Latics trailed at the break through Kabongo Tshimanga's 20th minute finish.

But for the first time this season Oldham battled back to get something out of a game they had conceded first in, with Mike Fondop heading in the equaliser in the dying seconds of stoppage time, after Barnet had been reduced to 10 men in the 70th minute.

While Mellon felt his players had done enough to overcome the deficit and win, with Latics guilty of more missed chances, he was pleased with their attitude and persistence.

"It was a really hard-fought point in the end. I am disappointed we haven't got three because I think we deserved that," said the Latics boss.

"It was a game of two halves really dictated to by conditions. We said to the players at half-time you've still got to show the qualities that are needed in these conditions, don't forget that. You've got to show the right type of pass and the right decision making, put teams under pressure and go and get on the end of stuff, and they did in the second half, the momentum definitely went with us.

"We would have hoped that we would've scored the big opportunity that we got on the hour, which would definitely have given us the momentum to maybe go on and win it.

"Mike's one v one on the hour was a big one wasn't it, but he's gone and scored us the equaliser.

"There was a lot of togetherness and a lot of fight on display today."

Mellon added: "All credit to the players, and I really mean this, they kept going because missing big chances can kill the spirit as well. They say scoring goals changes momentum, and changes games, but missing big chances can as well. But they kept going and they kept banging away at it. I'd like them not have to do it with the last kick of the game, or the last header of the game, but that says a lot about them.

"They kept going right to the very end and we're delighted to see that we ended up getting the very minimum that we deserved. It gives us something to build on."