There is something special about an athlete who can spend the majority of a highly paced quality race abreast of respected opposition and then resort to a supreme burst of pace in the final straight to claim victory. The same might easily be said about West Bromwich Albion in this enthralling tussle with one of their promotion rivals.

Charlton Athletic arrived at the Hawthorns as one of the most assured defensive units in the Championship after four successive away wins, all with clean sheets. However, the visitor’s team bus drove away full of men struck with the realisation their reputation might have been a fallacy.

Admittedly two of Charlton’s first choice defenders were absent through suspension but the quality of Albion’s play was too strong for the Londoners. Charlton had not conceded a goal on their travels in almost two months but were exposed by their defensive shortcomings and nobody will view this game with more embarrassment than 38-year-old full-back Chris Powell.

As a professional, Powell’s dedication to his job has been exemplary over two decades but the way he was cruelly exposed by Zoltan Gera was humiliating. Twice the gifted Hungarian pulled Powell wide and then made a relatively unhindered run into the goalmouth to leap and capitalise on sublime left wing crosses from Chris Brunt. Twice Powell could only offer his apologies and Charlton manager Alan Pardew was forced to admit: “I don’t like to criticise my players and Chris Powell has been a great ambassador for us. Gera is very strong in the air but Chris should have done better.”

Such an emphatic performance by Tony Mowbray’s team was timely. They had long appeared a better side away from home and had gone three games at the Hawthorns without a win, which is hardly the form befitting a team intent on reclaiming a place in the Premier League.

Several more displays of this quality will surely allay any anxieties but it is imperative Gera, who is a known January transfer-window target of Middlesbrough among others, remains at the club.

Understandably, Mowbray was reluctant to speculate on the future of his finest asset but did luxuriate in the quality of the win. “I always want my team to play a flowing technical game and at times I get criticised for that belief,” he said “I think you can play open attractive football like we did today and be successful.”

Even Pardew was forced to admit the match was an engrossing tactical battle and might well ponder on the fact that his side took the lead.

Top scorer Chris Iwelumo was little more than a limping passenger after twisting his left ankle but was still strong enough to outleap his markers after Gerome Thomas had waltzed around the young full-back Jared Hodgkiss.

Roman Bednar, the Czech striker on loan from Hearts, scored his fifth goal in as many games to equalise before the interval. But within four minutes of the second half Albion were in front. Gera climbed above Powell to convert Brunt’s cross but Charlton were far from finished. Luke Varney provided the assist for fellow substitute Izale McLeod to equalise with a low shot.

Then came Albion’s impressive sprint up the final straight. Gera replicated his earlier goal with 12 minutes remaining with Powell once again no more than a spectator. A hat-trick should have followed for the former French Ferencváros player as he received a deft layoff from Bednar that stabbed his shot wide of the target.

Home fans had no reason to complain and within a minute they had stretched the lead when Jonathan Greening flighted a corner that defender Bostjan Cesar headed on and Paul Robinson drove towards goal. The initial shot was blocked but the predatory instincts of Kevin Phillips had clearly not been diminished by a six weeks layoff enforced by an injured knee. The 34-year-old former England man took his season’s goal tally to 11 as he converted from little more than a yard.

Star man: Zoltan Gera (WBA)

Player ratings

West Brom: Steele 5, Hodgkiss 4, Cesar 6, Pele 6, Robinson 7, Greening 8, Gera 9, Coren 6, Teixeira 6 (sub Phillips 71, 7) Brunt 8, Bednar 7 (sub MacDonald 90, 5)

Charlton: Weaver 5, Semedo 6, Sodje 5, Bougherra 5, Powell 4, Zheng Zhi 6, Holland 5, Ambrose 6 (sub Varney 65, 7) Reid 5 (sub Sankofa 69, 5) Thomas 7, Iwelumo 7 (sub McLeod 44, 7).

Scorers: West Brom: Bednar 43, Gera 49, 78, Phillips 83 Charlton: Iwelumo 36, McLeod 73