Charlton finally gave manager Alan Curbishley what he had asked for as they ended a run of six straight defeats with a clean sheet and victory over struggling Sunderland at The Valley.

Goals from Darren Bent - his 11th of the season - and Darren Ambrose either side of half-time proved enough to clinch a first Barclays Premiership win since the end of October for the Addicks.

However, basement club Sunderland - who have now lost 10 on the spin in all competitions - certainly gave the hosts some moments of concern, and it needed a number of fine saves from veteran Dean Kiely to ensure a first clean sheet since September 10.

Charlton had started well, and almost took the lead inside the opening minute.

Danny Murphy slid the ball through to Bent on the left-side of the box, and it needed a goal-line clearance from Gary Breen to prevent the hosts going ahead.

Ambrose then sent in a low drive just wide of goal after latching on to a long through ball after 11 minutes.

Sunderland looked to hit Charlton on the break, and on 13 minutes, Liam Lawrence's deep free-kick into the Addicks box had to be punched clear by Kiely.

With the visitors now enjoying their best spell, Anthony Le Tallec's lay-off allowed Lawrence the space on the edge of the penalty area to drive in a low strike, which Kiely did well to palm away, down to his right.

The tempo of the match then dropped somewhat, with The Valley faithful starting to become restless as the hosts struggled to break down the Sunderland backline.

On the half hour, Lawrence bundled winger Jerome Thomas over to give Charlton a free-kick in a promising position on the left, some 25 yards out. However, Murphy's delivery into the six-yard box could not pick out a red shirt.

The midfielder soon got another chance to send over a decent cross, which this time was nodded just off target on the right by defender Chris Perry, who had stayed forwards following a corner.

With 10 minutes to go to half-time, Sunderland were awarded a free-kick in a central position, 35 yards from goal.

Dean Whitehead caught his striker well enough, but could not keep the ball from flying high over the crossbar and into the stands.

On 41 minutes, Nyron Nosworthy was cautioned for blocking Thomas as the winger tried to skip clear down the left.

And moments later, Charlton were in front.

Radostin Kishishev won a brave sliding tackle in the middle, with Murphy picking up the loose ball.

He wasted little time in sending an accurate pass inside two defenders for Bent to sprint onto down the left side of the box. The Charlton striker drew the keeper and fired a fine, angled drive into the far corner.

After a bright start to the second half, the home side went 2-0 up on 49 minutes.

Skipper Luke Young burst down the right and cut a pass back to the near post. Sunderland defender Steven Caldwell deflected the ball onto the post, only for possession to break to the Charlton defender.

Again, the ball came back into the six-yard box, but this time Caldwell could only somehow knock it away from his own players and into the path of Ambrose, who scrambled the ball over the line.

Curbishley had warned his side against allowing their focus to slip just after scoring, as they had done in previous weeks.

And they were almost caught again when some lacklustre defending saw the ball break to Julio Arca in the 18-yard box - and it needed a brilliant, one-handed save from Kiely to deny the Argentinian midfielder.

The home side soon settled again, though, and were pressing again as Young and then Ambrose lashed 25-yard strikes just over.

There was another warning for Charlton, however, when substitute Jon Stead created space for himself on the edge of the area and sent a low effort only inches past Kiely's right-hand post.

Kiely had to make another fine reaction block with 23 minutes to go, this time keeping out Justin Hoyte's point-blank effort after he arrived at the back post to connect with Stead's looping cross from the left.

Curbishley sent on Talal El Karkouri, for Thomas, and striker Shaun Bartlett, for Bent, who limped off, to look to ensure the result.

Kiely had the final say, though, with another good save, this time down to his left, to deny Arca's well-struck 18-yard volley - which just about summed up the afternoon for the visitors.

Teams

Charlton Kiely, Young, Perry, Hreidarsson, Powell, Kishishev, Thomas (El Karkouri 73), Murphy, Smertin (Hughes 67), Ambrose, Bent (Bartlett 76).

Subs Not Used: Rommedahl, Myhre.

Goals: Bent 42, Ambrose 49.

Sunderland Davis, Nosworthy (Leadbitter 80), Breen, Caldwell, Hoyte, Lawrence, Whitehead, Bassila, Arca, Le Tallec (Stead 45), Gray.

Subs Not Used: Alnwick, Collins, Woods.

Booked: Nosworthy, Caldwell.

Att: 26,065

Ref: A Wiley (Staffordshire).