SCUNTHORPE UNITED 0, OLDHAM ATHLETIC 1

It was a goal worthy of winning any game as Carl Winchester’s superb solo strike earned Latics a valuable away win at Scunthorpe United.

Winchester’s goal also lifted Latics into the play-off places in Sky Bet League One as they looked a totally different side to the one that lost at Barnsley four days earlier.

It looked as though the game would finish goalless until Winchester’s late intervention as he picked up the ball deep and drove into box before executing a clinical finish.

Manager Lee Johnson was without the injured Danny Philliskirk while Connor Brown and Dominic Poleon also lost their places.

There was a first start up front for loan player Conor Wilkinson while Joseph Mills and Timothee Dieng won recalls.

The Iron had the first chance of the game when Neal Bishop fired wide from Gary McSheffrey’s free kick.

Top scorer Jonathan Forte and Dieng has sniffs at goal without ever seriously looking like scoring before a scissor kick from Forte cleared the crossbar, the closest Latics had come to a goal.

Tom Hopper headed narrowly wide for the Iron when he ought to have done better after Jordan Clarke had supplied a super cross.

Latics ought to have taken the lead after 35 minutes when James Wilson somehow contrived to blaze wide from five yards after George Elokobi knocked Mike Jones’ free kick into his path.

They also had a penalty shout turned down on the stroke of half time, but it was more in hope from Wilkinson as he tumbled in the box.

Latics had two good chances early in the second half when Wilkinson’s header was easily saved by keeper Luke Daniels and Kelly headed over the bar from a Jones corner.

Iron had a goal disallowed for offside before Fort seized on a defensive blunder and raced through on goal only for Daniels to deny him his 15th goal of the season.

Latics were on top, but just couldn’t find a route to goal as Rhys Murphy, the striker signed from Dagenham, was brought on with 12 minutes left in a bid to score that elusive goal.

Murphy immediately set up Wilkinson, but Daniels made an easy save.

The breakthrough came with time running out when Winchester picked up the ball in midfield, breezed past two opponents before finding the net with great aplomb to snatch a vital away victory.