Everton moved into fifth place in the Premiership - and within touching distance of Europe - thanks to James McFadden's first goal for the club since December.

But it left relegation-haunted Charlton in despair, after the Londoners thought they had claimed a priceless point with a fine Darren Bent goal in the final minute of normal time.

The strike had left manager Alan Pardew leaping around on the touchline, but he came crashing down to earth when McFadden lashed home deep into four minutes of injury time.

McFadden has been out with a broken metatarsal, and this was his first game back, coming on in the second half for the ineffective James Beattie.

Now only his goal of the season has put Everton in with a great chance of reaching the UEFA Cup.

For Charlton there is only more pain, having squandered a succession of chances before Joleon Lescott put Everton ahead with nine minutes to go.

There was still time for Bent's equaliser and then Everton's dramatic winner, sending Charlton closer to the drop.

Wigan's home draw with Tottenham earlier in the day at least gave Charlton some incentive ahead of a game crucial to both clubs at Goodison Park.

But apart from a powerful run from Zheng Zhi, Bent was left to lead the line largely on his own as Everton dominated the opening spell.

Andrew Johnson was sharp and a constant threat to the back line, and early on he was clear after a mistake by Souleymane Diawara. But as he got to the box a poor touch took him wide, and Talal El Karkouri got back to smother the danger.

Lee Carsley went close from 20 yards and a Ben Thatcher tackle stopped Johnson in his tracks again.

Everton's pressure was mounting, and Beattie - back in the side with teenagers Victor Anichebe and James Vaughan both injured - was unfortunate not to score in a period of sustained pressure.

He headed narrowly wide following fine crosses by Lescott and Mikel Arteta, and then failed by inches to reach a Leon Osman chip following a clever free-kick routine.

Everton kept up the attack and twice Osman made poor choices when in good positions, first miskicking a low cross and then shooting wide when Beattie was unmarked alongside him.

Charlton were content to continue with their deep defence in the hope of using Bent's strength and pace to catch Everton on the break.

And it almost worked on 57 minutes when Zheng Zhi slipped a pass into the striker's path, and only the quick attention of Lescott forced a hurried shot. The ball, though, rolled agonisingly wide of the far post.

Arteta had seen a shot blocked, but the slowness of Beattie

was annoying the Goodison faithful, and eventually David Moyes. The manager hauled off the former England striker, sending on McFadden on 58 minutes.

Alan Stubbs came off with a muscle injury to be replaced by Gary Naysmith, allowing Lescott to revert to centre-back.

Charlton, who had brought on the more attack-minded Matt Holland for Amdy Faye, were by now beginning to believe they could get something from the match. Bent again got away, only for Tony Hibbert to chase back and get in a telling tackle.

Then Zheng Zhi scorned a far-post tap-in after Bent had flicked on a corner. The forward crashed a dipping drive just over before Bent got away again to fire a cross-shot inches wide of the far post.

Everton's progress had been painful to watch, there was no snap or guile about their play and Arteta was having little impact.

But after 81 minutes, following Thatcher giving away a needless corner, Everton stole in front. Arteta's cross was nodded out to McFadden, who hit a rising shot that Johnson diverted goalwards.

Scott Carson made a fine point-blank save, but Lescott was there to crash home the rebound.

Charlton threw on Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Madjid Bougherra, the latter instantly booked for a foul on Arteta, in a desperate attempt to salvage something.

Arteta was helped off, clearly dazed.

Charlton kept going forward and were finally rewarded in the 90th minute. And it was Bent who got the goal that had Pardew leaping around in delight.

Everton failed to clear and when the ball came back into the box for Bent, he took it wide of two defenders before lashing it past Tim Howard into the far corner.

That should have been it. But in the second minute of four added on, McFadden claimed a loose ball on the edge of the box and unleashed a fierce drive that flew past Carson.

Teams

Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Yobo, Stubbs (Naysmith 61), Lescott, Osman, Carsley, Neville, Arteta (Anderson 88), Johnson, Beattie (McFadden 58).

Subs Not Used: Wright, Van der Meyde.

Goals: Lescott 81, McFadden 90.

Charlton: Carson, Young, El Karkouri, Diawara, Thatcher (Bougherra 83), Ambrose, Song Billong, Faye (Holland 55), Hughes (Hasselbaink 83), Zheng, Darren Bent.

Subs Not Used: Randolph, Rommedahl.

Booked: Thatcher, Bougherra, Hasselbaink.

Goals: Darren Bent 89.

Att: 34,028

Ref: M Halsey (Lancashire).