Casey Pettit scores another pearler, this time against Southend.

The time had come for Rochdale to play their ace card in the title race: the game in hand over York City. The setting, however, could scarcely have been more demanding. The trip was to Southend United − a side firmly in the play-off hunt and therefore fighting for a season that remained very much alive.

For Rochdale supporters, the opponents also stirred uncomfortable memories. It was Southend who had ended Dale’s promotion hopes in the previous season’s play-offs. Even this campaign’s earlier meeting between the sides had proved stubbornly difficult to stage, winter weather and the Spotland pitch forcing three attempts before it could finally be completed. Few fixtures in the run-in arrived with quite so much context attached. Layered onto that context was the journey itself. Dale had been required to make the trip to the south twice in four days − a stretch that had quite literally involved planes, trains and automobiles − and while only a minor detail, it was not entirely insignificant.

Set against that backdrop, the evening did not unfold as Rochdale might have hoped. From the outset, there was a sharpness about Southend that an unchanged Dale struggled to match. Too often in the opening exchanges, passes that would ordinarily find their mark were cut out, angles were closed, and the familiar rhythm of building from the back never got going. Instead, it was Southend who dictated the early tempo, pressing with intent and forcing hurried decisions.

The warning signs were there before the damage was done. When the opening goal arrived inside three minutes, it certainly was not against the run of play. Possession was lost on Dale’s right, the space between the centre-backs exposed, and Harry Boyes was set free into space, the wing-back's cross inch perfect for Andy Dallas to slot home with a first-time finish.

Worse followed. A set-piece, delivered without particular menace, was allowed to drift into a crowded area from the right untouched. A square pass was initially blocked but James Golding reacted quickest, turning the loose ball home while static away shirts looked on.

At two down inside 20 minutes, the evening threatened to unravel entirely. Yet this Rochdale side had built their season on resilience as much as they had control, and their response came swiftly. A sweeping move, one that finally carried the tempo that had been missing, ended with Dan Moss cushioning a ball into the path of Emmanuel Dieseruvwe, who finished with customary assurance. His 24th league goal reduced the deficit and, briefly, altered the mood.

For a spell, Dale looked like themselves again. The ball moved quicker, Southend were forced backwards, and chances began to follow. Ryan East was denied by a last-ditch challenge just as he shaped to shoot, while Devante Rodney’s volley flew narrowly over.

But if Rochdale’s attacking play had rediscovered its flow, their defending continued to undermine it. The third goal, when it came before the half-hour, carried a weary sense of familiarity. Another delivery into the box was not properly dealt with, the ball dropping invitingly for Tom Hopper, who buried at the second attempt after an initial parry from Oliver Whatmuff, and the two-goal cushion was restored.

That, ultimately, was the difference. Where Rochdale required precision in both boxes, they found it only in one.

The second half gradually tilted back towards something more recognisable. Southend’s early intensity began to fade and, with it, the spaces Dale relied upon started to appear. The ball was circulated with greater patience, the press was evaded more cleanly, and the contest settled into the pattern that had underpinned so much of their recent form.

The second goal, when it arrived, was again a moment of individual brilliance. Gordon drove forward before the ball broke to Casey Pettit some 20 yards from goal. He needed no second invitation − a curling strike that arced beyond the goalkeeper and into the far corner. For the second time in the week, he had produced a finish of real quality.

At 3–2, the game felt poised in a way it had not since the opening minutes. Dale pushed, as they invariably did, committing bodies forward and probing for the equaliser. Substitute Tyler Smith saw an effort blocked, then glanced a header onto the crossbar, while Dieseruvwe’s persistence brought another chance that deflected wide. The momentum, for long stretches, belonged to the visitors.

Yet Southend, aided by changes from the bench, found enough renewed energy to disrupt the rhythm just as it began to build. The spaces tightened once more, the final pass eluded, and the clear opening required to complete the comeback never quite arrived.

In the end, the defining feature of the evening was not how Rochdale attacked, but how they defended. In possession, there was little deviation from the principles that had carried them to the summit: control, width, patience and an underlying threat that suggested more goals were there to be had. Indeed, on another night, they might have scored more than twice.

But matches at this stage of the season turned on the basic details − the distances between defenders, the reactions to second balls, the organisation in moments that demand it. Here, those details fell short. The space in behind, particularly down Dale’s right, was exposed too readily; the connection between wing-back and centre-back lacked its usual assurance; and set-pieces, a point of weakness.

