The home side were left counting the cost of poor finishing as Carlisle became the third consecutive bottom-half team to deny them a Boundary Park win, following Brighton and Leyton Orient. Oldham remain unbeaten in eight games but this was only Carlisle's third away point since the campaign's opening day.
Defender Reuben Hazell had the first of many Oldham chances when he went up for a set-piece and headed Neil Eardley's cross into the keeper's arms. Hazell also headed off target from a Kieran Lee corner before making a crucial intervention as Danny Graham threatened to run clear on goal.
Defences got on top until the 34th minute when Oldham's Darren Byfield set off on a 40-yard sprint and set up Lee Hughes, whose shot was blocked. Hughes unleashed two more efforts in quick succession and was unlucky with the second as keeper Tim Krul grabbed his attempted lob. Oldham stayed in command but Byfield wasted an opening from close range and Krul pulled off a fingertip save from a Hughes header.
In the 55th minute, Krul thwarted Hughes again after the ex-Premier League striker, who is being strongly linked with a move in the transfer window, latched onto Richard Keogh's wayward header. The Latics were soon guilty of another miss as their slick build-up play ended with Mark Allott blazing into the stand from 18 yards.
Krul beat out a drive from full-back Kelvin Lomax before Carlisle made their first real chance of the game, with substitute Scott Dobie nodding beyond the far post after 77 minutes. The visitors almost snatched it when Cleveland Taylor went close but they also had a late escape as Oldham captain Sean Gregan placed his shot a couple of inches wide.