Carlisle boss Greg Abbott offered his congratulations to Charlton after their 1-0 win at Brunton Park earned a return to the Championship.
The Cumbrians, whose own promotion hopes took a knock, were downed by a 76th-minute strike from Bradley Wright-Phillips.
Abbott said: "We only just came up short against a really powerful side. Fair play to Chris Powell and his staff. They are promoted and I wish them all the best for next year."
One of the key moments in the game came after half-time when, with the scores level, Carlisle midfield Liam Noble curled a shot past keeper Ben Hamer, only to see the ball rebound off the left hand upright.
Abbott added: "We needed everything to go our way. The shot was just curling the wrong way. Had it gone in it would have given us that extra energy to see the game out.
"There's nothing worse than a party you are not invited to. But we went 17 home games unbeaten which was a terrific achievement. We just have to keep going and keep believing."
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