Another frustrating afternoon for the Addicks as they were held to their second successive 1-1 draw.

Opponents who work hard, close down, chase and harry will be a regular feature when teams cone to The Valley. Here’s what Chris Powell thought:

“We are going to come across this further into the season as teams will come here and not make it easy for us. They will slow the game down and do all the tricks to get a point or three.

“I felt we showed decent patience because it can seep through to the players and the crowd but we got the goal that we craved, a very good goal.

“Fair play to Oldham, though, they stuck at it and they got the goal. After the 1-1 draw we remain five points clear and now just have to move on now to Yeovil Town.”

Charlton badly missed Johnnie Jackson and the early season vision and creativity of Dale Stephens would have been a useful asset on Saturday. Paul Benson’s ability to get on the end of Danny Green’s crosses would have been another useful option to have on the bench but the manager seems unwilling to use Benson. The good news is Jackson should be back very soon and Dale Stephens, now seemingly happy and settled in the south, should not be far behind.Powell continued with his thoughts on teams making life difficult for his side:

“It’s going to happen, we’ve had it earlier in the season with another team and it will happen in the future because they know if they allow us to play and keep the tempo that we like we have got players that can create chances and score them.

“So teams will come here with a bit of a game plan and we have just got to rise above that.

“It’s not going to be easy and teams are not going to come here and say ‘have the three points’ but I think when teams scout us and watch us they will learn not to allow us to set the tempo.

“If they slow it down, and the keeper takes his time, that is going to happen but we have to rise above it and it’s something we will have to manage throughout the rest of the season,” said Powell.

The ‘other team’ Powell was referring to was Tranmere who employed similar tactics. Oldham stuck to their task and notched a late leveller, something Powell gave them credit for:

“What I would say, and I have to give the plaudits to Oldham, they created a chance and felt if they get into that situation again they would try and do it, that’s what I would do with my team.

“We still had chances, and we had a chance to go 2-0 up but some days it goes for you and some days it doesn’t.

“Our last two home games were Carlisle and Huddersfield and I suppose people will only say ‘it’s only Oldham’ and I think that’s wrong.

“No matter where you are in League One you are going to come to the leaders and do your best to put on a performance and hope to walk away with a point or three.

“You can see how happy they were after the game and it was a real positive point for them.

“We just move on now to Yeovil and we are still top. It’s another game gone and we are 10 games unbeaten and people are quite despondent and frustrated.

“I suppose that’s the way people will feel and maybe that’s what we’ve created ourselves as we have done ever so well.

“I want us to win every game,” said the manager before referring back to the Tranmere nd Stevenage games that preceded the current unbeaten run, “That time, we drew and we lost one and we have drawn two now, albeit not winning the last two games, we have been unbeaten for 10 games and I think that in itself is still a good trait to have.

“We are not going to walk away and win every game by two or three goals – that’s not going to happen. If anyone thinks it does then they should come and tell me because it’s not going to happen.

“What we’ve got to do is remain calm and look to fashion the chances in games and if we win games, great, and if we don’t then we need to make sure we don’t lose.

“I think that’s one thing we’ve learned is not to lose games, we’ve lost one game in 21 and we go into the busy Christmas period at Yeovil, the two London games and then a great cup tie for us.

“I want everyone to remain positive and calm because there is still a long way to go yet,” concluded the manager.

The winning run had to end and the trick is to embark on another one quickly. Yeovil on Boxing Day affords the Addicks a great chance to go again.