Bristol Rovers 3 Cheltenham Town 2: Rickie Lambert returned to the goals trail in style as his double helped to turn what looked like being a costly defeat into victory for Bristol Rovers.

The Scouse marksman has gone six games without a goal – his bleakest spell for 10 months.

But he struck to put Paul Trollope's side level in the first half after Ashley Vincent had struck an early blow for the Robins.

Though Lloyd Owusu put Cheltenham back in the driving seat early in the second period, substitute Darryl Duffy came off the bench to score for the second time in three games to stab home the Pirates' second leveller after 83 minutes.

And the home fans' celebrations were still in full swing when the winner arrived two minutes later as Lambert showed neat skills in the box to create space for his 20th goal of the season, which sealed Rovers' first home victory of 2009.

For relegation-threatened Cheltenham, it was another late sickener after they had squandered a two-goal lead in their weekend draw against Brighton.

Vincent had capitalised on a mixture of good luck and poor defending when the ball rebounded off Lloyd Owusu and presented him with the perfect chance to clip the ball over the helpless Steve Phillips and put the Robins in front after 11 minutes.

Owusu and strike partner Elvis Hammond – who once had a brief loan spell with the Pirates – looked lively over the opening minutes and Cheltenham could have increased their lead three minutes after establishing it.

Rovers were again in disarray after the ball slipped under Steve Elliott's foot and this time the home side were lucky that Vincent's aim was less accurate as he drilled a low attempt wide of the far post.

The Pirates made one change to the side that had started the weekend's 0-0 draw against Colchester, recalling David Pipe on the right side of midfield in place of Craig Disley.

And Pipe played his part in the equaliser with a ball in from the right that was laid off by Jo Kuffour for Lambert to plunder his 19th goal of the campaign from close range.

The goal settled the home side's nerves and they scented another before the half-hour, but Kuffour's shot from 18 yards was blocked on the edge of the six-yard box.

Then the pint-sized striker was thwarted when keeper Scott Brown made an excellent save to his left to divert a shot on the turn around the post.

Rovers were on the look-out for an early breakthrough in the second bhalf when Pipe charged down the right and delivered a deep cross which fell to Jeff Hughes.

But the Northern Irishman miscued his shot badly and saw the ball fly harmlessly across the box.

Instead, it was Cheltenham who were to regain the advantage following a 50th-minute free kick. Rovers failed to clear their lines properly and former Pirates winger Josh Low played the ball across the face of goal for Owusu to plant his finish high into the net from eight yards.

Lambert sent a header against the underside of the bar from a corner as Rovers tried to respond, only for play to be stopped because the Scouser was judged to have been pushing.

Cheltenham made a change up front on the hour with Nicholas Bignall replacing Hammond, and Rovers responded with a double switch as Craig Disley and Darryl Duffy came on for Chris Lines and Jeff Hughes.

It almost produced an immediate reward as Disley arrived late in the box to meet a fine cross from Pipe, only to see his header hit the inside of the post and bounce away to safety.

Brown then had to made another save at the foot of his post to block Kuffour's close-range angled drive as Rovers pressed for another equaliser.

They weren't far away from getting it when Elliott got his head to a Stuart Campbell corner, but the central defender's effort flew a couple of feet wide of the upright.

Duffy, however, was not to be denied with an equaliser seven minutes from time. Typically, it stemmed from a Campbell free kick which was headed on by Lambert and parried by brown before Duffy gleefully prodded the loose ball home at the far post.

Rovers looked to have salvaged a point – but were to claim all three in dramatic style two minutes later.

This time Disley played his part by threading the ball through after Kuffour had been involved in the build-up, and Lambert took his opportunity superbly to crash a late winner past Brown.

Bristol Rovers: Phillips, R Green, Hinton, Elliott, Lescott, Pipe, Lines (Duffy, 61), Campbell, Hughes (Disley, 61), Kuffour (Jacobson, 87), Lambert. Subs: Anthony, Hunt.

Cheltenham: Brown, Bird, Duff, Westwood, Ridley, Vincent, Finnigan (Russell, 90, Westlake, Low, Owusu, Hammond (Bignall, 60). Subs: Puddy, Connor, Gallinagh.