Premiership & FA Cup:  First-half goals from Darren Bent and Luke Young proved enough to give Charlton a 2-0 Premiership win over out-of-form Liverpool while in the FA Cup, Chelsea hammered Everton and Middlesbrough did just enough to edge past Coventry.

At The Valley, Bent went down under what looked minimal contact from keeper Jerzy Dudek, and got up to slot home the resulting penalty himself on 42 minutes, the goal coming against the run of play.

In first-half stoppage time, Young doubled his side’s lead and despite plenty of effort from the visitors, it was not enough to prevent a third straight away defeat in the Barclays Premiership.

Chelsea cruised into the fifth round of the FA Cup with a first-half demolition of Everton in their replay at Stamford Bridge.

Goals from Arjen Robben, a Frank Lampard penalty and another from Hernan Crespo killed Everton’s interest in the competition and earned Chelsea a fifth-round tie against Coca-Cola League One leaders Colchester.

The Merseysiders pulled one back from the spot when Robert Huth handled in the 72nd minute but two minutes later Chelsea captain John Terry restored the three-goal margin with a thumping shot from eight yards.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink fired troubled Middlesbrough into the fifth round as one of Steve McClaren’s senior players answered his call to stand up and be counted against Coventry.

The 33-year-old Dutchman expertly converted strike-partner Aiyegbeni Yakubu’s 20th-minute through-ball to book Boro a trip to Preston next weekend.

However, while Boro dominated before the break, Coca-Cola Championship Coventry staged a second-half revival and the Teessiders were forced to defend for their lives to avoid further embarrassment in the fourth-round replay.