When Tommy Rowe's penalty flew past the post at the Valley and all eyes turned to Wembley, memories immediately came flooding back.
A Charlton-Sunderland play-off final has special meaning. Over two decades on from 1998, there has probably never been a finer clash at the national stadium than the one those two sides put together since.
It was an incredible game, one that swung this way and that, featured a late dramatic equaliser, a brilliant hat-trick and finished 4-4 after extra-time.
Charlton and Sunderland meet in League One play-off final 21 years after last clash at Wembley
It was an incredible game that included a hat-trick, extra-time and a penalty shootout
Clive Mendonca scored three on the day while Alan Curbishley secured promotion for his side
Then came the penalty shoot-out, Sasa Ilic's save and Michael Gray's tears and Charlton had secured a place in the Premier League just six years after being homeless.
But just how did that incredible day on May 25 pan out for those involved and what were they feeling throughout that afternoon?
Sportsmail has spoken to Ilic — the man who saved the last penalty — and John Robinson — who started on the bench but had a key role to play in the comeback — and sought out their memories ahead of this weekend's League One play-off final.
Sportsmail has spoken to some of the men involved on the day to look back at the game
In the run-up to the final, Charlton had gone an incredible 10 games without conceding a single goal. They went into the game on the back of two 1-0 wins in their play-off semi-final against Ipswich.
Sasa Ilic: Having the run of games leading up to the final, not conceding a goal, you get used to winning games and not conceding goals. You’re fairly confident. The good thing was we weren’t the favourites. The pressure wasn’t on us.
John Robinson: The day was a great experience for everybody, just to be involved, to realise where Charlton had come from. To be a part of that from 1992 when we went back to the Valley was amazing. I was Alan Curbishley’s first signing. I was disappointed not to be in the starting XI. I’d played 90 per cent of the games but got injured. Having raced against time to get back fit, to be part of the 14 was great.
Ilic: If we had lost the game I don't think many people would have said many negative things about us, but if we won it would have been so much sweeter. We came in with huge amounts of confidence. We were definitely in the better position leading up to the game.
Robinson: It was a great experience walking out. You always hoped one day to do that. Just following the people who have walked through that tunnel — I dreamt of that as a kid when I went to watch Brighton in an FA Cup final.
John Robinson started the game on the bench but would have a key role on the day
Mendonca scored the first goal of the game to put Charlton Athletic ahead at Wembley
It took a while for the game to spark to life, but then Clive Mendonca scored the first of his goals that afternoon. Charlton led but Sunderland pegged them back shortly after half-time through Niall Quinn. Kevin Phillips then put the Black Cats ahead in the 58th minute. Mendonca scored again in the 71st minute to level the game.
The previous five play-off finals had finished 1-0. With a quarter of the game to go, the ball had already hit the back of the net four times.
Ilic: Luckily for us, as much as they were scoring we were scoring back too. We did do well coming back from chasing the game. It felt as though it was meant to happen. I don’t think Steven Spielberg would have invented anything more interesting than that game. Everything happened for a reason and luckily it went for us.
Robinson: I was desperate to get on. Curbs was making a few changes, the right changes as well, and you’re hoping to come on. Once it was 2-1, you thought there were goals in it because it had clearly opened up.
Ilic: When you are caught up and playing, you don’t have time to think about things. I wasn’t able to keep the goals away. You’re watching everyone scoring and you’re not really thinking, you are just hoping that you will score a goal soon. You don’t have time to think about how the game is going. That’s the difference for supporters — they have time to think about how the game could evolve, while we’re just on the pitch trying to do our best.
Sunderland pegged Charlton back and levelled shortly after half-time through Niall Quinn
Young Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips then put the Black Cats ahead in the 58th minute
Sunderland soon took the lead again, with Quinn scoring his second of the day in the 73rd minute. Curbishley turned to his bench and threw on Robinson, a decision that would have huge consequences.
It was his corner that Richard Rufus would meet in the last five minutes to level the game again, heading home his first ever senior goal in the most dramatic of circumstances.
Robinson: I had 20 minutes when I went on. Curbs said, “Do what you do. Try and bring energy, get some corners and get it in the box.” With five minutes to go, I wasn’t meant to be taking the corner but we were rushing and it was on my side. I just wanted to make sure it went into the box. We knew the goalkeeper would come for certain things because he was that extravagant.
Ilic: It was a relief when Richard scored. The whole team was shocked to be conceding goals. We thought we would score a lot, though. Watching the semi-final game against Doncaster made me realise how our supporters must have been feeling 21 years ago in a big game like that.
Robinson: It was frightening to send that corner in! Everyone has a part to play. It was great because we were back in it. We didn’t know if we’d have another corner when I went to cross it. All I was pleased with was that I kept the ball in play! I got it quite close to the line to try and drag the goalkeeper out a bit, which it did. Rufus leapt like a salmon. Where he got that height from I don’t know. His first ever goal, what a decent time to score.
Charlton fell behind but a Robinson corner in the 85th minute was met by Richard Rufus
It was Rufus' first ever goal at senior level and meant the match went into extra-time
Not that the game had taken its last breath yet. Nicky Summerbee scored just after half-time in extra-time for Sunderland. There was only one man to get Charlton back into it — Mendonca.
The striker was on fire and saved his best for last. A cross came in. He controlled it with his right boot and then volleyed it beyond Lionel Perez in the Sunderland goal.
Robinson: You always felt you’d get another chance. If it fell to Clive, the way he was
