Charlton Athletic 2 West Ham Utd 0: Bent and Rommedahl run rings around blunt Hammers

The snow-blighted trip to Newcastle in midweek might not have done much for the tempers and wallets of of their supporters, but it clearly worked wonders for Charlton's players. While the unexpected break did not visibly improve the skills of a team who had lost eight of their nine previous matches, it certainly proved a boost to stamina and commitment, certainly more than enough to see off a disappointing West Ham who, in the words of manager Alan Pardew, lacked ambition and petered out.

Having spurned a cascade of openings in the early stages, West Ham never looked like rescuing a point once Shaun Bartlett crashed in the first goal off the underside of the crossbar. The chance was laid on by Dennis Rommedahl, who offered the home supporters a glimpse of the form which had undermined England in the recent friendly against Denmark. The fact that his deadly cavorting was achieved against the marking of a former Charlton favourite, Paul Konchesky, did even more for The Valley's spirits.

If West Ham were dire, Charlton were no great shakes, Rommedahl and the industrious Matt Holland excepted, in the first half. Afterwards Darren Bent decided to get involved and his pace ensured a torrid second half for Anton Ferdinand and James Collins. However, his speed was not called upon as he rose to nod a simple second goal, his 12th of the season, from Chris Powell's deep cross.

A solid, and urgently needed, victory, then, for Charlton. It certainly came as a relief to the manager, Alan Curbishley. "This run has been hard to take," he admitted. "It is hard to work out why it has happened. I feel as if we are second from bottom, whereas we are sitting nicely. I find it difficult to come to terms with, but the only way to change it around is with hard work and results like this one."

West Ham's best opportunities of seizing a lead which, in Pardew's opinion, would have brought a different result, came via Matthew Etherington's cross-shot which skidded inches wide and Nigel Reo-Coker's volley when Thomas Myhre spilled a catch, only for the resolute Hermann Hreidarsson to head away from an untenanted net.

It was West Ham's over-zealous pursuit of a goal which brought about their concession of one. Konchesky was stranded far upfield as Rommedahl set off down the right, finishing with a low cross which threaded its way past three defenders to reach Bartlett at the far post. The Charlton man was close enough to the line for the near-vertical scoring effort not to matter.

Charlton would have been two up minutes later if Roy Carroll had not turned a Rommedahl effort round the post. He might well have been miffed at referee Graham Poll's award of a goal kick. However, so rocky did the home side remain that booing began as Myhre beat aside Shaun Newton's close-in blast.

Things immediately perked up after the break for Charlton, Rommedahl's deflected shot coming back off the base of an upright. But it was Bent's rampaging which unhinged a West Ham defence missing the injured Tomas Repka and Danny Gabbidon and his goal was deserved reward for the damage he was inflicting.

There could have been another, had not Ferdinand's head got in the way, painfully, of a fierce volley. With that, Charlton shut up shop for the afternoon with a sigh of relief, even spurning the chance of a third score as Bryan Hughes sliced an opening created by glorious Rommedahl-Bent combination.