The Robins picked up a vital and necessary three points in a dominant 2-0 win over Peterborough United at the Completely-Suzuki Stadium.
Knowing anything other than a win would relegate them, first half goals from strikers Joe Nuttall and Matty Taylor sent Town on their way.
Luke Southwood was called into action on a couple of occasions in the second half to thwart the visitors and ensure the Robins take their fight against relegation to the final day.
“It was a very good performance and we needed it,” said manager Darrell Clarke post-match.
“First half we were brilliant on the press, had a real energy about us and one or two players coming back in even though they’re carrying injuries.
“We take it to the last game of the season.”
The Robins flew out of the blocks with Nuttall finding room in the box before finding the back of the net but the referee Ed Duckworth ruled it out for a foul.
Four minutes later, the result was different as Liam Sercombe’s fizzed effort across goal was too hot for Nicholas Bilokapic to handle and Nuttall bundled the ball in at the back post.
The home team’s dominance continued with Bilokapic nearly dribbling into his own goal before a long ball from Lewis Freestone was superbly brought down by Taylor who he finished cooly from close range.
The search for a third continued before the break with Taylor turning expertly but his shot rebounded off the inside of the post before Elliot Bonds’ low drive was well saved.
The visitors started to threaten as a brilliant Curtis Davies header stopped one attack whilst Ricky-Jade Jones’ shot whistled just past the far post.
The Robins started the second half at breakneck speed laying siege to the Posh goal with Bonds seeing a similar effort to the first half saved and Sercombe having an effort saved too.
After the pressure relented, Posh forged an opening of their own with Malik Mothersille beating a couple of players and finding Jonson Clarke-Harris whose shot was saved by Southwood.
An equally crucial intervention from Davies cleared the resulting corner off the line.
Back down the other end, the Robins, from Liam Kinsella’s interception, spread the play to Taylor but his shot could only find the side netting.
With time ticking away, a deep cross found Clarke-Harris at the back post and his header back across the face of goal was superbly parried away by a flying in-form Southwood.
As the game entered added time, it was the Robins dictating play with Sercombe dancing past several challenges but he was unable to find the sufficient power to make it three.
CHELTENHAM TOWN (3-5-2): Southwood; Long (c), Davies, Freestone (Bradbury 86); Kinsella, Sercombe (Olayinka 90), Pett, Bonds, Ferry (B. Williams 90); Taylor (Thomas 79), Nuttall. Subs not used: Pardington (Gk), Harrop, Obieri.
PETERBOROUGH UNITED (4-2-3-1): Bilokapic; Dornelly (Wakeling 72), Fernandez, Crichlow, Mills; Katongo, De Havilland (O’Connell 52); Ajiboye, Mothersille, Jones (Aderoju 56); Clarke-Harris (c). Subs not used: Talley (Gk), Daley-Campbell, Kyprianou, O’Brien-Brady.
REFEREE: E Duckworth
ATTENDANCE: 3,873 (309 from Peterborough)
