Ten days after he was jeered by his own supporters, Joey Barton redeemed himself in the best manner possible by lashing home a brilliant match-winner for Manchester City at Eastlands.

It is only two weeks since Barton stunned City officials by slapping in a transfer request, a move that earned a stinging riposte during the recent home win over Newcastle.

But with Barton admitting he may have acted hastily, the ire has disappeared and the Blues fans were chanting his name in glee again when he latched onto Kiki Musampa’s lay-off and sent a brutal 30-yard strike flashing past Charlton keeper Thomas Myhre.

The effort allowed City to hold off a late rally from the visitors after Marcus Bent had pulled them back into a contest which erupted with four goals in 21 thrilling minutes at the start of the second period.

There was little for fans to shout about in the opening 45 minutes. The first half could best be described as cagey, with City supplying most of the sporadic attacking threat.

A trawl through the record books takes you back to April 2005 for the last of Richard Dunne’s three previous strikes for City, but none of the Irishman’s other efforts could have been better hit than the one he rasped home midway through the half.

Barton, beginning an inspirational man-of-the-match performance, was the supplier, swinging over an excellent cross which Hermann Hreidarsson half cleared straight to Dunne, who promptly smashed a volley into the net through a crowded area.

Aside from a curling Musampa free-kick which flew over the area and almost crept in at the far post, Dunne’s effort was about the only thing worth talking about during the opening period.

How things changed after the break though, with four goals in 21 spellbinding minutes, each one a story of its own.

First there was Darren Bent clinically dispatching his 16th goal of the season to enhance his World Cup claims after Talal El Karkouri had found him 12 yards out with a superb defence-splitting pass.

Almost immediately, City regained the initiative through Georgios Samaras, who became the second most expensive player in the club’s history behind Nicolas Anelka when Pearce spent £6 million luring him from Heerenveen last month.

Just 20, the Greek-born youngster still has much to learn and judging by the woeful effort to finish when put clean through by Barton later on, could do with plenty of shooting practice.

But at 6ft 3in, Samaras’s height is an clear advantage and when Barton chipped over an excellent cross, the striker easily outjumped Hreidarsson to nod home his first City goal.

Then came the Barton piledriver which ultimately proved to be the match-winner.

Less than a fortnight after his own impetuosity got the better of him in contract negotiations he felt were not being conducted to his satisfaction, Barton was able to gleefully race to the fans who had jeered him clutching his badge and receiving their acclaim.

It should have been game over for the hosts. Instead, Marcus Bent nodded Charlton back into the contest with a firm header after referee Mike Dean had waved play on instead of awarding City a free-kick for an incident that occurred long before Radostin Kishishev delivered the fateful cross.

Charlton would have snatched a draw had David James not produced a superb low save in stoppage time to deny El Karkouri but City were able to hold on, leaving Barton and Pearce to celebrate.