Goals in each half from Shaun Bartlett and Darren Bent were enough for Charlton to see off the challenge of West Ham and earn a much-needed victory at The Valley.

The Addicks had managed only one win in the last eight Barclays Premiership games before this lunchtime encounter, but worked hard to secure these three points which will, temporarily at least, halt their slide down the table.

West Ham dominated for spells but lacked a clinical finish to their positive approach play.

Despite two successive defeats, there are plenty of reasons for Hammers boss Alan Pardew to go into 2006 with confidence for the task ahead given his side's mid-table position - but with Chelsea next to come at Upton Park on Monday, things may well just get worse before they get better.

It had been a positive start from the visitors, beaten by Wigan at home in midweek.

Charlton defender Jonathan Fortune needed to make a timely sliding block as Shaun Newton shaped to shoot inside the six-yard box after collecting his own flick-on.

There was another moment of alarm in the Charlton area when Matthew Etherington's low centre from the left flew across the six-yard box and goalkeeper Thomas Myhre just managed to palm the ball behind at full stretch, with Jeremie Aliadiere coming in at the far post.

The Hammers were enjoying a good spell and almost took the lead on 14 minutes.

Myhre came to collect a corner but spilled the ball, which Aliadiere knocked back to Nigel Reo-Coker on the edge of the box.

The skipper's shot was goalbound, only for Hermann Hreidarsson to produce a cool block with his thigh and then hack the ball clear.

Charlton then went ahead against the run of play on 21 minutes. The ball was worked out to Bent on the right. He beat Etherington, before whipping a low centre across the penalty area and into the six-yard box.

Bartlett had timed his run to perfection at the far post, smashing in his first goal of the season off the underside of the crossbar.

Recalled Charlton winger Dennis Rommedahl then almost made it 2-0, but Hammers goalkeeper Roy Carroll touched his low 20-yard drive around the post - only for referee Graham Poll to bizarrely award a goal-kick.

The visitors then upped their game. A fine, flowing move involving Etherington and Reo-Coker saw the ball worked out through to the advancing Newton on the right, and it needed a good block from Myhre to deny the former Charlton striker at close range.

Marlon Harewood was then picked out in the area from the right channel. The assistant's flag - correctly - stayed down, but the Hammers striker rushed his attempted bicycle kick and the ball flew wide.

Carroll was called into action again as the home side rallied towards the end of the first half.

The Northern Ireland international made a smart, low save to his right to keep out Rommedahl's volley.

Carroll then produced an instinctive block with his legs to deny Bartlett what seemed a certain goal after more good work by Rommedahl down the right.

From the rebound, Hayden Mullins then threw himself in front of Matt Holland's drive to deny the Addicks again in first-half stoppage time.

Charlton came close to extending their lead four minutes after the restart. Rommedahl was given space to shoot just outside the area and his low drive deflected off the boot of Anton Ferdinand, which took the ball away from Carroll's reach and against the base of his right-hand post.

In the same attack, Holland then drilled an angled effort from the left just wide.

Bartlett slipped Bent ahead of the defence, but the angle, cutting in from the right, proved too much, and the striker drilled his low shot across goal, wide of the far post.

On 63 minutes it was 2-0, Bartlett ran into the left side of the box, before knocking the ball back to Chris Powell.

His looping centre picked out Bent on the penalty spot, and the England squad man leapt above James Collins to power a header into the bottom left corner for his 12th goal of the season.

The final scoreline could have been more flattering for the home side had Carroll not made a point-blank save to keep out Hreidarsson's bullet header from a corner.

Substitute Yossi Benayoun spurned a good chance for the visitors late on, clipping his shot wide after breaking into the box, which just about summed up West Ham's day.

Teams

Charlton Myhre, Young, Fortune, Hreidarsson, Powell, Rommedahl, Kishishev, Holland, Hughes, Bent, Bartlett (Lisbie 76).

Subs Not Used: Perry, Andersen, Ambrose, Spector.

Booked: Hreidarsson.

Goals: Bartlett 21, Bent 63.

West Ham Carroll, Dailly (Benayoun 61), Ferdinand, Collins, Konchesky, Newton, Reo-Coker, Mullins, Etherington, Harewood, Aliadiere (Bellion 74).

Subs Not Used: Fletcher, Clarke, Hislop.

Att: 25,952

Ref: G Poll (Hertfordshire).