It was a performance that echoed previous warnings − Hartlepool, Halifax and that costly spell against York − where control with the ball masked lapses without it. The lesson, by now, was an unmistakable one. It also marked Dale’s first defeat of 2026 – an unbelievable 15-game run halted, if only briefly, in Essex.

Ethan Ebanks-Landell couldn't stop the relentless charge of the Southend attack.

‘We’re disappointed with how we started the game,’ McNulty reflected afterwards. ‘Ultimately, that made it difficult because we were chasing it very early − and that wasn’t at the level we’ve been.

‘We created a lot of chances and scored two goals away from home, which you’d hope is enough to take something − but it wasn’t tonight.’

Rochdale’s game in hand – their one key advantage over fellow title chasers York – had been spent with no return. They maintained a two-point lead at the summit but, from here on in, they could afford no more slip ups.

There was little time to dwell. Four days later, Rochdale were required to dust themselves down and go again, returning to Spotland on a glorious spring afternoon to face mid-table, part-time Tamworth. While the visitors had built a formidable reputation on their own synthetic surface, this was a different examination entirely; on grass, there was a quiet confidence that Dale could reassert themselves.

But they were dealt a blow prior to kick-off when it was announced they would be without Ollie Whatmuff for the upcoming fixtures at Scunthorpe and Sutton after the goalkeeper’s call-up to the England under-19 squad for their UEFA European Championship elite round campaign in Portugal. The Young Lions were set to face Portugal, Poland and Serbia between 25 and 31 March, with a place at the 2026 finals in Wales at stake.

And there was a further complication to contend with, too. Tarryn Allarakhia would also miss those league games due to his call-up to the Tanzania squad for the FIFA Series − with fixtures in Rwanda against Liechtenstein and either Aruba or Macau to follow. This only served to exacerbate an already stretched wing-back department. With Joe Pritchard, Tobi Adebayo-Rowling and Bryant Bilongo all sidelined, Allarakhia had been providing cover on the right, allowing Dan Moss to operate on the left. Neither, for much of the season, had been the established first-choice in those roles, and Allarakhia’s temporary absence threatened to place further strain on an area of the pitch that had already required adaptation.

Against that backdrop, Rochdale moved quickly to strengthen, securing the signing of Luke Hannant from Oldham Athletic.

The experienced wide man, 32, arrived on a deal through to the end of the 2026/27 campaign, bringing with him both versatility and a proven track record at National League level. Comfortable operating across the flanks, Hannant offered a timely solution to the immediate shortage, as well as longer-term depth in a position that had already demanded significant reshuffling throughout the season.

Speaking after completing the move, Hannant acknowledged the speed of the transfer and his eagerness to contribute.

‘It’s all happened pretty quickly, conversations were held between myself and the gaffer,’ he said. ‘I’m happy to get it done now. I’m over the moon about it.

‘I achieved a good number of games with Gateshead at this level and I can’t wait to try to finish the season well. I know the philosophies that Jimmy has and it was always a team I could see myself being a part of one day. I’m ready to help.’

And he was introduced to proceedings immediately, McNulty naming Hannant among the substitutes for the visit of Tamworth, with Tyler Smith replacing Aidan Barlow the only other change from the side that had started at Southend.

Emmanuel Dieseruvwe couldn't convert against Tamworth.

Rochdale began as they often had throughout the campaign: on the front foot. Early signs were encouraging. Tarryn Allarakhia was involved in much of the initial thrust, while Emmanuel Dieseruvwe and Devante Rodney both saw efforts blocked as Dale established territorial dominance. The breakthrough arrived on 13 minutes. Ryan East, collecting a knockdown inside the area, steadied himself before placing his finish with precision beyond Jas Singh.

At that point, the game appeared to be settling into a familiar pattern: Rochdale in control, probing for openings, their opponents largely contained. And yet, beneath the surface, there were early warning signs. Tamworth, when they broke, did so with intent, targeting space in behind a defensive line that, as it had in recent weeks, looked uncertain.

The equaliser came with their first meaningful attack, Dan Creaney glancing home a header that owed as much to Dale’s positional vulnerability as it did to Tamworth’s execution. Eleven minutes later, the pattern repeated itself. A direct ball into the channels exposed space once more, and Oliver Lynch took full advantage, racing unopposed to curl beyond Oliver Whatmuff, who was left stranded. From a position of authority, Rochdale suddenly found themselves behind.

