Chelsea's challenge for the third Champions League place ended with a splutter rather than a bang after capital rivals Charlton pick-pocketed their more illustrious neighbours.

Shaun Bartlett pounced on a mistake by goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini to provide the visitors with a half-time lead. Thereafter they were first to virtually every ball and crunched into every tackle to register a memorable Premiership double.

The home side entered this London derby knowing nothing less than a win was required to keep them in with a chance of a European Cup campaign next season.

Claudio Ranieri's men now lie eight points behind Ipswich, currently in the coveted third spot with just four matches remaining.

The Blues' Italian boss had urged his players to make amends for what he singled out as their worst performance of the season - November's 2-0 defeat at The Valley.

A collection of 15 points from their last six matches had kept them in the hunt and a fifth straight victory against Alan Curbishley's side would have represented their best run for 11 years.

But their challenge for the top three fizzled out against the Addicks and they failed to register a single shot on target following Bartlett's 34th-minute goal.

The visitors' own European hopes were all but ended with their recent reverse at lowly Bradford. But they are set for their highest finish in the top-flight since 1953 when they were fifth.

There were early chances at both ends as the game opened at a frantic pace.

First, Sam dalla Bona marauded through the centre of the visitors' midfield and flashed a left-foot shot just wide of Sasa Ilic's right-hand post.

Then, from Claus Jensen's hanging cross, Bartlett nodded down only for Scott Parker to miskick on the edge of the box.

Ilic was forced into the first save of the match in the 13th minute, parrying Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink's free-kick following Parker's foul on Gustavo Poyet and the Charlton defence clearing.

Charlton's central midfield duo of captain Mark Kinsella and Parker kept close tabs on dalla Bona and Dennis Wise and Chelsea's main outlet focused on the aerial ability of Hasselbaink.

Parker pinched and pilfered in the middle and was clearly upsetting his more illustrious opponents. Poyet showing his frustration with a swipe at the youngster after he was dispossessed.

The hosts had further reason to be annoyed in the 34th minute, however, with a splendidly-created opener, aided by Cudicini's assist.

Bartlett's crossfield ball found Kinsella wide on the right and the Irishman cleverly fed Jensen, who unleashed a 25-yard drive that Italian stopper Cudicini spilled.

It ran for Bartlett, having made up half the length of the field, and the South African striker gleefully sidefooted into the roof of the net from six yards for his seventh goal since arriving on loan from FC Zurich and his first away from The Valley.

Bartlett was inches away from doubling the lead on the stroke of half-time, volleying Jensen's flashing centre over the crossbar.

Chelsea's players were sent out early for the second period and Gianfranco Zola - a peripheral figure in the opening 45 minutes - and 20-goal top scorer Hasselbaink were conspicuous by their absence.

Ranieri surprisingly plumped for a new front pairing of Eidur Gudjohnsen and Jesper Gronkjaer.

Danish international Gronkjaer provided the Blues with a fresh attacking option. His pace caused the Charlton defence problems with Mark Fish not returning after the break.

The tension of the contest was evident just short of the hour mark when Wise and Parker tussled and referee Mike Dean administered a stern dressing down to the pair.

Chelsea continued to run into blind alleys as last year's First Division champions battled valiantly.

It was not until midway through the second period that Chelsea mustered their first effort of note, and that came from long range.

Graeme Le Saux fashioned the chance himself, clipping the ball over Parker and volleying the wrong side of an upright from 25 yards.

Man-of-the-match Parker then highlighted his contribution to the cause by tracking back from one area to the other to block Mario Stanic's shot on the break.

The England Under-21 midfielder had run himself into the ground and Curbishley afforded him a rest for the last 10 minutes, replacing him with former Chelsea player Graham Stuart, Parker getting a standing ovation from the visiting fans for his efforts.

Teams

Chelsea: Cudicini, Melchiot, Desailly, Terry, Le Saux, Poyet, Wise, Dalla Bona, Stanic, Zola (Gronkjaer 45), Hasselbaink (Gudjohnsen 45).

Subs Not Used: de Goey, Babayaro, Jokanovic.

Booked: Hasselbaink, Poyet, Wise.

Charlton: Ilic, Konchesky, Rufus, Fish (Brown 45), Todd, Kinsella, Parker (Stuart 80), Jensen, Johansson, Robinson (Kishishev 78), Bartlett.

Subs Not Used: Caig, Svensson.

Goals: Bartlett 35.

Att: 34,983

Ref: M Dean (The Wirral).