Aston Villa strengthened their challenge for the Premiership with a win at the Valley which takes them back to the top of the table, and three points clear.

"Charlton bit themselves in the opening three minutes" (BBC News 24)

Charlton made them work hard for the victory, but not before handing the lead to the Midlanders.

Richard Rufus' third-minute own goal was such a gift it should have been wrapped up and placed underneath Villa manager John Gregory's Christmas tree.

Dion Dublin (left) defended as much as attacked

The defensive howler came despite manager Alan Curbishley's pre-match plea to Charlton to cut out the silly mistakes that are seeing his side tumble towards the relegation zone.

They have now lost five games in a row following their impressive start to life in the top flight.

Gregory decided to be brave and stay with the formation which scored three times against Arsenal last week rather than the one that conceded twice.

Alan Green: "Villa were never in serious trouble" (BBC Radio 5 Live)

That meant 4-3-3 with Stan Collymore playing alongside Julian Joachim and Dion Dublin, and a rest young centre back Gareth Barry.

Charlton brought back former Villa defender Carl Tiler as they tried to reverse a run of four straight defeats.

Rufus wraps his present

It could not have started any worse for the home side, as a hopeful ball was played into the Charlton box.

Richard Rufus scores an own goal (BBC Radio 5 Live)

Dublin ran onto it and played it across the goal, only for Rufus to divert it past goalkeeper Sasa Ilic.

Villa might have lost their lead just two minutes later when Steve Jones was allowed to run behind Villa centre backs Gareth Southgate and Ugo Ehiogu.

He fell across Southgate just inside the box but referee Steve Dunn said there had been no contact despite appeals for a penalty.

Villa's three-man attack combined well on the quarter-hour mark - Joachim's run down the left was followed by a Dublin lay-off and a fierce Collymore shot blocked on the edge of the area.

Charlton's John Robinson breaks through

John Robinson was then allowed to shoot from long range at the other end but his effort went wide.

Jones did put the ball in the net before half-time but he had beaten Villa keeper Michael Oakes basketball-style and he was booked for the handball.

His strike partner Andy Hunt then had a good chance in the 41st minute, but put his header over the bar.

And Dublin almost ended the half by extending Villa's lead with a spectacular overhead effort cleared off the line by Mark Kinsella.

Panto game follows gift-wrapped goal

The start of the second half was delayed because of an injury to referee Dunn, and the lack of another referee to stand in for Dunn's replacement, fourth official Gary Willard.

Referee Steve Dunn: Hamstring injury

The pantomime game of hunt the referee via the Valley public address system was a fitting encore to Rufus' early present, but a referee was eventually found to stand in.

This was the second successive time that Villa had been given an extended half-time break following an accident involving an RAF parachutist eight days previously.

The match finally got underway after 25 minutes, and Charlton immediately stepped up the pressure.

There were a number of scrambles in the Villa penalty box, with a fantastic Oakes save denying the home side, before Alan Wright headed off the line.

On 54 minutes, John Gregory decided to revert to his more familiar 5-3-2 formation, bringing forgotten Villa man Riccardo Scimeca on for Collymore as Villa tried to stem Charlton's repeated attacks.

Steve Watson holds off John Robinson

The pattern of the game was clear - Charlton pressure, with the occasional counter-attack from the away side.

But when Curbishley decided to throw a third striker on Villa became the more dominant side, with the home side's midfield weakened despite Clive Mendonca's presence up front.

Joachim's pace was unsettling Charlton, and he did put the ball in the net, only to be wrongly denied by a linesman's flag.

Ehiogu was also prevented from scoring from a corner by a sharp save from Ilic, but Villa were soon on the back foot again.

John Gregory: "We just had to dig in really" (BBC Radio 5 Live)

In the 79th minute it was Oakes' turn to impress with a terrific save from a Neil Redfearn free kick, and the woodwork was again struck from the resulting corner.

More often than not Charlton's attacks were repelled by Dublin, the striker effectively acting as a fourth central defender with Joachim left alone upfield.

And the nervous Villa fans would have appreciated a two-goal cushion as Charlton threatened to the death and ended the match with a final corner four minutes into injury time.

But the away side's defence held firm to ensure their supporters enjoy an extra special festive season looking down on the rest of the top division.

Charlton: Ilic, Mills, Powell, Redfearn, Rufus, Newton, Kinsella, Hunt, Robinson, S. Jones, Tiler. Subs: Mendonca, Brown, K. Jones, Konchesky, Royce.

Aston Villa: Oakes, Wright, Southgate, Ehiogu, Watson, Taylor, Collymore, Thompson, Joachim, Dublin, Hendrie. Subs: Charles, Grayson, Scimeca, Vassell, Rachel.