowyer, Sunderland, League 1 Bauer strikes at the death to send Charlton into the Championship Bowyer unsure how much of promotion-chasing squad will remain intact this summer Charlton close to takeover – De Turck Bowyer knows Charlton still have work to do Mustafi stresses the importance of being organised in Europa League final Lampard hoping Derby can follow Chelsea’s example as history beckons Neville ‘rocket’ has England star Mead aiming for the moon Securing promotion will be crucial in keeping Grealish – Whelan Villa boss Smith one step away from realising his ‘impossible dream’ 5 things we learned from the Manchester United vs Bayern Munich Treble reunion game Quiz! Can you name the first 50 players to start for Arsene Wenger in the Premier League? Quiz! Can you name the clubs who’ve been promoted from the Championship since 1999/2000? “If we lose: s*** decision” – Mauricio Pochettino’s Harry Kane conundrum 7 new rule changes are coming to the Premier League – but are they good or bad?