Charlton 2 Everton 0

MANAGER Alan Curbishley has played down hopes that Charlton could qualify for Europe after Tuesday's 2-0 home defeat of high fliers Everton earned the club a fourth win in five games.

The win leaves the Addicks in seventh place in the Barclays Premier League, four points behind fifth placed Middlesbrough.

"If we can finish in the top ten, which is my aim, then I'll be happy," he said. "If we can do that it will be a fantastic result for us because when you look at that top four - and I'm looking at Middlesbrough, Tottenham and Villa - clubs that are bigger and spent a lot."

Curbishley described his team's first half performance against Everton as "lethargic" but was more than satisfied when they upped the tempo after the break to win with late goals from defenders Talal El Kharkouri and Hermann Hreidarsson.

"I don't know whether our first half performance had anything to do with it being our second game in three days but we were lethargic. But you cannot take anything away from the fact that Everton have enjoyed a fantastic first half to the season.

"Both teams play in the same shape, which is difficult to break down, hence the fact that they have done so well and we have turned ourselves around in the last six or seven games.

"It was always going to be a hard fought game because Everton have achieved some terrific results on the road. However, I felt that whoever scored first would win, and that's how it turned out.

"It was a great performance by us and the players have, in the last two months, done so well for the club which means we can end the year on a high."

El Karkouri broke the deadlock in the 82nd minute when he headed home a gem of a cross from substitute Paul Konchesky. Hreidarsson, who had been on the end of a Duncan Ferguson elbow in the face in the 84th - for which the Everton substitute was sent off _- enjoyed a hearty last laugh when he added a second with a low drive that beat substitute goalkeeper Richard Wright on his near post five minutes from the end.