Bent scored the winner against Bolton at The Valley

The Addicks received welcome respite from their league form with Wednesday's 1-0 Carling Cup win over Bolton.

And Bent insists that victory showed the spirit in the camp remains good.

"Papers don't know what goes on behind closed doors," he told BBC Radio Kent. "As you can see, we're a close unit and we're heading in the right direction."

Bent, who scored Charlton's goal, hopes he has done enough to convince manager Ian Dowie he deserves to keep his place in the side ahead of Saturday's trip to Newcastle.

Hopefully I'll play Saturday, we'll get a win and move off the bottom of the table Marcus Bent

It was his first goal of the campaign and only his third in total since arriving at the club in a �2.5m transfer from Everton in January.

Wednesday night was only Bent's third start - with Dowie viewing Darren Bent and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink as his preferred strike partnership.

"Selection is the manager's decision so I've got to go along with it, do as well as I can in training and try and push for a place," added Bent.

"That's what I've done so let's hope it's good enough to secure a place against Newcastle. I can't make the decision - all I can do is try and give my all.

"I did that in moments against Bolton. I scored my goal, which a striker needs to do, and we won the game. The more I play the fitter and more confident I get.