Charlton 2 Southampton 1

AS the final whistle cut through the air, so The Valley abandoned itself to sheer ecstasy late on Saturday afternoon.

Charlton had just secured their highest-ever position of seventh in the Premiership and the relief was overwhelming as an exhausted Alan Curbishley hugged his players who in turn saluted their supporters.

All concerned could head for the beach safe in the knowledge that they had played a part in a remarkable season. There was also the not insignificant matter of the club pocketing a cool £7.3million in prize money.

And if that were not enough, Charlton had broken an unfortunate sequence and won their final League match for the first time in 17 years.

It was truly an afternoon to savour and cherish.

Then there was Curbishley, who emerged from the after-match celebrations with the gleefully improbable air of a man who had planned the whole affair down to the last detail. You could not deny his satisfaction.

Anything less than the club's highest Premiership finish would have been deemed a failure. Saturday's win was that important.

This was the day when Charlton proved beyond reasonable argument that they can survive and most certainly flourish in the Premiership.

As the manager insisted, Charlton have become the favourite team of most neutrals. Even the Southampton supporters stood and applauded as the Charlton players did their lap of honour.

In truth, Charlton's success on the day had been no foregone conclusion.

When Southampton midfielder David Prutton scored his first League goal for the club in the 64th minute, it became the prelude to a nerve-jangling finale that had every Charlton man, woman and child on the edge of their seats.

The remaining 26 minutes were played out almost exclusively in Charlton's half amid relentless bouts of head tennis as the home defence fought frantically to clear their lines while Southampton sought to find the head of their leading scorer James Beattie.

Addicks fans responded by shrieking for the final whistle a good five minutes before it was due.

It had all looked so easy for the hosts in the first-half when Jason Euell opened the scoring in the 36th minute with a cool finish after Paolo Di Canio had flicked the ball into his path.

In finding the net, Euell became the first Charlton player to score in a final League fixture since Carl Leaburn eight years ago in a 1-1 draw with Wolves.

That lead was preserved in the 43rd minute when Dean Kiely, probably the most underrated goalkeeper in the Premier League, produced a magnificent double save to deny Brett Ormerod and then Beattie.

Charlton lost Di Canio on the stroke of half-time with a stomach cartilage problem. As he was helped off, it was almost certainly the last time The Valley will see him in an Addicks shirt.

He was taken to hospital and played no part in the after-match celebrations.

When substitute Carlton Cole chested down skipper Matt Holland's glorious crossfield pass and cracked a low, hard drive past Alan Blayney in the 53rd minute, the game should have been safe.

Prutton's goal served to fire Saints and there were times when all 11 Charlton players flooded their own penalty area.

So victory become a triumph for team spirit and for that vibrant quality of self-belief which runs through the side. It wasn't a bad day for football, either.