A fourth consecutive Coca-Cola League One defeat leaves Cheltenham Town needing to take something from their final game of the season against Doncaster Rovers next week to guarantee survival.
The Cheltenham team gave everything against Oldham at Boundary Park and suffered two more injuries in the process but luck was not on their side.
The Robins appeared to have secured a vital point when Steven Gillespie's penalty cancelled out an earlier strike from Deane Smalley; but when Shane Higgs saved a late shot from Lewis Alessandra the ball could have gone anywhere. Sadly for Cheltenham, it hit the Oldham striker on the leg and bounced past Higgs to seal all three points for the home side.
The Robins were boosted by the inclusion of on-loan midfielder Alex Russell, who started his first game for a month following a stomach injury. Left back Alan Wright did not make it, however. The veteran left-back was sidelined with the Achilles injury that has affected him in recent weeks. Andy Gallinagh therefore returned to the right-back spot with Jerry Gill switched to the left.
The game got under way with Cheltenham knowing that a win would guarantee their League One survival for another season, Gillingham having drawn their match against Swindon Town in a match played earlier in the day.
Cheltenham certainly made a positive start with Russell brushing the angle of post and bar with a shot from a 25-yard free-kick and defender Richard Keogh volleying over the crossbar after Craig Armstrong had picked him out with a header.
Oldham's Mark Allott saw a long-range shot deflected behind for a corner but there was a setback for the Robins with only 10 minutes played when Gallinagh chased after the ball with Oldham striker Lewis Alessandra and fell awkwardly as the pair challenged for the ball. Gallinagh appeared to be holding his hamstring and was immediately replaced by Andy Lindegaard, who slotted into left midfield with Armstrong moved to left-back and Gill moved to the right.
The change appeared to disrupt the team's organisation as there were one or two moments of uncertain defending before Oldham took the lead in the 16th minute, having been given another slice of generous help from the Cheltenham back four.
Defender Sean Gregan floated a long ball out to the right-hand corner of the penalty area and three Cheltenham defenders all went for it together. The result was that nobody could get it clear and Allott looked to have scored when his lob shot sailed over Shane Higgs. Armstrong produced a miraculous goal-line clearance but to no avail as Latics striker Deane Smalley smashed it back into the net from the edge of the area.
Steven Gillespie went close with a rolled shot just past the far post after a clever solo run; then moments later he was heavily involved in a great chance to draw level. Gillespie's high hanging cross was fumbled by goalkeeper Mark Crossley and although Vincent was able to hook it towards goal, defender Stefan Stam got back to clear off the line.
Stam got forward himself a few minutes later for an Oldham corner and saw a deflected shot held by Higgs, although it was the Robins who continued to make the running and kept probing forward in search of a vital goal.
Stam, a lookalike for Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho at the back for Oldham, was in the action again 10 minutes before the break when he slid in to block a shot from Paul Connor after Russell and Lindegaard had combined to set him up.
Alessandra had a 'goal' disallowed for offside as the game became increasingly stretched in the moments leading up to half-time, the last action of the first 45 minutes being a shot from Oldham midfielder Neal Eardley that Higgs fell comfortably upon.
Oldham made a change for the second half with Paul Black replacing Matt Wolfenden on the left and shortly after the re-start, referee Dave Foster left the field with an injury to be replaced by one of his assistants.
And the replacement official was not long in making his mark as he awarded a penalty to Cheltenham only three minutes after taking over.
Alex Russell's corner from the left was headed back into the area by Richard Keogh and Gregan clattered into Shane Duff from behind. Gillespie smashed the penalty down the middle to bring the Robins deservedly level given the balance of play to that point.
The home crowd screamed for a penalty of their own only a minute later when Vincent challenged Black in the box and the Oldham suporters behind the goal thought they had spotted a handball. A corner kick, however, was the only award forthcoming from the man in black.
Crossley dived to parry a 20-yard shot from Connor then flew even further to push aside an expretly taken free-kick from Russell as the Robins pressed forward in search of another goal.
Michael D'Agostino replaced Vincent on the right with 18 minutes to go and there was another scare three minutes later when Gillespie went down holding his ankle in the centre circle but got up to carry on following some attention from sports therapist Ian Weston but only for a few minutes before being replaced by Adam Connolly.
The move was clearly designed to bolster his midfield and try to ensure at least one point from the contest but it all went wrong with three minutes to go.
A cross from Eardley was cleared only as far as Allott on the edge of the box. His ball back in fell for Alessandra and although his initial close range shot was blocked by Higgs the ball rebounded back off the striker and into the net.
OLDHAM ATHLETIC (4-4-2): Crossley; Hazell, Gregan, Stam (McDonald 61), Lomax; Liddell, Eardley, Allott, Wolfenden (Black 46); Smalley (Jarrett 89), Alessandra. Subs not used: O'Donnell (Gk) Kalala
CHELTENHAM TOWN (4-4-2): Higgs; Gallinagh (Lindegaard 11), Keogh, Duff, Gill; Vincent (D'Agostino 72), Bird, Russell, Armstrong; Gillespie (Connolly 81), Connor. Subs not used: S.P.Brown (Gk), S.Brown
REFEREE: D.Foster (Tyne & Wear)
ATTENDANCE: 6,400 (343 from Cheltenham)