Bobby Kamwa was Newport County's hero as they moved to within sight of League Two safety in the spring sunshine.
In a hectic match, Kamwa missed a penalty deep into 16 minutes of added time, but then courageously fired a golden winner right at the death to down 10-man Oldham, who had seen Mike Fondop-Talom sent-off before half time.
The Latics, who lost keeper Matt Hudson to a head injury early in the second half, had come from behind to lead – as Will Sutton and Dynel Simeu trumped Kamwa’s opener for the hosts on eight minutes, Ben Lloyd bring the Exiles level early into the restart.
The result means Newport have it in their own hands at seemingly doomed Barrow next Saturday, with the chance to relegate the hosts, Harrogate or Crawley and secure their 14th consecutive campaign in League Two.
County made two changes for this crucial game. Kamwa came in for the injured Nathaniel Opoku, with Tom Davies moving to left-back as Christian Fuchs elected to field a four-man rearguard.
Mid-table Oldham had seen play-off hopes evaporate in recent weeks – manager Micky Mellon recalling 38-year-old striker Joe Garner as ex-Nottingham Forest trainee Olo Hammond dropped to a bench containing only six players.
Sparkling sunshine splashed the pitch at kick-off, Newport likely mindful of unfolding events involving relegation rivals Harrogate and Barrow, who were away at Walsall and high-flying Cambridge respectively – 21st-placed Crawley, a point and a spot ahead of County, playing Accrington.
Amber and black balloons, yellow flares and a dichotomy of noise rang through the air. County should have been ahead less than two minutes into the contest - Davies cut into the box to tee up Cameron Evans, who somehow lifted his left-foot shot over the bar from six yards.
It was a glorious opportunity spurned, but Fuchs’ side did hit the front in the ninth minute. Harrison Biggins seized control in midfield, Kamwa’s first touch from the borrowed Shrewsbury midfielder’s diagonal ball took him past Jamie Robson, before the winger despatched a drive that whistled into the top corner of the net.
It was the former Burton man’s third goal of the season, but that strike should have been cancelled out on 14 minutes – The Latics' Mike Fondop-Talom ballooning over a gaping net when clean through after skipper Tom Pett had pierced the County defence.
The hosts were at battle stations again soon after. Robson swung in a precise left-footed free kick, the leaping Dynel Simeu crowded out by Davies and Matt Baker at the far post.
The Exiles, though, were looking to make pressure count again as they upped the ante moments later in this all-action clash. Biggins saw his initial effort beaten back by Matt Hudson, Oldham’s stopper relieved to see Baker’s follow up fly wide.
A bumper crowd at the Parade was stunned as the visitors drew level on 29 minutes. Josh Hawkes had seen his drive deflect for a corner, and from the set-play, ex-Brentford schemer Ryan Woods produced the perfect delivery for Will Sutton to nod past Jordan Wright.
Woods was the instigator of more damage six minutes later, his right-side corner ran to Hawkes, whose blast sparked chaos in the area, Simeu latching onto the loose ball to lift high into the net.
Yet this crazy game was taking another twist seven minutes before the break – with the visitors' Fondop-Talom red-carded by referee David Rock for poleaxing County’s Lee Jenkins with a high challenge.
The battered Jenkins was replaced by Ciaran Brennan, and Newport were screaming again as the game moved into first-half stoppage time, striker James Crole appearing to be twice impeded in the box as Oldham clung on.
Furious Crole confronted Oldham’s Hudson and tempers were seen to flare amongst the players as the teams departed the field at half-time – County’s mood not helped with the news of Harrogate winning 1-0 at Walsall, pushing them temporarily back onto the section trap door.
Ex-Merthyr Town forward Cole Jarvis had replaced Davies at the restart and the powerful young Welshman was immediately into the fray. The midfielder’s 18-yard effort was not cleared and Lloyd moved clinically to fire past a rooted Hudson.
The encounter was at fever pitch as a complete misunderstanding between beleaguered Hudson and his defenders almost let in the rampaging Crole – the former Cardiff starlet and Jarvis then seeing drives cannon back from the frantic Oldham defence.
The ex-Preston keeper suffered a head injury in the mayhem – and over 13 minutes ensued for the player to be stretchered off and replaced by an inexperienced Tom Donaghy, who came on for his first game in the EFL, The Latics also introducing Reagan Ogle and Jake Leake for Will Sutton and Kane Taylor.
Donaghy was stretching on 70 minutes to clutch a curling Kamwa cross and Newport were seeking to make their superior numbers count as tension mounted with the clock ticking down. Yet, County needed to be vigilant to a counter, Garner superbly released the dangerous Hawkes, who moved inside Joe Thomas and tested Wright with a low shot.
County were desperately searching for the lead – and a flurry of corners were testing Oldham’s defensive resilience. Three times former Hereford youngster Donaghy came to their rescue by thwarting Jarvis, Lloyd, Biggins and Crole, the latter brilliantly, from point-blank range.
We moved into 16 minutes of added time and the tempo failed to relent. Oldham swept away another County set-piece, Lloyd snarled with frustration as his drive rebounded onto the top of the bar with Donaghy struggling.
With 90 seconds to go, Newport appeared to have a gilt-edged chance to steal the victory they desperately needed when Kamwa was upended by Ogle in the area. However, the big moment saw his penalty saved by the visiting shot-stopper, and it looked as though County would have to settle for a point.
Yet Newport’s Man of the Match grabbed glory with nearly 20 minutes of added time played, wriggling free to slot his effort past Donaghy to total bedlam.
Newport County
Wright, Shephard (Thomas 31'), Jenkins (Brennan 43'), Baker (C), Davies (Jarvis 46'), Lloyd, Sprangler, Biggins (Spellman 85'), Evans, Crole, Kamwa
Unused Substitutes
MacDonald, Smith, Glennon
Oldham Athletic
Hudson (Donaghy 63'), Sutton (63'), Simeu, Monte, Robson, Taylor (Leake 63'), Pett (C), Woods, Hawkes, Garner, Fondop-Talom (red card 38')
Unused Substitutes
McMahon-Brown, Jalo, Hammond
Officials
David Rock (Referee), Steven Plane Darren Wilding (Assistants), Lewis Sandoe (Fourth Official)
Attendance: 5,706 (570 away)