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Darren and Luke down Euro champs

Two goals in the final three minutes of the first half helped Charlton beat the champions of Europe on a vintage Valley night on Wednesday.

Top scorer Darren Bent fired home his 15th goal of the season from the penalty spot past Istanbul shoot-out hero Jerzy Dudek to put the Addicks in front moments before the break.

And skipper Luke Young crashed home his first of the season in first-half injury time to put the hosts firmly in control.

The Reds response never really materialised after the break and Charlton were only denied further goals by the upright with both Darren and Marcus Bent desperately unlucky.

In the build-up to this match with the European Champions, Addicks boss Alan Curbishley described it as a 'bonus ball'.

And after the lottery that is the Premiership fixture planning committee deemed they had to fulfil this outstanding fixture to catch up with their top-flight contemporaries, Curbishley's side cashed in.

Sturdy at the back as a fifth clean sheet in six top-flight matches on home territory demonstrated, they were worthy winners.

Having seen their lingering title hopes ended at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, Liverpool now find their hopes of second place and automatic Champions League qualification dented.

It was their sixth match without a win in London this season and they have taken just one point from their last five games.

But no-one in SE7 will care a bean about that - they can now look upwards again, the corner most definitely turned.

Curbishley made three changes to his starting line-up for the visit of the European champions.

Jerome Thomas was rewarded for his scoring contribution in Sunday's defeat at Tottenham Hotspur and replaced Darren Ambrose out wide.

Injury ruled out Jonathan Fortune as Chris Perry returned to the centre of defence, while veteran Chris Powell made way for Jonathan Spector at left-back.

There was also notable interest on the bench with Jason Euell featuring in the matchday squad for the first time since May last year.

Matt Holland missed out again with a thigh injury and winger Dennis Rommedahl had failed to recover sufficiently from his cracked rib, but Talal El Karkouri was back on the bench following his brief involvement in the African Nations Cup with Morocco.

Liverpool were missing their influential skipper Steven Gerrard with a knee injury and Spanish keeper Jose Reina was suspended following his weekend red card at Chelsea.

Dudek, penalty hero of that dramatic European Cup success in Istanbul at the end of last season, edged out youngster Scott Carson for custody of the visitors' gloves.

Rafa Bentitez's side included plenty of attacking potency with Peter Crouch, Fernando Morientes and Djibril Cisse all starters, with the Frenchman starting on the right of midfield.

Anfield icon Robbie Fowler was on the bench after his dramatic return in the January transfer window.

The striker had a goal disallowed on his Reds return against Birmingham City but missed Sunday's defeat at Chelsea in a bid to improve fitness.

Both sides forced corners in the early running and Cisse dragged a fifth-minute shot wide for the visitors after some miss-communication between Bryan Hughes and Spector.

Then Steve Finnan beat Jerome Thomas on the right but his shot was volleyed straight at Thomas Myhre by Morientes.

Crouch headed Cisse's cross wide after the Frenchman had outwitted Spector on the right while at the other end the Addicks were continually falling foul of the offside flag.

Radostin Kishishev's volley represented the hosts first shot on target on 13 minutes with Dudek saving routinely, but the visitors moved swiftly up the other end to create the best chance to date moments later.

Xabi Alonso was the architect, clipping a fine diagonal pass over the Addicks backline but Crouch's attempt to chest down saw the ball squirm away from him and it was eventually hacked away with Morientes lurking.

The visitors were starting to string some nice passages of play together by this stage but Charlton went close midway through the half when a free-kick from Spector was fisted out by Dudek and Alexei Smertin volleyed wide from range with the Pole scrambling back.

A corner from Alonso back at the other end was flicked goalwards by Mohamed Sissoko before the Addicks hacked clear the danger again and Liverpool penalty claims were waved away by referee Andre Marriner after Crouch theatrically tumbled after tussling with Spector.

Hermann Hreidarsson got across to make a critical block to cut out a low Cisse cross after the winger had been picked out by Alonso's measured through ball.

But it was Charlton who snatched the lead three minutes before the interval from the penalty spot.

Marinner had little hesitation pointing to the spot after Dudek's clumsy challenge on Darren Bent as the striker chased a clipped through pass from Kishishev.

Memories of Istanbul resurfaced as Dudek danced spaghetti-legged on the line but where Milan failed top-scorer Bent cashed in, coolly slotting his 15th goal of the season (12th in the Premiership) into the bottom left corner.

Reds stand-in skipper Jamie Carragher was booked for his ensuing protests and Thomas joined him in the book moments after the restart for taking down Cisse.

The visiting fans in the Jimmy Seed Stand shouted for a penalty as the ball hit the upper chest of Smertin on the edge of the box. And for a big fella, Crouch was finding it pretty hard to stay on his feet as he stumbled tamely to the turf again moments later after colliding with Perry.

There was more to follow in a frantic finale to the half with skipper Young doubling his side's tally in injury time.

The hosts deserved a slice of luck after some slick interplay on the right and they got it when Smertin's low cross was snaked clear by the leg of Carragher with Darren Bent lurking.

The ball spun back towards the right angle of the box and there was Young to connect with a sizzling low drive that nestled in the bottom left corner.

The second half started with Perry's cynical block on Cisse earning the defender a yellow card after a swift Reds break.

Sissoko's woefully wayward effort prompted ironic cheers from the home faithful in a Valley full-house, while the travelling Liverpool supporters continued to crave the introduction of Fowler as he warmed up.

Darren Bent made good ground on the right eight minutes in but his cross was tantalisingly just too high for strike partner Marcus Bent in the middle.

Alonso curled a 56th minute free-kick over the bar after the increasingly erratic Marriner had penalised what looked to be a perfectly legitimate challenge from Young on Cisse.

The away fans got their wish in the 60th minute when Fowler was unleashed in place of Peter Crouch.

Cometh the hour cometh the man perhaps?

No sooner had the man the Reds fans affectionally call 'God' entered the fray, than it was the new darling of The Valley who almost raised the roof two minutes later.

Young's clipped pass sent Darren Bent haring away between Sami Hyypia and Carragher and the striker's magnificent angled drive beat Dudek all ends up but crashed back off the bar.

The rattled visitors were then rescued by the woodwork for a second time a minute later.

Darren Bent again escaped on the right after Kishishev's neat pass and this time he laid the ball square across goal.

Marcus Bent connected with a low drive on the left side of the box but the striker was denied a first Valley goal by the base of the left post.

At the other end Myhre made his first significant contribution of the evening in the 73rd minute, brilliantly turning away Morientes' effort after neat work from Alonso and Cisse.

The cultured Alonso, Liverpool's best player by a big margin, curled a late effort over despite Marriner's best efforts to get in his way - but you just go the feeling it was going to be Charlton's night.

The Norwegian saved another long range effort from the Spaniard in injury time and Harry Kewell blasted well wide but the home side had done enough.

There really is no place like home.

Charlton: Myhre; Young, Spector, Perry, Hreidarsson; Hughes, Kishishev, Smertin (El Karkouri 83), Thomas (Ambrose 79); M Bent, D Bent.

Subs (not used): Andersen, Euell, Bothroyd.

Goals: D Bent 42, Young 45

Booked: Thomas 43 (foul on Cisse), Perry 47 (foul on Cisse)

Liverpool: Dudek; Finnan, Traore, Hyypia (Riise 70), Carragher; Kewell, Alonso, Sissoko, Cisse (Kromkamp 78); Crouch (Fowler 60), Morientes.

Subs (not used): Carson, Hamann.

Booked: Dudek 42 (foul on D Bent), Carragher 43 (dissent)

Referee: A Marriner

Attendance: 27,111

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