OLDHAM ATHLETIC 2 (Livermore 50, Allott 55)
Swindon Town 2 (Peacock 30, 58)
By Stu Vose at Boundary Park
Att: 3,923 (152 away)
Lee Peacock upset Athletic's barnstorming second-half comeback to earn Swindon a share of the spoils at Boundary Park.
Booed off at half time, Latics responded by cancelling out Peacock's opener through David Livermore before storming ahead thanks to Mark Allott's stinging drive.
Both goals came within ten minutes of the restart, but it took only a further three for Peacock to bundle home his second from a corner to level things up.
A point does either side no real favours. Maurice Malpas will be the happier of the two managers, although Latics chief John Sheridan did declare himself pleased with his team's second-half response.
They came close to a winner through Deane Smalley, Gary McDonald and debutant Jordan Robertson, but the visitors threatened too and could have departed with the points.
But a defeat would have been rough justice for a Latics side who bounced back from a turbulent first half to up the tempo in the second.
Strike partners Billy Paynter and Simon Cox fired dual warning shots early on, and a series of moments of defensive hesitation cost Athletic dear as they shipped a 24th-minute opener.
The home side couldn't cut out a dangerous cross to the back post, and although Mark Crossley somehow kept out Peacock's initial header, the Town man managed to circumnavigate all home resistance to slam home the loose ball from six yards out.
It could have got even worse when more hesitancy allowed Cox through, but Crossley kept his cool to drop down and gather the forward's low shot.
Athletic fashioned a useful chance when Smalley flicked Neal Eardley's flighted cross wide, but there was another near miss at the other end as Craig Easton sprayed a promising opportunity way over from the edge of the box.
The deflated hosts departed to the dressing room in need of a pick-me-up and Sheridan delivered it in addition to sending on Kelvin Lomax for the injured Stefan Stam.
Stam struggled throughout the latter stages of the first half with a knee injury -- his potential absence could reduce Sheridan to just one fit central defender for Saturday's trip to Port Vale.
Batteries suitably recharged, a changed Athletic took to the field for the second period and hauled themselves level within five minutes.
Chris Taylor's half-cleared corner fell kindly for the lurking Jason Jarrett, whose powerful drive struck David Livermore and spun into the gaping goal.
Just the kind of luck Athletic needed, and Smalley came close with a thumping header from another corner before Latics took advantage of their momentum to establish a quick-fire lead.
Mark Allott got away a rasping drive when a half-completed clearance fell kindly to him in the box, and Town keeper Phil Smith appeared to have gathered safely until the ball squirmed agonisingly from under his prostrate body and trickled into the corner of the goal.
Game well and truly on, it seemed, until Peacock capped a crazy quarter-hour by heading his second goal to even the scores 58 minutes in, rising highest to force a corner home despite the efforts of first Mark Crossley and then Neal Eardley on the line.
That brief burst of goalscoring was not to be repeated in the remainder of the game, although the Robins' Chris Allen came mighty close when he crashed a 25-yard free kick inches wide of goal.
Sheridan introduced debutant Jordan Robertson from the bench with 17 minutes to go, switching Deane Smalley to the right flank and pairing the new boy with Lewis Alessandra up front.
But it was Smalley who nearly grabbed the headlines with a goal, stretching at the back post to head goalwards only for Smith to stand his ground and claim the ball.
Swindon weren't about to lie down in their quest to leapfrog Athletic in the table and only Mark Crossley prevented Billy Paynter from notching, escaping the attentions of a visiting player in front of him to tip away a point-blank header.
Then Gary McDonald rattled a scorching half-volley off the stanchion behind the goal and Smalley failed to connect on Alessandra's square pass as the pace of the ball carried it across goal with time running out.
Neal Eardley's speculative effort provided the only remarkable action in injury time as Malpas' Robins kept out the hosts, who extend their unbeaten home run to four League outings.
Another point in the bag, but the injury to Stam will give Sheridan considerable food for thought ahead of the weekend's trip to Vale Park.
Team Stats
Latics: Crossley, Eardley (C), Livermore, Stam (Lomax, 46), Hazell, Taylor, Allott, Jarrett (Robertson, 73), McDonald, Alessandra, Smalley.
Subs Not Used: Wolfenden, Black, Bell.
Booked: None.
Sent Off: None.
Swindon: Smtih, Comminges, Kanyuka, Aljofree (C), Vincent, Allen, Peacock (Zaaboub, 75), Easton, Roberts, Paynter, Cox (Sturrock, 80).
Subs Not Used: Brezovan, Ifil, Ashikodi.
Booked: Comminges (74).
Sent Off: None.
Referee: Mr C Oliver
Assistant: Mr A Scregg
Assistant: Mr N Smith
Fourth Official: Mr J Tyas
