Lawrie Wilson is sure Charlton will bounce back from Barnsley defeat

“But we’re still where we are, we haven’t moved in the table. Teams may have gained a few points but that’s it at the end of the day. It’s in our hands and that’s the best position you can be in.”

Riga’s men, who have a game in hand on their rivals, do not have time to dwell on a fifth loss in eight matches with in-form Bolton visiting The Valley on Good Friday. Wilson said: “I think every game is important between now and the end of the season. The quicker you can get your points to make you safe the better.

“We need to take three points from every game and the next one is the biggest. We’ll do all we can to make sure we’re ready again for the next one.

“The main thing is that we’ve got a squad that can play every week and we can make those changes.”

Barnsley closed the gap on Charlton to two points with a victory which halted the Yorkshire team’s slide into League One.

Poor defending cost Charlton dearly in the first-half as Barnsley centre-back Jean-Yves M’Voto powered home a free header from a corner on 32 minutes. The visitors extended their advantage in the second half and secured their first win in four matches when Tom Kennedy’s deflected cross from the left-hand side flew into the top corner and beyond the outstretched dive of Ben Hamer.

Charlton substitute Astrit Ajdarevic, who is on loan from Standard Liege, poked home after a goalmouth scramble in the 90th minute to give the hosts hope of salvaging a draw but Barnsley made sure the match petered out.

Riga believed his team controlled the game but accepted it was their familiar failing that cost them.

He said: “We have to find the solution to score goals. We have to fight until the last day. I knew already that it would be difficult. I prefer to be in my place than the three teams below us. We have to find solutions for the next day.

“We have young players so maybe it’s the pressure of the situation. But we still have destiny in our hands. They needed to win, we did not.”

The hosts welcomed fit-again defender Chris Solly back into the starting 11 but that was offset by the news left-back Rhoys Wiggins will miss the run-in with a metatarsal injury.