Line-up:
Chris Powell starts, Spector drops to the bench. Chris Perry returns and starts as El Karkouri drops out the 16. Jay Bothroyd starts with Bent cup-tied. Matt Holland returns among the substitutes. Shaun Bartlett takes Euell’s place on the bench.Rob Hughes: As early as the third minute Charlton’s supremacy was evident. We waited for Brentford to show the underdog spirit but they had so little to bite on. It was simply a matter of time before Charlton effectively sealed the outcome. Midway through the second half, Myhre rose to palm a free kick from Jay Tabb over his crossbar. Still the message failed to frighten Charlton into a positive response. The Bees did not remotely possess a sting. Seven minutes from the end Brentford scored, proving that they did indeed have a sting in the tail. However, there was no time for a dramatic revival. THE SUNDAY TIMES
Paul Smith: Only three minutes had elapsed when the Addicks breached the visitors' defence. Brentford's fate looked ominous as Charlton continued to drive forward looking to extend their early lead. Bent looked increasingly likely to add to his 17-goal tally as panic ensued in the visitors' defence every time the ball arrived at his feet. Charlton were never in danger of failing to reach the last eight. To their credit though, and having weathered home pressure, the League One side began to come into the game. Breaching a well marshalled Charlton defence, though, was another matter and Thomas Myhre was never in danger of conceding until Darren Pratley's cross was eventually headed wide of goal by Lloyd Owusu with 11 minutes of the half remaining. Charlton closed the half as they began – with a goal. Despite their cushion Charlton were forced to soak up some early second-half pressure. But 62 minutes in Charlton struck again, albeit against the run of play. The scoreline could have been even more emphatic with 12 minutes remaining but Jerome Thomas's shot took a deflection and slipped past the post. Brentford got their consolation goal with seven minutes of the tie remaining. But it was too late to make a difference. SUNDAY MIRROR
Clive White: An ideal start as far as Charlton were concerned, scoring so quickly, but it was a bit of a downer as far as the fixture was concerned. It enabled them to tread more confidently. Plenty of strikers would have failed to put away Bent’s opener as clinically as he did. Any ideas that it would give Charlton the encouragement to go on and ride roughshod over Brentford were soon dispelled. With both sides closing down efficiently, there were few chances at either end of the field. Brentford looked as if they might offer a threat at set pieces, but defender Hermann Hreidarsson and company stood firm. Brentford's only chance in the opening half and a half-chance at that came when Darren Pratley found Lloyd Owusu in an interesting position, but the striker snatched it with a header when he might have been better advised to bring the ball down. The Bees were far too well organised and self-confident a side to be taken apart by a team as creatively lacking as Charlton and the goal remained the Addicks' only shot at goal until the last minute of the half, when they really did kill off the game. It was not until the 53rd minute that Brentford had a shot at goal and then Thomas Myhre comfortably turned away a shot from Owusu. To their credit, they never gave up, but after 62 minutes they might just as well have done. Brentford's persistence eventually gained a reward when, with seven minutes remaining, the ball broke in the penalty area to substitute Isaiah Rankin, although he still had to turn on it to fire the ball home. Charlton will be relieved they left it so late. Not that Brentford played that badly they went out with a whimper. The scoreline flattered Charlton. THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
Amy Lawrence: It was pleasant viewing for Alan Curbishley as well as an afternoon without tension. Charlton were thoroughly professional in what amounted to a training exercise. Brentford weren't sharp enough to avoid a hammer blow of a start, as Charlton whizzed into the lead before Brentford could familiarise themselves with their Premiership surroundings. Brentford threw themselves around whenever they were in the vicinity of the box, but generally struggled for attacking penetration, and it was hard work up front. Throughout the first half, Herman Hreidarsson and Chris Perry were able to mop up comfortably. Charlton's goalkeeper, Thomas Myhre, was little more than a sweeper. Charlton looked a yard faster all over the pitch. It was patently difficult for Brentford to respond. At the start of the second half there was a noticeable improvement by Brentford: more aggression, appetite and even a thundering shot to call Myrhe into action for the first time. That was extended when Isiah Rankin's crack was blocked. After Rankin did give Brentford a memento they could have had another when Sam Sodje's header hit the post in stoppage time. THE OBSERVER
Jason Burt: Brentford were not exactly cannon fodder in some footballing ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ but they did bravely carry the fight throughout a committed contest with little prospect of real reward. They were also undone by a Russian - Alexei Smertin was the man of the match, controlling the lively midfield battles. Martin Allen asked his players at half-time if they were going to sit back and hope and wait, lay down and try and get out without getting spanked, or collectively get at them. It was the latter, of course, and it ended in glorious failure as they were undone by their own mistakes. Once Darren Bent had scored after just three minutes - the outcome appeared inevitable. The striker had latched on to Radostin Kishishev's hook forward, taking advantage of the ponderous defending of Michael Turner. Jay Bothroyd was involved in a long-running tussle with Sam Sodje, which threatened to overshadow proceedings. Although Allen's side pushed on they provided little real threat - a header by Lloyd Owusu, which drifted wide was the best of those. After the third goal went in, to their undying credit, Brentford attacked. The substitutes Ryan Peters and Isaiah Rankin wasted chances before Rankin scored off a scramble in the area. It offered hope and still Brentford attacked. Charlton deserved to progress. Yet Brentford were magnificent in defeat. THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY