The moment the outstretched arms of Sasa Ilic blocked Michael Gray's penalty kick in the Wembley play-off final two years ago held obvious consequences - Charlton were destined for the Premiership and Sunderland had been sunk.

The two teams meet again at The Valley today for the first time since that most epic of encounters and Charlton manager Alan Curbishley believes the significance of that save runs far deeper.

Had the Londoners not triumphed in the penalty shoot-out on that May day in 1998, Curbishley suggests his side may not have been meeting Sunderland in the top-flight.

''I think if it had gone against us it would have been harder for us to recover than Sunderland,'' said Curbishley.

''There would have been all kinds of consequences if we had got beaten that day - the development of the club and everything else.

''Thankfully we got the result but if it had been the other way round then drastic action may have had to be taken that summer and we may never have recovered.

"Sunderland have not suffered and I know that Peter (Reid) has said that if they had gone up, perhaps they would have come back down they might not have been strong enough themselves.''

Charlton's flirtation with the Premiership lasted just one season but despite their relegation Curbishley was able to keep his squad intact and the Division One championship duly followed.

The Addicks have returned with a stronger squad - Jonatan Johansson has been a scoring revelation since his £3.75m move from Rangers and experienced internationals Mark Fish of South Africa, Bulgaria's Radostin Kishishev and Iranian Karim Bagheri have bolstered the ranks.

And Curbishley is using the success of Sunderland since their elevation, a year after their Wembley heartbreak, as his marker.

''I think it's appropriate that we are both in the Premiership after that play-off final,'' he said.

''Certainly where they are at the moment, an established Premiership club with great support, is where we want to be.

''Peter Reid and Sunderland have moved on leaps and bounds in the last three years and I would like to think we have as well.

''I look at them and they are the yardstick for us. We know we could have had 40,000 here against Chelsea last week and we need a 40,000-seater stadium. Sunderland have got that."