Mansfield boss Nigel Clough felt a degree of sympathy for struggling Oldham after substitute George Lapslie struck a late winner to secure a 2-1 League Two comeback victory at Boundary Park.

Lapslie pounced on a rebound in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage-time to fire the Stags to a win which lifted them back to within a point of the play-off places.

“It’s a fantastic victory,” said Clough.

“We created a number of chances in that second half, but I suppose to go on and win it with a goal like that was a bit fortuitous.

“It was hard on Oldham. They caused us quite a few problems, particularly in the first half.

“We started the game OK but then we seemed to lose our way a bit and we did miss too many chances.

“I think some of the players are mentally fatigued and tired, but we do have to be better and I’ve told the players that.

“We’ll take that, though. It’s a big win and we’ll move on from it.”

Clough saluted match-winner Lapslie, who bagged his fifth goal of the campaign.

“George is great at getting into those goal-scoring positions,” added Clough.

“We’ve seen that before…he was alive to the chance when it came to him.

“A lot of players would have just watched the shot go by and hoped, but he was ready and perfectly placed to get the finish.”

Oldham went ahead midway through the first period when Davis Keillor-Dunn nodded home a peach of a cross from Jack Stobbs.

The Stags struck back soon after the restart when Rhys Oates rifled the ball home via a deflection, before Lapslie’s late, late winner sent Oldham crashing to a sixth-straight loss.

“It’s a cruel way to lose a game,” said Oldham boss John Sheridan. “But we should be more switched on in those situations, especially so late in the game.

“It’s hard to take, because we’d played well in the first half against a team going for promotion.

“We were excellent in the first half and could have been 3-0 up at half-time.

“I could hear Nigel giving his lads a rollicking at half-time – and they did come out fired up.

“It is really cruel, but it’s been our own doing and not for the first time.

“We’ve just got to do better in possession, but these are the things what go on when you’re in our position.

“Silly errors cost you dearly.

“The games are running out and this has been a big massive downer, but we’ve just got to move on to Tuesday night and the game against Leyton Orient now.

“We definitely need more of a killer instinct in front of goal.”