Cometh the hour, cometh the man.

Julian Alsop inched within one goal of Martin Devaney's Football League record to earn his side a share of the spoils against high-flying Rotherham United this afternoon.

His 37th league strike for the club, and his first at the Abbey Business Stadium for six years maintained his side's record of scoring in every game in which they have played this term.

Rotherham should have had this game sewn up long before the big man popped up in the 85th minute to head his side level but not for the first time this season, Martin Allen's side stuck to their task to claim an unlikely result.

Former Rotherham boss Mark Robins, the ex-Manchester United striker, recently took up the reins at the Millers' South Yorkshire neighbours Barnsley but the disruption appeared minimal on the pitch as the visitors went about reinforcing their third place with a display full of attacking verve.

Rotherham created all the chances before the break and deserved their half time lead courtesy of Adam Le Fondre's fifth league goal, even if it did owe more to Scott Brown's handling error than anything else.

But the changes enforced upon Allen through injury had a positive effect on his side who began to fashion chances of their own before the late drama unfolded, leaving high-flying Rotherham no time to respond and the trip home to rue their missed chances.

TEAM NEWS: Martin Allen's side displayed two changes to the side which raided Bury's Gigg Lane ground last weekend, winning 1-0 thanks to Barry Hayles' 94th minute strike. The veteran striker missed this one with an ankle injury, while Marley Watkins dropped to the bench. In came wingers David Hutton and Josh Low to flank David Bird and Andy Gallinagh in central midfield, with Low filling in at right back.

Fourth minute: Tom Pope drilled a shot inches over Scott Brown's crossbar from 25 yards, amounting to the first chance of the afternoon four minutes in.

6: Dale Tonge lashed a right foot volley a foot over the target following another decent passage of play by the visitors in the sixth minute.

9: Pablo Mills clipped a ball into Pope who turned and pulled a shot wide of the left upright as Rotherham continued to open the game in positive fashion.

24: The next opportunity fell to Kevin Ellison, who picked up play in front of Low on the half way line and carried it to the edge of the box before releasing a low shot which Brown smothered.

28: Nicky Law was presented with a shooting chance in the 28th minute by Pope, but the winger, who arrived in the box unmarked, wasted it by firing against Michael Townsend to win a corner. That however came to nothing.

33: Next Ellison headed over after skipper Ian Sharp's lifted a ball into the box from the right.

42 SUBSTITUTION: Artus made way through an injury to his right leg and was replaced by Marley Watkins three minutes from the break.

44 SUBSTITUTION: Boss Allen's plans were dealt another blow at the end of the first half when Justin Richards was ruled unable to continue and the striker was replaced by Elvis Hammond.

45: Pope went close with a clever curling effort from 16 yards as the half came to a close.

46+1 GOAL: Cheltenham Town 0-1 Rotherham United
All the chances had fallen to Rotherham throughout the opening 45 minutes and although the first goal of the afternoon owed more to individual error than craft, it was no less than the South Yorkshire side deserved for an impressive first half display. Pope sent in a low throw from the right touchline, Brown spilled it at his near post and Le Fondre pounced on the loose ball to bundle over his fifth of the season from close-range.

HALF TIME: 0-1

46: Gallinagh lifted one over the bar after a promising Cheltenham move straight from the re-start.

51: Cheltenham's first real chance of note arrived six minutes after the break when Townsend had met Low's searching ball from right back with a towering header, although it travelled wide of the target.

55: Hammond did well to shake off his marker, Nick Fenton, before pulling the trigger from 20 yards but the shot lacked venom and was comfortably taken by the Millers number one Andy Warrington.

65 SUBSTITUTION: Rotherham made their first switch of the day, replacing the impressive Pope with Ryan Taylor.

69: Low was so close to squaring the game with a little over 20 minutes remaining when his stinging strike from 25 yards grazed the left corner of Warrington's frame. At the other end, Brown was alive to a decent header by Sharps after Ellison had delivered a ball from the left.

74 BOOKING: Law went into the book for time wasting as he took a corner from the right.

74 SUBSTITUTION: Striker Theo Lewis came on for Gallinagh with 16 minutes left.

78: Mills called Brown into a smart stop with a well-executed volley from the edge of the box.

80: Danny Harrison thumped a shot against the outside of the left post from around 20 yards as Rotherham searched for a second goal which would have sealed the win.

82 SUBSTITUTION: Goalscorer Le Fondre was withdrawn and replaced with Micky Cummins for the final eight minutes of the game.

84: Law wasted the chance to clinch it after he raced onto Ellison's ball to shoot wide when there was only Brown to beat. The miss would prove to be costly only 60 seconds later.

85 GOAL Cheltenham Town 1-1 Rotherham United
The home side took full advantage of the Ellison miss moments earlier with a goal of their own to square the game with five minutes to play. The ball arrived to Lewis out on the right, who whipped it in and up popped Alsop at the far post to power a header beyond Warrington to spark ecstatic scenes in front of the Stagecoach Stand.

45+2 BOOKING: Low was carded in the second minute of injury time for a trip on Ellison.

FULL TIME: 1-1

CHELTENHAM TOWN (4-4-2): Brown; Low, Diallo, Townsend, Ridley; Hutton, Gallinagh (Lewis 74), Bird, Artus (Watkins 42); Richards (Hammond 44), Alsop. Subs not used: Durrant, Denton, Cox, Richardson (Gk).

ROTHERHAM UNITED (4-4-2): Warrington; Tonge, Sharps (c), Fenton, Green; Law, Mills, Harrison, Ellison; Le Fondre (Cummins 82), Pope (Taylor 65). Subs not used: Joseph, Lynch, Nicholas, Liddell, Annerson (Gk).

REFEREE: P Tierney (Lancashire)

ATTENDANCE: 3,088 (322 from Rotherham)

Murry Toms at the Abbey Business Stadium