CHARLTON'S multi-national multi-million pound Prem-iership squad turned on the style in the benefit game for ex-Magpies striker Owen Pickard at Dorchester's Avenue Stadium last night.

Their quality one-touch passing was far too hot for Pickard's side of past and present team-mates to handle and that produced a goal feast for a meagre crowd of just under 500.

But the size of the crowd didn't spoil Pickard's night. He notched his side's only goal with one of the best strikes of the night and insisted the memories of his belated official farewell to Dorchester - it was a year ago that he left them after scoring 121 goals in 219 appearances in the black and white stripes - would always stay with him.

"I thoroughly enjoyed the evening although I must admit I expected a lot more fans to turn up," he said later.

"But I am not going to let that spoil my night. I really did enjoy playing out there and it has been a good experience tonight that will stay with me forever."

"Charlton brought a fantastic team down with some players who are soon going off to the World Cup and they showed their class and played some great stuff. It's nice to play teams like that because it gives you an idea of just what it must be like to play in the Premiership.

"The thing I noticed the most was not so much the technical ability but the precision in their passes which was superb."

Charlton boss Alan Curbishley said the involvement of his former player Matty Holmes, now Dorchester's player-coach, had influenced their decision to bring a near full strength squad instead of a reserve team. We know Matty very well and when he asked us if we could come down and we had this two weeks off we decided to bring the first team," said Curbishley.

"It was nice to see him still running around and showing some of his old skills because he had great ability. I think he enjoyed the fact that we came down. It was terrible that his league career was brought to an end by injury because he was one of the players who was instrumental in getting us into the Premiership but sadly he never had the chance to play in it with us."

While the exhibition-style match was played in a friendly spirit, the Londoners soon showed they intended to put Pickard's side in their place when Graham Stuart struck twice in the first 18 minutes - the first a delicate chip over James Dungey from 18 yards after seven minutes and the second a six-yard tap-in. All Northern Ireland international goalkeeper Dean Kiely had to do before being replaced by Sasa Ilic at half-time was collect the ball from his net after Pickard got his side's goal with a textbook header from Holmes superbly delivered free kick.

Stung to retaliation, the Addicks replied immediately when classy Danish midfielder Claus Jensen side-footed home the third from close range.

Finland's Jonatan Johansson, top scorer for Charlton last season after they paid Rangers £3.75m for him, set up Swede Matt Svensson for a header against the upright before home-bred rising star Kevin Lisbie tore through the heart of the defence to slide in number four off Dungey's fingertips.

Pickard almost had a second when his well-struck volley from a few yards slammed against Mark Kinsella on the goal-line and within seconds Kinsella was rattling Dungey's crossbar at the other end.

Svennson cashed in on Lisbie's thrilling run by knocking home his pass for the fifth and then the youngster's teasing run tormented Ryan Cross on his way to laying on another for Chris Bart-Williams.

Dungey was left flat-footed by Svensson's hooked shot that deflected cruelly off Paul Thorpe and Lisbie rounded off the goals when another solo run left him to tap in the eighth with the last kick of a thoroughly entertaining game.