CHRIS Powell was left frustrated after his side were not able to force their way back into the game following a terrible start against Ipswich.

The Addicks fell behind after just five minutes when Tommy Smith headed beyond Ben Alnwick.

And the home side were unable to trouble visiting keeper Dean Gerken, for the remainder of the match as they went down to an eighth defeat of the campaign.

Charlton’s best opportunity arrived in stoppage time when Cameron Stewart raced through on goal, only for referee Scott Duncan to pull play back for a foul on Yann Kermorgant.

Powell was left agitated by the decision, and equally disappointed with the lack of ruthlessness in front of goal.

“We still had situations where we are creating stuff, and I don’t want to sit here and gripe at the referee,” said the Addicks boss.

“I know it is tough, but he got the last call wrong.

“The directive is always to try and let play flow and if he had let it, then we were in.

“Whether your chance comes in the first few minutes, like it did for Ipswich, or whether it comes in the last minute of injury time, like it would have done for Cameron Stewart, you just need the referee to get it right.

“It was a big call and sadly for us he got it wrong.”

Powell added: “We’re creating chances. We haven’t scored enough, I can’t hide away from that because it is in black and white.

“We don’t concede too many, especially for a side in the bottom half, but goals win games.

“You need to score from those chances, even if you just nick one. You do need to try and take the ones that come your way because it gives you something to build on or to hang on to, depending on the state of the game.

“We just couldn’t get our momentum going.

“Ipswich got theirs in the first five minutes and then after that it was more a case of us trying to get on the end of things, but it wasn’t to be.”

Charlton picked up their second home win of the season on Tuesday night against Doncaster, and Powell refused to use that midweek game’s outlay of energy as an excuse for Saturday’s slow start.

He said: “Doncaster lost to us on Tuesday and then went and beat QPR.

“That just shows the league is about - we lost to QPR and beat Doncaster, while Doncaster lose to us but beat QPR.

“You call never call it and it wasn’t really a case of blaming the exertions of Tuesday because they (the players) are fit enough.

“They’re fine to play Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday.

“I would never use that as an excuse, it’s more a case of us just getting the start right and building from there.

“We have done that before, when you come under pressure you weather the storm and go from there.

“Sadly we couldn’t see that through and then it was a long time for them to hold out, but it’s something they done.”

Powell added: “We told the player that Ipswich would start fast, they scored very early on against Leicester last week.

“My keeper made three outstanding saves right at the start and that is what has won them the game.

“For 86 minutes I don’t think Ben had another save to make.

“We huffed and puffed and had certain situations, we hit the post, but in the Championship when you nudge ahead it is very hard to pull it back.

“Invariably teams that go ahead normally take a point, or three.

“We had warnings in those first five minutes but we just couldn’t see it through.

“Then it was us chasing the game when really we needed to give ourselves a base to start.

“Ipswich defended deep, and in numbers, and we have been there where if you get ahead you just want to take the three points.

“It’s a set-play, they defend for 86 minutes and then they go home, and that is the nature of this league.”