JOHN Sheridan felt his Oldham Athletic side were rewarded for their effort and endeavour after securing a stoppage time win over Aldershot.

Dan Gardner put the home side in front with a quality finish only to be pegged back by Justin Amaluzor's superb strike before the half-hour to make it 1-1 at the break.

And the scoreline rarely looked like changing in a second half of few clear-cut chances.

In fact, Latics had goalkeeper Magnus Norman to thank for keeping them level with his stunning save to deny Archie Davies direct from a free kick.

But, after a drone had caused the referee to stop play early in the second half, it was during the eight minutes of stoppage time that Latics lit up.

Substitute Charlie Cooper picked out Hallam Hope with a sublime pass that was matched by the forward's touch on the edge of the box and finish to fire in the late winner.

"I'm very pleased more than anything to get the three points," said Sheridan as his Oldham side got back on track after back-to-back defeats.

"I think the performance was a lot better than the previous couple of games, Wealdstone and Southend. There was a bit more energy about us and I thought we passed the ball really well at times and caused them problem.

"We get the goal - a great strike from Danny (Gardner).

"I don't want to be down after a win but I think we cause ourselves problems more than anything else, just making silly decisions in dangerous areas, not doing the right thing at the right time and we make ourselves vulnerable because the opposition seem to get chances from it and end up getting back in the game or get us on the back foot.

"But I'm pleased for the players, I thought we kept going.

"I thought we were brave, and sometimes you've got to accept that even if you draw the game I would have been pleased with the way that we played but I'm just chuffed to bits with the win.

"Both goals of ours were brilliant goals.

"The last goal, it was Cooper who passed it, which he needs to do more, I'm trying to get in his game, and the touch from H was very clinical. It was an excellent goal to win the game. More than anything I'm chuffed to bits to get three points."

Sheridan was also thrilled with a crowd of 6,635, for the first game hosted at Boundary Park since the new owners - the Rothwell family - announced that an agreement has been signed to secure the ownership of stadium and surrounding land.

"I'm pleased with the atmosphere. The turnout is unbelievable. We're playing in the National League here and it's like we're back in League One when I was first at the club and we were near the top of the league.

"I'm just pleased for everyone involved.

"But I think we deserved to win.

"I think we had energy about us, we were pressing and quicker than the previous two games. We got in people's faces a bit more than we did."

Sheridan also praised the impact of new loan signings Mitchell Roberts and Oscar Threlkeld.

"I thought the two new lads who came in who only joined in yesterday did well," he said.

"I thought Mitch, the left back, was excellent, very elegant, technically very good, comfortable on the ball.

"Oscar played the full game on Wednesday for Bradford so he was a bit leggy at the end but I thought he came in and fitted in really well."