HECTOR Sam's smash-and-grab 91st minute winner was a 'knife to the heart' of Latics' survival hopes, according to boss Ronnie Moore.

The Trinidadian's cruel injury-time header plunged Oldham ever-deeper into the League One relegation dogfight, prompting Moore to lament afterwards that 'at least Dick Turpin wore a mask.'

That frustration was wholly justified after Latics outplayed Wrexham using a 4-5-1 formation that finally stopped the Dragons overrunning them in midfield.

The backline, marshalled by outstanding centre-backs Stefan Stam and Will Haining, showed no sign of yielding until the dying seconds when a momentary loss of concentration undid all their good work.

Latics went to sleep as Neil Kilkenny limped off to be replaced by John Eyre, allowing Scott Green acres of space to pick out Sam who headed home from eight yards.

It was the roughest possible justice on Latics whose control of the game grew steadily after a tentative first half.

Typical of their luck was an 18th minute David Eyres goal that was controversially adjudged offside after Mark Bonner teed him up at close range.

Juan Ugarte spurned a great chance on the half-hour after Chris Llewellyn pulled back from the byline only for the Basque hitman to fluff his shot from eight yards.

Wrexham themselves felt aggrieved two minutes after the restart when Ugarte's tap-in was also deemed offside after Les Pogliacomi parried Llewellyn's shot.

Pogliacomi then brilliantly denied Ugarte with a low right-handed stop on 52 minutes and thereafter it was all Latics.

Kevin Betsy's shot was brilliantly cleared off the line by the outstretched leg of Craig Morgan while Neil Kilkenny, a dynamic attacking spark throughout, saw Ben Foster tip his goalbound drive over the bar.

On 79 minutes, Will Haining rose well but powered his header wide from Eyres' cross.

Three minutes later, Betsy bungled a great opportunity after Dean Holden's shot was blocked and his unconvincing follow-up was blocked with the goal at his mercy.

Haining then fired wide again before Latics were made to pay for their profligacy in gut wrenching fashion as thorn-in-the-side Sam ' who blasted a hat-trick at Boundary Park in the return fixture last August ' delivered the killer blow.