It was, in many ways, difficult to reconcile with what had unfolded. Dale had been dominant in possession and purposeful in their approach, yet Tamworth’s counter-attacking threat made it appear, at times, as though this was a scenario not previously encountered. Lynch, lively and direct, caused particular problems, though he was not without assistance.

To Dale’s credit, the response was immediate. Within five minutes, parity was restored. The move was constructed with greater urgency, the delivery from Allarakhia precise, and Dan Moss’s commitment at the back post unquestionable, the wing-back hurling himself into a diving header that levelled the contest, colliding with the upright in the process. Thankfully he suffered no lasting damage.

Thankfully Dan Moss was unhurt after getting Dale level.

The first half, however, still had one more twist. A foul on Casey Pettit offered Dieseruvwe the chance to restore Rochdale’s lead from the penalty spot, only for his effort to crash back off the underside of the crossbar. It was, perhaps, the clearest illustration of a broader issue: for all their good work, Rochdale were not converting control into decisive advantage.

If the opening period had been chaotic, the second was defined by mounting pressure. Rochdale resumed in the ascendancy and, this time, sustained it. Kyron Gordon forced an early save, while Rodney, Tyler Smith and Dieseruvwe all went close without finding the target. East came within inches of his second, his strike from distance rebounding off the inside of the post and away to safety.

At the other end, Whatmuff was required to intervene twice in quick succession from set-pieces, a reminder that the Tamworth threat had not entirely dissipated. Yet as the half wore on, the pattern became increasingly one-sided. Wave after wave of Rochdale attacks followed, the pressure building, the sense of inevitability growing.

Central to that shift was the introduction of Aidan Barlow from the bench, whose energy and directness provided a renewed impetus. Where earlier phases had occasionally lacked incision, his presence brought a sharper edge, a willingness to commit defenders and force openings.

Still, the decisive moment required patience. It arrived with nine minutes remaining. Barlow’s delivery found its way to the back post, where Ian Henderson, so often the author of decisive contributions, brought the ball under control with his chest before guiding a finish into the far corner with characteristic composure. It was his 166th goal for the club, and one that carried a significance beyond its immediate context.

There remained time for late anxiety. Tamworth, refusing to relent, struck the crossbar through Michael Reindorf and launched a series of long throws into the area, testing both resolve and organisation. This time, however, Rochdale held firm.

In the end, the margin was narrow, but the outcome felt deserved. For long periods, Dale had been dominant, yet their defensive structure − so reliable for much of the season − had shown signs of vulnerability, particularly in dealing with balls played into the channels behind the wide centre-backs. It was notable that Callum Perry, the least experienced of the back three, did appear to adjust after the interval, his positioning more assured, his interventions calmer. Then again, it is easy to forget, while munching on a meat and potato pie in the stand, how difficult the senior game is for young players.

More broadly, the game reinforced a familiar theme. Good positions were found with regularity, but too often they failed to yield clear, testable efforts on goal. On another afternoon, the contest might have been settled far earlier.

There was tension, certainly − within the ground and within the broader context of the title race − but it rarely translated into anxiety on the pitch. That, in itself, spoke to the character of the side.

As the final whistle sounded, the emotional release was unmistakable. For a time, the prospect of the title challenge unravelling had felt uncomfortably real. Instead, it was reinforced. Henderson’s goal ensured that Rochdale remained two points clear at the summit, with seven games remaining.

‘I felt sharp when I came on, everything just felt right,’ Henderson said afterwards. ‘Body good, mind clear. I got into some great positions, but I missed a couple of chances and, for a split second, that doubt creeps in.

‘But only for a split second. That’s the difference. I’ve trained my mind over years to reset, to come back to belief. If I don’t believe I can do it, then there’s no chance.

‘When the next one came, I tracked it, brought it down on my chest and everything just slowed. No panic, just rhythm. It’s a finish I’ve practised thousands of times − and as soon as it left my foot, I knew.

‘That’s what it’s about. Those moments. Contributing when it matters. And when it goes in… it’s just pure joy. That feeling never gets old.’

Ian Henderson secured all three points against Tamworth.

Attention quickly turned to the next test. A midweek journey to Scunthorpe United offered little in the way of comfort, the hosts themselves pressing to cement a place in the play-offs. The fixture also carried a lingering sense of grievance. Only a month had passed since the meeting at Spotland, where the controversy surrounding Emmanuel Dieseruvwe’s untaken penalty had contributed to two points slipping away. Elsewhere, the rhythm of the title race had taken another turn. York City, having played the previous evening, had stumbled to a 3–1 defeat against a Gateshead side battling at the opposite end of the table. Rather than apply pressure, it presented Rochdale with an opportunity − one that, if taken, could further strengthen their position at the summit.

