Camara has cause for double celebration

Wigan 3 Charlton 2: Henri Camara celebrated the overnight arrival of his new baby son by firing
Wigan towards their fourth successive Premiership victory over rock-bottom Charlton at the JJB Stadium.

Camara - whose partner gave birth in a Paris hospital on Friday night - crashed a superb 41st-minute strike past Scott Carson as the home side made the most of wild and windswept conditions.

The Senegal star latched onto the end of a huge goal-kick from Chris Kirkland, who also produced the boot upfield which had led to Lee McCulloch's 13th-minute opener for the home side.

Despite Darren Bent's seventh league goal of the season, Iain Dowie's men could not make the second half conditions work in their favour and substitute Matt Jackson completed the home side's win.

Mistakes had always been likely to contribute to the outcome of a game which started in swirling conditions and was joined by driving rain after the half-time break.

Bent immediately served notice of his intentions by latching onto Andy Reid's long ball to the right flank and tearing into the box, where his run was ended by Andrew Webster's challenge.

And Addicks captain Luke Young prevented the visitors going a goal behind in the ninth minute when he bundled McCulloch's sweeping right-foot effort off the line in a crowded box.

But McCulloch was first to take advantage of the windy conditions, after Kirkland's huge goal-kick had sailed over the heads of the Charlton defenders.

McCulloch nipped in behind Souleymane Diawara on the edge of the box before poking a strong right-foot effort to the left of Carson and into the bottom corner of the net.

Bent continued to look dangerous in an inevitably scrappy encounter, and surged down the right flank again on the half-hour before setting up Jerome Thomas who blazed over the bar.

Robert Scharner was the first man in referee Dermot Gallagher's book in the 35th minute for hauling down Reid in a challenge which left the Charlton main requiring treatment for an apparent eye injury.

Reid dusted himself down and his 39th minute free-kick caused problems as it wriggled through the home defence and hit Hermann Hreidarsson, who chested the ball straight at a relieved Kirkland.

Camara put Wigan further in front after another long goal-kick from Kirkland in the 41st minute, latching on just inside the box to fire a superb effort over Carson and into the net.

Dowie was left with little alternative but to introduce Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink at half-time and with the weather now in his side's favour the visitors hit back.

Under pressure from Bent, Webster made a hash of an attempted pass back and allowed the England man to nip in and coolly slide his seventh Premiership goal of the season past Kirkland.

Five minutes later Bent should have equalised when Webster slipped up again and the Charlton man burst clear in the penalty box - only to clatter his eventual shot straight at Kirkland.

As the tempo continued to increase Scharner's 59th-minute cross caused havoc in the visitors' box and Young's dangerous back-header was gathered low on the line by Carson.

Charlton still seemed likeliest to get back on level terms with each long ball towards the Wigan box forcing the home defenders to work overtime as the conditions worsened.

Jewell threw on Matt Jackson in the 75th minute to shore up his side's rearguard - but three minutes later Jackson popped up at the other end to head home Antonio Valencia's free-kick and seal the points for Wigan.

Marcus Bent slotted home Charlton's second in injury-time - but it was to prove the final act of an entertaining match which left Jewell's men still riding high.