West Bromwich Albion 4 Charlton Athletic 2

Last updated : 15 December 2007 By Footymad Previewer
Two-goal Zoltan Gera helped fire West Bromwich Albion to their first win at The Hawthorns in four games as promotion rivals Charlton saw their amazing run on the road come to an end.

Two second-half headers from Gera proved to be the key as Charlton suffered their first defeat on the road after collecting four successive away wins without conceding a goal.

Tony Mowbray's side had to do it the hard way as Chris Iwelumo gave Alan Pardew's team a 36th minute lead.

But Roman Bednar, with his fifth goal in five games, and Gera fired Albion in front only for Izale McLeod's first Championship goal to drag Charlton back on level terms.

Gera was not to be denied however and his second goal put Albion in command before substitute Kevin Phillips marked his return from a six-game absence with a knee injury by helping himself to his 11th of the season.

Charlton were fortunate not to be trailing before Iwelumo struck against the of play.

Bednar should really have given Albion the lead in the 15th minute only to slam a cross from Zoltan Gera off the post from six yards.

Chris Brunt then fired just wide from 20 yards in the 29th minute before Chris Powell cleared Bostjan Cesar's close-range drive off the line and then Jose Semedo blocked Pele's goalbound drive.

Charlton took full advantage of that triple let-off when Jerome Thomas beat Albion right-back Jared Hodgkiss and crossed for Iwelumo who nodded home from six yards.

But Charlton were unable to hold on to their advantage for long and Albion were back on level terms just seven minutes later.

Bednar started and finished the move. He exchanged passes with Gera and raced into the area before firing past Nicky Weaver from eight yards.

Hungarian international Gera then capped an impressive all-round display by heading Albion into a 50th minute lead.

He steered the ball home from six yards following a left-wing centre from Brunt - just as he had done when he scored at Leicester City in Albion's previous game.

Weaver denied Gera a second goal just 60 seconds later with an acrobatic save low to his right.

While Albion were in the ascendancy, Charlton were still a danger on the break and they should really have restored parity in the 58th minute.

Darren Ambrose only had Luke Steele to beat from close range after Powell's cross but his shot lacked any real power.

Unmarked substitute Luke Varney then wasted a golden chance to equalise with his first touch - wastefully volleying over the bar from Madjid Bougherra's free-kick in the 66th minute.

But McLeod was not as wasteful as his team-mates and made a spell of Charlton pressure pay-off when he coolly slotted home a left-wing centre from Varney.

The shock of being dragged back on level terms fired Albion back into gear and they were grateful to the Brunt-Gera partnership to fire them to victory.

Once again Brunt delivered from the left wing and Gera rose at the far post to secure a priceless three points.

Any hopes Charlton had of launching another comeback were then snuffed out by Phillips.

He stabbed home from just three yards after Paul Robinson had turned Jonathan Greening's corner goalwards.