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Hammers hammered

Rampant Charlton took a sizeable step towards safety on Saturday and heaped further misery on their former boss Alan Curbishley.

Two goals from Jerome Thomas, his first strikes of the season, coupled with one apiece from Darren Ambrose and the returning Darren Bent sealed an emphatic 4-0 Valley victory.

It was easily Charlton's best performance of the season with the hapless Hammers ripped apart by their rejuvenated hosts.

Ambrose volleyed in a superb opener in the 24th-minute and Thomas took advantage of some more fragile defending before top-scorer Bent was sent clear to make it 3-0 before the break.

Thomas swept home the fourth ten minutes from time and the hosts were twice denied by the woodwork as well in a terrific display.

Even in the wildest dreams of the spectators in attendance this surely would not have been the scenario of the afternoon.

The return of a legend against a club he bossed 729 times turned into a nightmare with West Ham unable to end their winless run in SE7 in the Premiership.

The trend was set as early as the fifth-minute as Paul Konchesky was booked for a needless challenge on Ambrose well away from danger.

From then on it was the hosts who were in command of proceedings and they were superior in each and every department.

Konchesky, roundly booed throughout, would have an afternoon to forget in the visitors' rearguard while only Carlos Tevez carried any real threat.

The hosts, meanwhile, were sturdy at the back with Alexandre Song enjoying another fine game just in front.

But really it was a fine team display.

This was vintage Charlton, with crisp passing, strong tackling and clinical finishing - a lethal combination.

Ambrose, influential throughout, started and finished a move that saw him volley home and then Thomas capitalised on the oceans of space - that was available throughout the afternoon - to double the lead.

Substitute Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink then threaded a fine pass through the backline for skipper Bent to score on his return from injury and after Hasselbaink hit the post, Thomas wrapped things up near the end, with Zheng Zhi denied a late fifth by the bar.

On this evidence Charlton will win their fight to stay in the Premiership - Sheffield United's 4-0 thumping at Liverpool was further music to their ears - a place that Curbishley ensured they remained staples in the last seven seasons of his reign.

Now, after taking the call from the Upton Park powerbrokers, Curbishley seems set to take the Hammers out of the promised land while his predecessor enjoys another term at the top flight's top table.

The irony is there for all to see, yet the unbelievable script that has involved these two clubs this season seems likely to unfold that way.

In terms of team news Charlton welcomed back their two England internationals for the intriguing London derby.

Striker Darren Bent skippered the side after recovering from a knee injury while right-back Young made his first appearance under Pardew after injuring his ankle on December 16th.

Much has happened since that day against Liverpool and the afternoon was sure to be an emotional one for both managers.

Pardew took charge against the team he parted company with late last year while, of course, Curbishley headed back to The Valley for the first time since ending his 15-year tenure in the summer.

With two key men back in the fold, youngster Osei Sankofa made way at the back, while a reversion to a 4-4-2 formation saw Marcus Bent retained up front alongside his namesake and Thomas preferred to Dennis Rommedahl.

That meant Darren Ambrose started on the right while there was no place in midfield for Amady Faye with Matt Holland partnered by Alexandre Song, who made his Valley debut against a club for whom his uncle Rigobert used to play.

Talal El Karkouri was back at the heart of defence following a one game ban and with Hermann Hreidarsson and Madjid Bougherra injured, Souleymane Diawara was his partner.

Two ex-Addicks started for the Hammers with Konchesky operating at left-back and Carlton Cole picked up front alongside Argentinean ace Carlos Tevez. Shaun Newton was on the bench.

Nigel Reo-Coker and another former Charlton man, Jonathan Spector, were suspended and £6m centre-back Matthew Upson injured, while Matt Etherington started on the left of midfield with Luis Boa Morte not in the squad.

Under Curbishley Charlton were unbeaten against the Hammers in the Premiership so it was ironic that the man with 729 games in charge of the Addicks behind him was planning to end that run.

A pre-match opera tenor helped create a raucous atmosphere inside the ground and the home fans were in fine voice from the opening whistle.

Enterprising play from Darren Bent set up an early opening for Marcus Bent inside the first two minutes and the striker's speculative effort flew wide.

Then Ambrose got away from Konchesky on the right and his cross was cut out by Calum Davenport with Darren Bent lurking behind him.

Konchesky, roundly booed from the opening whistle, picked up a yellow card in the fifth minute after ploughing straight through Ambrose.

Ambrose was then tripped on the other side two minutes later but El Karkouri, back in the side after suspension, scuffed his free-kick well wide.

The hosts had certainly made the better start and Hammers right-back Christian Dailly was left stranded upfield as another chance went the Addicks' way.

The experienced right-back was caught protesting about a throw-on and Ben Thatcher quickly sent Thomas into the space on the left.

His pass eventually picked out the lively Ambrose and the midfielder jinked in to the box and engineered a shooting chance only to see his effort blocked behind by a defender.

Marcus Bent headed the corner high and wide on the stretch while Ambrose found himself in the wars again as another harsh challenge from Nigel Quashie sent him tumbling.

With 15 minutes on the clock Quashie became the second Hammer in referee Rob Styles' notebook.

The visitors offered a threat for the first time midway through the half and it fell to Konchesky to drive the ball across goal.

Thankfully there were no navy shirts in the middle while the ball flashed just past the swinging leg of Diawara in the middle.

Charlton responded in the best way possible - by going up the other end to seize a vital advantage in the 24th minute.

Ambrose had looked the man most likely all afternoon so it came as no surprise that he was the man on target.

He started the move too, finding Thomas on the right and then advancing into the middle.

By this time Thomas had found Marcus Bent on the right and no defenders had tracked the run of Ambrose allowing the midfielder to volley home the perfect cross.

It was a superb goal, and deserved on the balance of play, and West Ham's frustrations showed moments later as Etherington and Young squared up after the Hammers winger shoved the defender away.

West Ham were all at sea at the back again soon afterwards as a rapidfire break from the hosts saw a four-on-three advantage.

Thomas picked out Daren Bent on the left but his cross eluded Marcus Bent and Ambrose as the hosts failed to cash in.

By this Marcus Bent had picked up a knock and the hosts were readying Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink as the lead was doubled on 34 minutes.

Thomas was the profiteer this time, collecting the ball on the left and speeding clear before jinking away from Davenport and firing a shot across Robert Green and into the bottom corner.

Scott Carson, largely a spectator in the opening period, was called into action three minutes later, launching himself in mid-air to turn a terrific drive from Quashie away.

El Karkouri's foul on Tevez earned him a booking moments later and things got even better for the hosts in the 41st-minute as their talisman marked his return with a goal.

Hasselbaink was the creator, slicing open the visiting defence with a fine slide rule pass and there was never any doubt about the outcome as Darren Bent raced clear and slipped a shot past the hopelessly exposed Green for 3-0.

"You're not fit to wear the shirt,” sung the angry away fans as the other three sides of the ground rejoiced.

Song was booked for a foul on Hayden Mullins, Styles indicating persistent fouling as his decision, and Tevez's free-kick flew just over in the last action of the half.

Curbishley made a change at the break, sending on Marlon Harewood for Etherington but it was the hosts who went close to a fourth in the 53rd-minute.

Dailly was caught in possession and the ball was eventually shifted on to Hasselbaink whose curling effort beat Green but came back off the right post.

Diawara was booked for a clattering challenge on Yossi Benayoun a minute later and another Tevez free-kick was expertly flipped over the bar by Carson

Davenport's header from a Benayoun cross was saved by Carson while Cole was quickly replaced by Spaniard Kepa Blanco.

Hasselbaink cut in from the left and sent a drive skidding past the far post while at the other end Carson did well to foil Harewood after the substitute had made good inroads on the right.

Then Quashie's pass to Harewood, with the striker clean through on goal, was too strong and Carson dashed off his line to smother.

Holland volleyed narrowly wide in the 66th minute with Green scrambling across while Blanco drew loud jeers from the home fans after scuffing an effort horribly wide.

Newton replaced Mullins in the 72nd minute while the tireless Tevez, at times seemingly ploughing a lone furrow for the visitors, jinked into the box but saw his effort fall nicely for a defender. It was that type of day.

The towering Davenport's header was saved by Carson ten minutes from time - and the Addicks broke clear to rub further salt in the wounds by adding a fourth.

With the visitors still upfield at the corner, Ambrose was released on the right and he had all the time in the world to cross for Thomas, who had surged in from the right, to sweep home emphatically.

Darren Bent made way for Zheng Zhi eight minutes from time, the striker receiving a huge ovation with his replacement making his Valley debut.

Faye then replaced the effective Song on 85 minutes and Hasselbaink wriggled clear of two defenders before crashing an angled drive well over the bar.

Young, who enjoyed a fine return to action, did well to stick out a boot and keep out a goalbound shot from Quashie at the death.

There was still time for an effort from Zhi, to be tipped on to the bar but four was plenty for the hosts who are really rolling now in their battle to beat the drop.

A four goal gain on their goal difference also could come in very handy in the long run.

Bring on Watford.....

Charlton: Carson; Young, Thatcher, El Karkouri, Diawara; Ambrose, Holland, Song (Faye 85), Thomas; M Bent (Hasselbaink 35), D Bent (Zheng 82).

Subs (not used): Randolph, Faye, Zheng, Rommedahl.

Goals: Ambrose 24, Thomas 34, 80, D Bent 41.

Booked: El Karkouri 37 (foul on Tevez), Song 42 (foul on Mullins/persistent fouling), Diawara 54 (foul on Benayoun).

West Ham: Green; Dailly, Konchesky, Ferdinand, Davenport; Benayoun, Mullins (Newton 72), Quashie, Etherington (Harewood 46); Tevez, Cole (Blanco 59).

Subs (not used): Walker, Pantsil.

Booked: Konchesky 5 (foul on Ambrose), Quashie 15 (foul on Ambrose).

Referee: R Styles.

Attendance: 27,111.

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