OLDHAM crashed to their biggest home defeat of the season as Bristol Rovers boosted their automatic promotion hopes. The Latics had no answer to a rampant Rovers who have now scored 17 goals in their last five away games.

From the start, Latics struggled and it was not long before the avalanche began. They were hit by a confident Bristol outfit who scored three goals in 11 minutes. Number one came from the lively CURETON, number two also from CURETON via a penalty and number three came after just 11 minutes. This time Challis confused the home defence and when Hotte failed to clear, ASTAFJEVS raced in to comfortably strike the ball past Kelly from 12 yards.

The Latics went even further behind three minutes after the restart. Holt gave away a free kick with a clumsy challenge on Pethick. The same player took the cross and it went over the top of several Oldham defenders to allow Andy THOMSON to head home at the far post for only his third goal of the season.

Oldham managed to test the Bristol keeper for the first time in the 51st minute, but he confidently held on to an angled shot after a darting run by Dudley. Oldham put teenager Sugden on for Whitehall in a desperate bid to change things up front. He almost made an instant impact, shooting just wide in the 56th minute. Oldham began to come more into the attacking picture and in the 64th minute big defender Garnett had a header saved.

And Oldham made no mistake by grabbing a goal in the 67th minute. A delightful cross from Sheridan fell to Craig DUDLEY at the near post and the young striker forced home his sixth goal of the season from close range. The Latics, to their credit, continued to battle away but it was always an uphill struggle against a well-drilled defence that gave little away.

Jamie Cureton made it 19 goals for the season with strikes in the fourth and sixth minutes and Vitalijs Astafjevs made it three in seven minutes when he netted.

Andy Thomson extended the lead and Craig Dudley's 67th-minute effort was little consolation for the home side.

Preston's match with Gillingham was delayed by an hour due to an accident on the M6 and the morning's leaders were downed by a double strike from Carl Asaba.

He netted in the 58th and 69th minutes to put Gillingham, with matches in hand on all the other candidates, right in the promotion picture with a 2-0 win, ending Preston's 12-match unbeaten run at Deepdale.

Wigan have gone off the boil and went down 2-1 at the JJB Stadium to a Stoke side winning for the first time in five attempts.

Crowd trouble delayed the game by five minutes with fighting in the stands and on the pitch before Scott Green put the home side in front after 19 minutes.

But Graham Kavanagh levelled after 28 minutes and James O'Connor's 76th-minute goal made it four games without a win for the one-time leaders.

Millwall moved into third place with a 2-0 win at Cambridge, both strikes coming from Paul Moody to take him to nine for the season.

Burnley kept pace with the Lions winning 2-1 at Colchester with Steve Davis their hero with both goals, his efforts sandwiching Steve McGavin's effort for the home side.

Chesterfield ended a streak of four without a win as John Duncan's side beat Reading 2-0 with goals from Stephen Payne in the 41st minute and Ian Breckin in the 71st.

Bristol City made it 17 games unbeaten at home with a 2-1 win over Scunthorpe who are now without an away win in 11 games.

Tony Thorpe's eighth of the season put City in front, Scott Murray doubled the advantage after 40 minutes and Brian Quailey, two minutes before the interval, completed the scoring.

Julian Watts was sent off for a professional foul as Luton went down 2-1 at home to Brentford. The Hatters led through Phil Gray in the ninth minute but Lloyd Owusu's 10th of the season put the Bees level on the stroke of half-time and skipper Paul Evans seized the points with a 62nd-minute winner.

Notts County came from behind to leave struggling Cardiff with nothing to show for their last seven away games.

Richard Carpenter gave the Welshmen hope with an effort a minute before the interval but an Andy Hughes penalty after 80 minutes and the winner from Alex Dyer in the dying seconds made it 2-1.

Sean Devine took his tally to 19 with a hat-trick in Wycombe's 3-0 win over dismal Bury, netting in the 40th, 57th and 90th minutes, the second a penalty.

Oxford's miserable season continues with a 4-1 home drubbing by Wrexham. The Welshmen went two up through Karl Connolly and Danny Allsopp, on loan from Manchester City, before Christian Edwards pulled one back for United.

But Allsopp's second was followed by Darren Ferguson's 88th-minute effort

Bournemouth ended a run of four home games without a win by ending Blackpool's revival under Steve McMahon. Goals from Scott Mean after three minutes and Stephen Robinson with an 80th-minute penalty brought a 2-0 victory.