Crystal Palace vs Charlton match report: Dwight Gayle hat-trick fires Eagles into fourth round as Alan Pardew beats his former side

Crystal Palace 4 Charlton Athletic 1

(Reuters)

Dwight Gayle's second half hat-trick fired Crystal Palace to a 4-1 win over south London rivals Charlton in the Capital One Cup.

The striker's treble meant Eagles manager Alan Pardew enjoyed a satisfying night against the team he managed for two years and suffered relegation from the Premier League with in 2007.

But for Alou Diarra it was a nightmare evening, the former France international giving away two penalties before being sent off.

Gayle hammered home both spot-kicks - after Fraizer Campbell opened the scoring - and he nodded in the fourth while Mouhamadou-Naby Sarr pulled one back for Charlton.

Pardew made six changes to the side beaten at Tottenham on Sunday with Campbell and Gayle starting a match together for the first time since February .

The strike duo looked a little ring rusty at first although Gayle went close to an early opener with a free-kick which curled narrowly over the crossbar.

Wilfried Zaha was the liveliest presence in the Palace attack, the winger heading Chung-Yong Lee's cross just too high and fizzing Campbell's lay-off across goal and wide.

Campbell had a shot from the edge of the area deflected over by Diarra and curled another effort over the top, while Gayle's 20-yard drive flew wide.

Charlton, who have not made the greatest of starts in the Championship this season and were thumped 3-0 by Blackburn at the weekend, rarely threatened in the first half although Karlan Ahearne-Grant did force one save from home keeper Wayne Hennessey.

Campbell missed a sitter five minutes into the second half when he headed Zaha's cross wide from all of four yards out.

But a minute later the former Hull striker made amends, digging Zaha's pass from out of his feet, turning his marker and slotting low into the corner.

Diarra's evening started to go wrong just before the hour when he hauled down Campbell in the area, and Gayle thumped home from the spot.

The Addicks threatened a comeback when Sarr headed in Johann Berg Gudmundsson's corner, but their hopes were extinguished when Diarra felled Gayle.

The defender had already been booked for the first penalty, but ref Neil Swarbrick this time showed his a straight red card for a professional foul before Gayle hit the net again.

Gayle completed his hat-trick when he glanced in Lee's corner five minutes from time, and it could have been five in the final minute had sub Yohan Cabaye's rocket not cannoned against the crossbar.

PA