It is a measure of how far Latics have progressed in a short space of time that they were disappointed with a 1-1 draw at Charlton Athletic.

When you look back at the balance of play in this battle of the top two in npower League One, Latics should have emerged victors.

They created by far the more clear-cut chances and on another day the unlucky Oumare Tounkara, who failed to find the net, would have finished with a hat trick.

It was still, however, an encouraging display in which Latics proved they are more than a match for one of the clubs expected to be in the thick of the promotion battle.

Manager Paul Dickov said: "The lads were absolutely fantastic, every single one of them. We feel we should have possibly won the game and were good enough to have won the game .

"I thought we played some really good football at times because this is a hard place to come to. They are one of the favourites for promotion and rightly so.

"We hit the post a couple of times, there were some goalmouth scrambles and their goalkeeper played fantastically well so there are loads and loads of positives to take from the game.

"I told the players I was proud of them, and they ought to be proud of themselves for the commitment they showed and football they played."

The only dampener was Jason Jarrett's late sending off for a second booking, though Latics were unhappy with the part the Charlton bench played in the dismissal.

The central defender, who was unlucky to be banished from the field, will now miss Saturday's home league game against Yeovil.

"I have looked at the incident again and the disappointing thing for us it that we don't think it was a foul, never mind a yellow card. I have had a good conversation with the referee and he feels he made an honest decision," explained Dickov.

Charlton, who played in the Premier League until 2007, were only occasionally a threat and there were times when it looked as though Latics were the home side.

There was an early let off for Latics when Kyle Reid volleyed narrowly wide after a neat build up down the left.

Latics, who had Chris Taylor replacing the injured Lewis Alessandra on the left, had their first clear-cut chance in the 12th minute when Paul Black's cross was headed down by Ritchie Jones for Tounkara whose shot struck an upright with keeper Rob Elliott beaten.

Jarrett picked up his first yellow card after 16 minutes - he could have no complaints as he sythed down Therry Racon - but that left him needing to walk a disciplinary tightrope for the remainder of the match.

Charlton went ahead midway through the half when Pawel Abbott's shot was blocked and the rebound fell invitingly to Scott Wagstaff who fired into the roof of the net from 12 yards.

Latics, to their credit, kept beavering away and were rewarded in the dying seconds of the half.

A right-wing cross from Jones was headed out, but only as far as Dean Furman who unleashed another long-range missile which was equally as spectacular as the one the previous week against Notts County as Latics finished the opening period on level terms.

There was a let off shortly after the restart when Reid had the ball in the net only for the effort to be ruled out for a shove on Kieran Lee as the Latics defence dithered.

Tounkara, who is on a season-long loan from Sunderland, proved what a useful asset he will become, as he struck the frame of the goal for a second time.

Keeper Elliott did superbly to deflect his effort on to the upright and, from the follow up, Dale Stephens' drive was cleared off the line by Johnnie Jackson.

Latics made a double substitution midway through the second period as Taylor and Djeny Bembo were replaced by Deane Smalley and Warren Feeney to provide fresh legs and new energy.

One of Feeney's first contributions was to release Tounkara with a slide rule pass. The striker, clean through on goal, was denied by a super save by Elliott.

Jarrett's hotly-disputed dismissal, which resulted in a touchline melee, left Latics to play the final two minutes of normal time and five of stoppages, with 10 men.

Dickov withdrew Tounkara and brought on Jean Yves M'voto but, even a numerical disadvantage, Latics were never troubled as they held on for one point which really ought to have been three on the balance of play.

Charlton (4-4-2): Elliott; Francis, Llera, Doherty, Jackson; Wagstaff, Racon (Sodje 75), McCormack, Reid; Abbott, Martin. Subs (not used): Worner, Mambo, Stavrinou, Fry, Solly, Tuna.

Latics (4-4-2): Brill; Lee, Hazell, Jarrett, Black; Jones, Furman, Stephens, Taylor (Smalley 64); Bembo (Feeney 67), Tounkara (M'voto 88). Subs (not used): Gerrard, Holdsworth, Kelly, Dikaba.

Referee: Mr R Shoebridge.

Attendance: 14,842.