PETE Wild believes Oldham Athletic showed just how good they are after watching his side spoil Mansfield’s promotion party with a thrilling 3-2 victory.

Gevaro Nepomuceno bagged a brace as the Latics made it six unbeaten to keep their play-off hopes alive against the automatic promotion-chasing visitors at Boundary Park.

Nepomuceno handed the hosts the advantage before the break before Mohamed Maouche added their second, while Tyler Walker responded for the Stags on the hour.

Oldham’s two-goal cushion was then restored by Nepomuceno, but Neal Bishop’s low effort pulled one back for Mansfield before Danny Rose saw his late effort ruled out for offside.

And despite admitting the home side rode their luck at times, Wild insisted the result was fully deserved after praising his players for showcasing their talent on the big stage.

“I said to the players there’s only one reason why Sky are here today and it ain’t for us – they’ve come to see Mansfield’s promotion party,” said Wild.

“So let’s go out and prove a point on the telly and show what good players and what good lads they are. I thought you saw that in abundance today.

“It was a really good game, wasn’t it? I thought it became like a basketball game too early, and it was just end-to-end stuff. If Langy puts that in, it kills the game.

“Let’s be honest, it would have been a travesty if we’d have lost the game – an absolute travesty because we were the dominant team throughout the game.

“But you’ve got to take your chances in that. I believe it was onside, their last goal, I’ve not seen it yet, but it’s about time we got a bit of luck. They’re the best team in the league in my opinion.”

The Latics started well as Maouche's dipping effort from outside the box went just off target, while at the other end, Mansfield top scorer Walker’s similar effort produced the same result.

Oldham took a deserved lead before the half hour when a sublime pass from Maouche cut through the Stags defence to find the darting Nepumuceno who slotted past Conrad Logan.

Ryan Sweeney rose highest from Mal Benning’s 36th-minute corner to nod over as the Stags improved before the interval.

Within moments of the restart, the Stags could have gone level after Bishop hooked Benning’s free kick across goal for skipper Krystian Pearce who stabbed straight at Daniel Iversen.

In an end-to-end start to the second half, CJ Hamilton led a counter from an Oldham corner to find Jacob Mellis whose effort had the sting taken off by Tom Hamer’s challenge.

But the Latics doubled their lead before the hour when Nepomuceno’s shot deflected off Matt Preston and into Maouche’s path to bury from close range.

The Stags halved the deficit not long after though when midfielder Mellis’ ball found Walker who nutmegged an onrushing Iversen.

However, Oldham restored their two-goal cushion when the Mansfield rearguard could only clear to a free Nepomuceno, who rifled a 67th-minute effort into the roof of the net.

Callum Lang could have added Oldham’s fourth with fewer than 20 minutes left after collecting Maouche’s pass, but Logan spread himself well to keep the effort out.

Nepomuceno darted down the right to deliver a teasing cross past both Chris O’Grady and Lang, before Bishop turned on the edge of the box after Benning’s 76th-minute corner fell to him and his low effort crept in to grab another back for Mansfield.

The Stags thought they had salvaged a point at the death when Mellis' 96th-minute effort rebounded off the post for Rose to bury, but he was flagged offside.

Oldham: (4-4-1-1): Daniel Iversen 6, Tom Hamer 7, Peter Clarke 7, George Edmundson 7, Alex Iacovitti 6, Callum Lang 8, Mohamed Sylla 8 (Rob Hunt 84 6), Christopher Missilou 8, Gevaro Nepomuceno 9, Mohamed Maouche 9, Chris O’Grady 7.

Subs not used: Zeus De La Paz, Andy Taylor, Giles Coke, Jonathan Benteke, Sonhy Sefil, Oladapo Afolayan.

Mansfield: (3-4-3): Conrad Logan, Matt Preston, Krystian Pearce, Ryan Sweeney (Danny Rose 59), Gethin Jones, Jacob Mellis, Neal Bishop, Mal Benning, Jorge Grant (Alex MacDonald 53), Tyler Walker, CJ Hamilton.

Subs not used: Jordan Smith, Will Atkinson, Willem Tomlinson, Ben Turner, Zayn Hakeem.

Referee: John Busby.

Attendance: 6,179.