Bristol Rovers 1 Oldham Athletic 0: If proof was needed that Andy Williams is prepared to chase lost causes to resurrect his Bristol Rovers career, then look no further than the role he played in securing the Pirates' fifth win in their last six league outings.

Oldham had arrived at the Memorial Stadium in search of a point, and looked like achieving it as a game of relatively few clear chances ticked into stoppage-time.

Then Danny Coles launched a hopeful ball forward and Latics centre-back Reuben Hazell looked favourite to deal with it.

Williams, however, was also in pursuit and had other ideas. He muscled his way past the experienced defender to win possession and then laid a fine pass back towards the edge of the box for Jo Kuffour to side-foot a dramatic late winner into the top corner.

"Some of the boys said afterwards that it looked a lost cause, but I always felt I had a chance of getting there," said Williams.

"It did cross my mind to hit it first time, but I think I did the right thing by passing to Jo and letting him put it in the net."

To be blunt, Williams' hopes of carving out a future with the Pirates also looked to be pretty much a lost cause when he spent the whole of last season on loan at his former club Hereford United and was then transfer-listed over the summer.

But he has looked a different player when making appearances from the bench this term, and the gusto he showed after his introduction just before the hour played a massive part in turning around a game that appeared to be heading for a frustrating stalemate.

"I think I'm being more aggressive and positive than I was. I've always been quite a big lad – but I've not always played like it," Williams admitted.

"Maybe being on the transfer list has given me a bit of a kick up the backside and I feel I've got a point to prove – not only to the fans, but also Trolls (Paul Trollope) and Lennie (Lawrence) and my team-mates as well.

"I feel settled here now and I want to stay, so it's up to me to do well when I come off the bench, hopefully get a goal or two and then get a start."

Kuffour may have delivered the decisive blow, but he too is well aware of the role Williams played in keeping Rovers' winning run going.

"I knew Andy was going to get there because he's got great pace – he showed great ability to turn and lay the ball into my path, and luckily I was able to maintain my composure and score," said Kuffour.

"Andy's a different sort of player to me and Darryl Duffy because he likes to run in behind defenders, and he gives us another dimension.

"I know the club are looking to bring in another striker as well and I think we need four good ones in the squad. Hopefully we can all mix in together and get some goals."

Kuffour had been at the heart of one of the few real openings for either side before the break.

He was making a nuisance of himself during a scramble in Oldham's box, which allowed Chris Lines the opportunity to set up winger Mark Wright, who sliced his shot horribly wide of the target from seven yards.

Midway through the opening period, Bristol Rovers full-back Carl Regan needed to make an important clearance a yard from his own goal-line after Polish striker Pawel Abbott glimpsed an opportunity. But the only other real talking point of the first half came when on-loan Blackburn Rovers midfielder Alex Marrow appeared fortunate to escape with a yellow card after a lunging high challenge on Pirates' keeper Mikkel Andersen.

Rovers caused more problems as the game wore on, though, and skipper Stuart Campbell saw keeper Dean Brill push away his 22-yard snapshot six minutes after the break.

From the follow-up, Jeff Hughes laid the ball back to Lines, who shot over the top.

Both Williams and David Pipe gave the home side more impetus following their introduction from the bench, and within moments the duo had combined to produce a chance which brought an angled shot from Pipe and a low save by Brill.

Williams' role as creator was evident again in the 72nd minute when he provided Kuffour with a chance to unleash a volley, but the striker let the ball bounce and then smashed his attempt over the bar.

The game had started to open up by then and Oldham created their only other chance after 76 minutes, but Andersen stood his ground and caught the attempt that Nick Blackman poked at him after a one-two with Abbott.

The breakthrough came 15 seconds into a period of stoppage time that lasted almost five minutes, and there were a few frayed nerves in the crowd as the seconds slowly ticked away.

But Coles and Campbell combined to stop substitute Keigan Parker's late run into the box and the final whistle, sounded a few seconds later, sparked jubilant scenes around the ground.

Bristol Rovers: Andersen, Regan, Coles, Anthony, Lescott, Campbell, Lines (Blizzard 69), Wright (Pipe 57), Hughes, Duffy (Williams 57), Kuffour. Subs Not Used: Evans, Elliott, Reece, Swallow.

Oldham: Brill, Holdsworth (Lomax 63), Hazell, Gregan, Sheehan, Marrow, Taylor (Whitaker 81), Furman, Colbeck, Blackman (Parker 86), Abbott. Subs Not Used: Ollerenshaw, Lee, Bembo-Leta, Tischler.