Oldham Athletic 2-1 Cheltenham Town
Stu Vose at Boundary Park

Lewis Alessandra bundled home a late goal to condemn Cheltenham to a last-day fight for League One survival.

Steven Gillespie penalty cancelled out Deane Smalley's opener and looked to have earned the visitors a priceless point until Alessandra intervened to poke home the winner three minutes from the end.

The goal capped an exciting couple of weeks for the striker, who returned from a troublesome achilles injury and penned a new three-year contract.

Thrown back into the starting side after appearing from the bench last week, Alessandra certainly didn't look off the pace and impressed along one-time youth team sidekick Smalley up front.

Alessandra's late breakthrough was a fitting end to the home campaign as the fans said farewell to the New Start Mortgages Stand, which will be demolished in the summer.

While it certainly wasn't a demolition on the pitch, Athletic looked comfortable enough for long spells against a Cheltenham side scrapping for their lives.

Alessandra's late goal continued Latics' excellent run of home form -- they have now won eight home League games in 2008, taking the season's tally to ten.

Desperate for points to aid their fight for survival, Cheltenham threatened early on through Alex Russell and Richard Keogh, but it was the hosts who converted the game's first real chance to establish a lead.

The ball eventually found its way to Matty Wolfenden after Andy Liddell's free kick hit the wall, and the striker's lob sailed over Higgs but was hooked off the line by Craig Armstrong.

Smalley, though, was alert to the loose ball and smashed an explosive shot into the roof of the net from 12 yards.

Alessandra almost doubled the lead shortly afterwards, but just couldn't connect with Kelvin Lomax's cross six yards out.

Searching for a way back into the game, Cheltenham were proving dangerous on the counter and almost equalised when Stefan Stam cleared an Ashley Vincent shot off the line.

The referee was forced to quit with an injury just a minute into the second half and was replaced by a linesman.

And his replacement's first decision was to award a contentious penalty against Athletic after Sean Gregan was adjudged to have impeded Shane Duff.

Gillespie sent Crossley the wrong way from the spot to register his 15th goal of the season and keep his side's hopes of confirming their League One status on the day very much alive.

Encouraged by the breakthrough, Town began to play with confidence and only two top-drawer saves from Mark Crossley prevented them from taking the lead.

First the 38-year-old showed tremendous reflexes to keep out a well-struck shot from sub Adam Connolly.

Then he flung himself left to deny Alex Russell after it looked like the midfielder's curling free-kick would sneak inside the post.

Town boss Keith Downing switched to a five-man midfield in the closing stages as he looked to hold on to a precious point.

But he saw it snatched from his grasp when Alessandra popped up to bag the winner in the 87th minute.

Smalley headed down into Alessandra's path just six yards out, and although Higgs saved his initial shot, the striker was able to bundle the ball over the stranded keeper and into the back of the net.