Cheltenham Town and Oldham Athletic have to do it all again in ten days time after the two sides shared four goals at Whaddon Road this afternoon.

This was the third meeting between the pair in the FA Cup since January 2002, but it will take one more game to decide  who will book their place in the second round of this season's competition after Cheltenham surrendered a two-goal lead here.

There were a few hairy moments in an entertaining first half, but Scott Murray and Lloyd Owusu - from the penalty spot - handed Martin Allen's side a handsome advantage at the interval.

But the home side let Oldham back into the contest three minutes after the re-start, handing their visitors a penalty of their own which they duely converted before squaring the contest 14 minutes from time.

Veteran goalkeeper Mark Crossley, and the right post denied the Robins at the death, but on balance the draw was a fair reflection of the game.

On a positive note, Cheltenham more than matched this Oldham side which had dished out a four-goal hammering at Boundary Park at the end of August, but they must now turn their attention to their dreadful away record ahead of three consecutive trips (to Hereford, Oldham and Carlisle) if they are to convert their promise into results.

TEAM NEWS: All seven loan players at the club are given permission to appear against Oldham Athletic in this competition, and boss Allen names Murray, Drissa Diallo, Josh Payne and Ian Westlake in his starting 11 while Jonathon Hayes and Lathaniel Rowe-Turner take their places on the bench.

Owusu returns in attack following his one-match suspension after picking up two yellow cards at MK Dons a fortnight ago. Meanwhile, club captain John Finnigan returns to the first team having been ruled out 13 months ago, when he was injured at Northampton Town alongside David Bird, who has recovered from a broken toe collected at Millwall a couple of months back.

5th minute GOAL: Cheltenham Town 1, Oldham Athletic 0
The home side start the game positively and claim a fifth minute lead after Alan Wright earns a throwing down the left. The left back aims it into the channel, where Darren Kenton collects, turns and cuts it back into the path of Scott Murray who lashes past Mark Crossley from 12 yards.

14: Cheltenham are playing some good football, passing and moving in fluid fashion but Latics striker Lewis Alessandra capitalises on a mistake by Lewis Montrose in midfield, collecting the ball 18 yards out before swivelling and firing a foot over.

15: Alessandra gets another chance, this time extending Higgs from similar distance. The Cheltenham number one parries and Wright, as cool as you like, mops up the loose ball and clears the danger.

31: The game settles down as Oldham begin to come back into the contest. Chances have been few and far between for quarter of an hour or so before Whitaker's long ranger fades wide of the target.

32: Diallo's error on the edge of his own box hands Alessandra a chance to burst into the box. Alessandro attempts to round the Higgs, but the goalkeeper does enough to force the striker too wide and the chance is wasted.

35: Payne releases a shot from 20 yards, but he doesn't catch it as sweetly as he intends. Owusu, however, kills it with his first touch and swiftly turns but he lifts his shot over from eight yards. He looks suspiciously offside but the flag stays down.

38: Owusu does really well to beat his marker down the right before standing a ball up to the back post. Murray finds the target with a downward header, but it clips Connor's heels and the ball rolls agonisingly wide of the left upright.

40: Kenton impedes Chris Taylor 20 yards from goal to hand the visitors an opportunity to the left of Higgs' goal. Whitaker lifts it over the wall but Higgs is sharo to save at his near post, gathering at the second attempt at the feet of Smalley.

45 GOAL: Cheltenham Town 2, Oldham Athletic 0
Cheltenham extend the lead after Wright flights a free-kick into the Oldham penalty area from the half-way. Owusu rises to meet the ball, but skipper Sean Gregan pulls the striker back to concede a clear penalty. The former Brentford and Yeovil man places the ball on the spot and squeezes the ball between Crossley, who denied Gary Lineker from 12 yards in the 1991 FA Cup Final, and the left upright to double the advantage.

45+1: Whitaker and Kelvin Lomax appear to make a meal of a free-kick in first half injury time, but it creates a chance for Stefan Stam although his header flies over.

45+2: Payne misses the target with a wild shot from 18 yards.

HALF TIME: Cheltenham Town 2, Oldham Athletic 0

46 SUBSTITUTION: Gregan, who gave away the penalty from which Cheltenham extended their lead, is replaced by Kevin Maher as Latics boss John Sheridan shakes up his defence.

48 GOAL: Cheltenham Town 2, Oldham Athletic 1
Cheltenham make the worse possible start to the second half and hand the initiative to Oldham. Whitaker swings in a corner from the right and Montrose is adjudged to push Smalley in the back. The referee points to the spot and cards the Wigan Athletic loanee for the indiscretion. Higgs guesses correctly to block Taylor's kick, but the midfielder makes no mistake with the loose ball, halving the deficit with the follow-up.

53: Owusu is fouled by Reuben Hazell 20 yards out, but Payne blasts the free-kick against the defensive wall before Gallinagh blasts it out the ground.

55: Alessandra races onto a flick-on from Smalley but shoots wide.

67 SUBSTITUTION: Jonathan Hayes for Paul Connor

72: Scott Murray volleys wide of goal from the edge of the area.

76 GOAL: Kevin Maher finds space in the Cheltenham half and supplies Whitaker on the edge of the box. His shot takes a heavy deflection past Higgs for the equaliser.

80 SUBSTITUTION: Damian Spencer replaces Lewis Montrose.

90+1 SUBSTITUTION: Lee Ridley for Josh Payne.

90+2: A long throw from Lee Ridley is met by a volley from Owusu that hits the outside of the post.

90+5: Owusu latches onto a downward header from Spencer just inside the box but his low drive is blocked by the legs of Crossley.

FULL TIME: Cheltenham Town 2, Oldham Athletic 2

CHELTENHAM TOWN (4-4-2): Higgs; Gallinagh, Diallo, Kenton, Wright (c); Payne, Montrose, Westlake, Murray; Connor, Owusu. Subs not used: Finnigan, Spencer, SP Brown, Bird, Ridley, Hayes, Rowe-Turner.

OLDHAM ATHLETIC (4-4-2): Crossley; Hazell, Gregan (c) (Maher 46), Stam, Lomax; Taylor, Allott, Whitaker, Jones; Smalley, Alessandra. Subs not used: Eardley, Fleming (Gk), Maher, Lee, Stephens, Liddell.

REFEREE: PN Gibbs (West Midlands)