Dean Holden once blagged his way into Old Trafford disguised as a steward, but the Charlton manager could walk out of his boyhood club with his head held high on Tuesday night.
There will no appearance in the Carabao Cup semi-finals for the League One club and their magnificent army of 9,000 fans here, 76 years after Charlton last made it to the final four of a domestic cup competition.
But they took Manchester United all the way in this quarter-final which was decided by a sumptuous strike by Antony and two late efforts from Marcus Rashford.