Chelsea Ladies 4 Charlton Women 0

Casey Stoney came back to haunt Charlton as she scored Chelsea's fourth goal in a Halloween night rout at Imber Court.

Stoney, along with Eniola Aluko, left the south London side under a cloud in the summer after the relegated men's club dumped the women's side in an attempt to save money.

The England international's strike helped Chelsea to sixth in the Premier league while defeat leaves Charlton rock bottom and searching for their first goal.

The former Charlton players were clearly in an unforgiving mood. Just four minutes in, Stoney almost connected with Aluko's far-post cross.

Jess Smith then blasted over before Danni Buet wriggled past three Charlton defenders only to shoot wide.

Aluko looked to have put the Blues ahead on 11 minutes, but Addicks keeper Becky Musial tipped the goal-bound drive over the bar.

In contrast Siobhan Chamberlain's only concern was keeping warm between the Chelsea posts as the hosts camped in the Charlton half.

The visitors' goal appeared to be a leading a charmed life as chance after chance went begging, but the spell was finally broken when Sian Larkin pounced to fire home a loose ball on 40 minutes.

Charlton had only one strike of any note in a barren first period when skipper Kimberley Dixon's free-kick drifted well wide of Chamberlain's goal.

The second period continued in the same vein. Aluko's pace and skill was a constant thorn in the Addicks' side and when she cut through the Charlton defence, Buet made no mistake from close range.

Chelsea continued to threaten as Smith and Dunia Susi both went close and the only surprise was that it took until 76 minutes for the Blues to put the match beyond doubt.

Latching onto a through ball on the halfway line, Buet's deft flick and blistering pace took her clear of the tiring Charlton defence, and as Musial came out, she chipped the Addick's stopper to net a contender for goal of the season.

Stoney sent a message to the powers-that-be at Charlton when she lifted the ball home following a goal-mouth scramble with seven minutes remaining.

But there was further woe for the Addicks when Natalie Farbrace was carried off with a suspected broken rib before the game could restart.

Aluko almost had the last word at the death when she jinked through but Musial capped a fine performance to deflect the ball wide.

Chelsea: Chamberlain, Larkin (Cooper 45), Perry, Smith, Stoney, Davies, Buet, Owen Lamb 67), Hill (Loizou 64), Aluko, Susi (Buet 86). Subs not used: Gibbs, Whitter.