Steve Brooker's fifth goal in six game edged Cheltenham Town closer to League One safety this afternoon.
The striker struck ten minutes from time to seal the points and with relegation rivals Gillingham going down 3-0 at Crewe, the Robins have now opened up a seven-point gap and hold the relegation zone at arm's length tonight.
It wasn't the prettiest of displays, and the goal came against the run of play but Bristol City loanee Brooker punished Rovers for their profligacy in front of goal.
Robins' boss Keith Downing was forced into one change for this game, replacing hamstring victim Alex Russell with midfielder Scott Brown in an otherwise unchanged side to the one that returned from Elland Road with three points on Tuesday night.
Brown joined Craig Arsmtrong and David Bird in central midfield, flanked by Steven Gillespie (on the right) and Damian Spencer (left).
Cheltenham used the same system that served them so well in Leeds, using Brooker as the lone ranger but it was Bristol Rovers who produced the first clear chance of a cagey opening.
Skipper Craig Disley carried the ball to the edge of the penalty area before releasing a firm left footer that Higgs needed to beat away at full stretch to his left.
Bristol Rovers enjoyed a lot of the early possession without really hurting the home side, but the game burst into life at the midpoint of the first period.
Gillespie dragged one wide from 25 yards after some clever play; then Spencer had it in the back of the net a minute later, meeting Alan Wright's inswinging free-kick with a great downward header at the back post. However, referee Mr. Attwell ruled that the big man had infringed his marker and ruled out the goal for a foul.
Immediately at the other end, Sean Rigg skipped away from a Richard Keogh tackle and looked set to slot home from the egde of the penalty area but Shane Duff came across and made a decisive intervention to deny the midfielder a shooting chance.
Then Disley met Stuart Campbell's corner from the left with a downward header but Higgs was down quickly to smother the danger on the line.
Next Lewis Haldane drew a smart stop by Higgs with a first-time curler from 18 yards after a decent move by his side.
Cheltenham's front six, four of which boasted Bristol City connections, had created little at the half-way mark while Rovers passed the ball well in difficult conditions and looked the more likely front runners at the interval.
The visitors broke with pace four minutes after the restart through Haldane down the left to create the first chance of the second half. The winger squared the ball and Rickie Lambert struck it first time from 16 yards but Higgs got down well and clawed it away at the near post.
Both sets of fans had became increasingly frustrated with some of the referee's decisions and certainly the yellow card he waved to Keogh for a tackle on Rigg in the 64th minute raised a few eyebrows amongst the home support.
The travelling contingent were just as bemused 20 minutes from time when Jerry Gill, who became the oldest player in the Football League with this appearance, tangled with Haldane and appeared to upend the winger inside the penalty area. Mr. Attwell, however, awarded the free-kick in Cheltenham's favour.
By that point Higgs had done extremely well to gather Rigg's angled drive at the second attempt while at the other end, Brooker had headed Gillespie's centre from the left inches past the left upright.
But the breakthrough came 10 minutes from time, somewhat against the run of play after Spencer had done extremely well down the right when he found himself hemmed into the corner by four defenders before earning a free-kick.
Bird swung in it, and Joe Jacobson's header clear only found Wright on the edge of the area. The left back headed the ball back into the six yard area where Brooker was on hand to get in ahead goalkeeper Steve Phillips and nod the ball beyond his grasp.
Rovers' manager Paul Trollope had sent on Richard Walker (for Haldane) for the final ten minutes but the striker missed two glorious chances to salvage a point for his side at the death.
CHELTENHAM TOWN (4-5-1): Higgs; Gill (c), Duff, Keogh, Wright; Gillespie (Lindegaard 90), Bird, Armstrong, S Brown (D'Agostino 71), Spencer; Brooker (Connor 89). Subs not used: SP Brown (Gk), Vincent.
BRISTOL ROVERS (4-4-2): Phillips; Lescott, Anthony, Coles, Jacobson; Lines, Campbell, Disley, Haldane (Walker 83); Rigg (Williams 77), Lambert. Subs not used: Hinton, Carruthers, Reece.
REFEREE: SB Attwell (Warwickshire)
ATTENDANCE: 5,187 (1,582)