Manchester United 3 v Charlton Athletic 0

Recovery, recovery, recovery.  Those were the words of manager Dean Holden after Tuesday evening's battle at Old Trafford and he wasn't wrong was he? The thousands returning home either did so through the night on Tuesday or more leisurely yesterday. Either way, it was exhausting wasn't it?

It may have been the travel or the happy drinking in Manchester but it hit you after the game. Personally, I think it was the level of concentration and focus required for the 90-plus minutes to mentally make every challenge, cover every yard as well as the desire and hope for that final ball to make it through to a white shirt in a position to threaten the United goal. It was an epic effort and we all played our part.

Nothing will surpass my first visit to Old Trafford with Lennie Lawrence and the boys on the first Saturday away game of our return to the First Division in the mid-80's but this came close. The Football League's fixture team knew what they were doing. Charlton Athletic back in the top flight after 30 years was to be marked with a baptism of fire against the most famous club in the world. It was another emotionally exhausting day, albeit a 3pm kick-off which enabled an easier up-there-and-back trip. Another day of making every tackle, saving everything that threatened our goal and urging every move forward. A day when that second-half long ball over the top into space on the right wing was collected by the galloping Mark Stuart who swung in on goal and slotted home the winner. A cathartic release of 30 years of hurt after the dismal 1970's and a day when a 22 year old me finally realised a dream. This time, though, the second-best of seven visits to Old Trafford.

It wasn't to be on Tuesday though. How the game has changed. Every Manchester United player, even the second string, were from all corners of the world. Shining lights in their homelands, multi-million pound arrivals with huge Tik-Toc followings, massive wealth and the potential and desire to become the best players in the world. We didn't really stand a chance and we knew it. 

However, the game still had to be played. They had to beat us and we started on level terms. After a tough first-half and a wonderful strike from Antony, we settled in to the game and our confidence lifted in the second-half as our fans boomed out their support for the League One also-rans. For twenty glorious minutes we played out with purpose and strained every sinew to make a break-through. Chances were few and far between but we rattled them for long enough to have made our mark on the match. 

Erik Ten Haag was gracious after he game and acknowledged our efforts. Dean Holden was clearly lit in his post-match dressing room team-talk and our fans left the stadium as happy as the home crowd. Back at our well-appointed hotel, the Benfica-mad barman greeted us with a drink on the house and said "well, one-nil after 90 minutes and they were worried!" He had listened to the commentary in the bar and could only hear Charlton fans singing throughout the match. It was indeed a team effort.

The journey home yesterday seemed to take twice as long as the trip up there but after a good night's sleep, we are all recovering. I really hope we see the fruits of this game on Saturday against Barnsley and not a quick return to reality of League One.