Hammers humilated in The Valley

Charlton 4 West Ham 0:Alan Curbishley's return to The Valley turned into a nightmare as his West Ham team were humiliated by his old Charlton charges in their Barclays Premiership relegation clash.

Jerome Thomas, with his first two goals of the season, led the rampage but Darren Ambrose made the vital breakthrough and it was Darren Bent — back after seven matches out — who put put the game beyond the Hammers.

Bent tore the visitors apart with his vibrant running and the result condemned them to a fifth defeat in a row.

Charlton kept up the pressure after a flying start in which Addicks old boy Paul Konchesky, making a rare start under Curbishley, and Nigel Quashie were both booked for challenges on Ambrose.

But the winger had his revenge with a thumping finish to Marcus Bent's right-wing cross on 23 minutes and after that it just got better and better for Athletic.

Just when West Ham began to look a little more promising, with Argentinian Tevez and Israeli Yossi Benayoun both waiting unmarked for a Matt Etherington cross and Thomas needing to race back to cut out the danger, they fell apart.

A lightning break by Thomas caught them desperately short of cover on their right flank and the former Arsenal winger just kept going before firing his drive beyond Robert Green.

That was in the 34th minute and although Charlton lost Marcus Bent soon afterwards it was his replacement Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink who played the simple through-pass seven minutes later which again caught Curbishley's men out again.

Darren Bent was on the end of it and his precise low shot was placed perfectly inside the far post to once again confound the helpless Green.

In between the second and third goals the Hammers had a chance to mount a fightback when Charlton keeper Scott Carson spectacularly kept out Quashie's thunderbolt from 20 yards but it was clear afterwards that only a complete breakdown in Charlton's discipline would let them back into the game.

Curbishley threw on Marlon Harewood and Spaniard Kepa Blanco for Etherington and Carlton Cole in the second half but Hasselbaink nearly added a fourth for Charlton when his 52nd-minute drive came back off a post with Green well beaten.

Harewood forced another good save from the impressive Carson despite a challenge on him from Souleymane Diawara, whose boot appeared to catch the West Ham man on the head as they both fell.

Harewood rounded on the Senegal defender but referee Rob Styles, who had also booked Charlton's Song and Talal El Karkouri for routine fouls, decided on diplomacy and ushered the West Ham man away.

Tevez worked tirelessly and had Carson tipping his curving of free-kick over the bar, but the little South American received little support even though West Ham were much improved after the break.

Darren Bent was given a standing ovation when he came off just before the end to be replaced by Zhi Zheng.

That was just before Thomas cracked home his second of the match to wrap it up with nine minutes to go, another fine finish from Matt Holland's pass.