Wanderers 1 CHARLTON ATH 2: NOBODY is panicking but the manager is worried his players might start feeling the pressure and the players are asking the fans to be patient.

Old friends are offering words of comfort and encouragement.

This is not how it was meant to be just two games into the new season.

But this is the Premiership and it is a harsh, unforgiving place where points don't come cheaply, where missed chances cost you dear and mistakes are mercilessly punished.

If anyone seriously thought this season was going to be any easier than the three long hard slogs they have endured in previous years, then they had better think again.

Successive defeats against teams whose own ambitions are modest by Premier League standards have left the unhappy Wanderers without a point to their name and already looking for a confidence transfusion.

They desperately need something from next Sunday's home game against Aston Villa, who are also looking for their first point, or they will go into their most demanding spell of the season in a sorry state. Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal in the space of 11 days is frightening enough at the best of times but, when the "giants" are out for revenge after having their shins kicked last season, you cannot help but fear the worst!

But are we not getting ahead of ourselves? As the one-time Reebok favourite Claus Jensen consolingly pointed out after helping Charlton to their first points, this was only the second of 38 games that will determine whether Wanderers have what it takes to survive a second successive Premiership season. And, on the balance of play and the overall quality of their performance, we have seen worse - much worse.

Saturday's performance was a massive improvement on the abject display at Fulham and on another day could easily have delivered three points, which would have left Alan Curbishley's Addicks licking their wounds at the bottom of the table.

Had they converted just one of the chances they had to double the lead Youri Djorkaeff claimed with just 80 seconds on the clock, they could have been breathing a lot easier today. Curbishley admitted he feared the worst as Wanderers got off to a flyer and looked more than capable of exploiting the defensive problems caused by the fifth minute withdrawal of £3.5 million summer signing Gary Rowett.

Henrik Pedersen went on to have his best game since his impressive performance in the draw at Leeds last year but, when he miscued in front of goal, he knew he should have scored. He appeared to make amends moments later with a typical blast of power play before delivering the most inviting of crosses to the far post - only to see Ricardo Gardner nod the ball wide from six yards!

Even after Charlton had clawed their way back into it, thanks in no small part to two highly-contentious refereeing decisions, Wanderers still managed to fashion enough scoring chances to have put the result beyond doubt - long before Jason Euell's smash and grab winner.

And, although it might not have been enough to satisfy everyone, Kevin Nolan and Paul Warhurst would have rescued a point but for stunning saves by former Bury keeper Dean Kiely.

Could've, should've, would've ... the words echoed around the Reebok, suggesting this was one of the classic sporting hard luck stories.

But it was not. Wanderers have only themselves to blame for missing the chances and have no excuses for allowing the brave Graham Stuart to mastermind the counter-attack that gave Euell a tap-in for the matchwinner.

And, although they felt justified in blaming referee Matt Messias for awarding a penalty against Bruno N'Gotty for his challenge on Richard Rufus while refusing appeals when the Charlton defender sent Pedersen flying at the other end, it would all have been academic if they had maintained their early momentum.

For the second successive Saturday they scored the fastest Premiership goal and failed to make it count. Unlike at Fulham, they were not overwhelmed by a superior side but, by their own failings, they offered their opponents all the encouragement they needed.

Allardyce spoke of being "dumbfounded" and "shocked" but he knows the bottom line is points and he has seen six squandered already in the sort of games he knows Wanderers need to be winning, or at the very least drawing, if they are to survive another term in the top flight.

There were promising signs with Djorkaeff looking as though he still has the appetite as well as the ability to torment defenders while Pedersen, the one saving grace to emerge from the Fulham game, justifying his promotion to the starting line-up with powerful and productive contributions on the left.

Pedersen has clearly profited from his return to Silkeborg on loan at the end of last season and showed with this performance that he was not just talking the talk when he said he was determined to make his mark.

"Henrik was outstanding," Allardyce enthused. "He was our biggest threat with what he produced down the left hand side.

"He could have really crowned his performance with a goal as well but he created many, many chances throughout the game for others as well as himself.

"But overall, we failed to capitalise on them and paid the ultimate price by our own defenders lacking a bit of concentration and Charlton's players taking advantage."

Curbishley was understandably delighted with Euell's 71st minute decider but his joy was tempered by the sight of Stuart being stretchered off with a knee injury as a result of his brave dash into the box.

Simon Charlton admitted it was more a case of bad defending than good play on the Addicks' part.

"I suppose the neutral would look on it as a good move by them but we're obviously looking at it as sloppy defending all round," the full-back conceded. But he exonerated Per Frandsen for pulling out of the tackle that gave Stuart the gap to run into. "Per was between the devil and the deep because he couldn't do anything," Charlton added. "If he'd stuck his leg out it would have been another penalty!"

For all the chances Wanderers created, none fell to Michael Ricketts, leading Allardyce to field questions about the form of his top scorer.

"Chances are not falling to him as often as he would like and obviously that will prey on a top scorer's mind," he acknowledged. "But I'm more than happy with what he does in terms of build-up play, creating chances for other people and his workrate.

"Michael's not got to get too dejected. Unfortunately for him at the moment the chances aren't coming his way but there were many, many chances for other players to score.

"If we hadn't created any I would be really worried."