Dale were handed another boost ahead of the trip by the timely arrival of goalkeeper Ben Winterbottom on a short-term loan from Barrow, providing cover for Oliver Whatmuff during his international absence.

The 24-year-old arrived with a strong pedigree, having progressed through the academies of Blackburn Rovers and Liverpool before gaining valuable senior experience in non-league, notably with AFC Fylde where he stood out against Dale the previous season for his shot-stopping. Confident with the ball at his feet and eager to contribute, Winterbottom offered reassurance that Whatmuff’s absence would be adequately covered at a crucial stage of the season.

He was thrown straight into the fray too. Luke Hannant also made his first Dale start following his debut against Tamworth, in place of Tarryn Allarakhia. Aidan Barlow returned in place of Tyler Smith.

There was an immediacy to Rochdale’s start at Glanford Park, as if intent on seizing the opportunity placed before them. Inside two minutes, Hannant was presented with an early sight of goal, his effort blocked after being picked out by Callum Perry’s cross. It set the tone for an opening spell in which Dale looked sharp, purposeful, and capable of taking control.

Yet the contest soon settled into something more attritional. The surface, cutting up as the game wore on, made fluency difficult, and Scunthorpe proved well equipped to deal with a more direct approach. Long balls forward often ran beyond their intended target, while attempts to find Emmanuel Dieseruvwe centrally were frequently snuffed out by the imposing presence of Andrew Boyce. Scunthorpe also offered a threat of their own.

It required a moment of simplicity, rather than craft, to break the deadlock. Just past the half-hour, a long ball forward was flicked on into space, and Hannant, alive to the opportunity, struck early. The finish was instinctive and precise, a low drive into the near corner that gave Rochdale the lead. It was, if nothing else, the kind of goal the conditions demanded – direct.

Winterbottom, meanwhile, was already justifying his inclusion. A sharp save to his right to deny Callum Roberts, followed by a confident claim from a Danny Whitehall header, ensured that Rochdale reached the interval with their advantage intact. It had not been straightforward, but it had been effective.

The second half began in a manner that suggested Rochdale were ready to assert greater control. Within six minutes, their lead was doubled, albeit in unorthodox fashion. A loose clearance from Louis Jones fell invitingly to Devante Rodney on halfway, who lifted the ball back towards goal. Under pressure from Aidan Barlow, the goalkeeper’s attempted intervention only succeeded in diverting the ball into the forward’s path, leaving him with the simplest of tasks to carry it into an unguarded net.

Ethan Ebanks-Landell in the thick of it against Scunthorpe.

At 2–0, the opportunity was there to be fully grasped. And for a time, Rochdale appeared composed enough to do so. Even when Scunthorpe responded − pulling a goal back on the hour after a breakdown in communication between Perry and Winterbottom allowed Roberts to capitalise − there remained a sense of control in Dale’s play once the immediate disruption had passed.

But where Rochdale had adapted well to the conditions, the familiar issue resurfaced at a decisive moment. The game was not slipping through structure or strategy, but through individual lapses. Winterbottom, excellent for much of the evening, had been unfortunate in the first goal, and as the closing stages approached, another error proved costly. Substitute Jake Burger conceded a corner that might have been avoided, and from it, with the pressure building and bodies committed forward, Rochdale failed to adequately clear the delivery. Afie Beestin reacted quickest, driving home to level the contest with three minutes remaining.

There was still time for one final twist. Deep into stoppage time, the ball found its way into the Scunthorpe net, only for an offside flag to intervene, denying what would have been a decisive late winner. It was a moment that encapsulated the night − so close to resolution, yet ultimately incomplete.

In isolation, a point away at a play-off-chasing side would not normally be cause for concern. But context, at this stage of the season, altered that view. Having established a two-goal lead, this was an opportunity that had slipped.

And yet, the performance itself told a more nuanced story. Rochdale had adjusted intelligently after the opening exchanges, recognising the limitations of the surface and altering their approach accordingly. For long periods, they had looked composed, even after conceding, their response measured rather than panicked.

‘There’s natural disappointment that we’ve given up points from a leading position,’ Jim McNulty said after the game. ‘But if I’m assessing the performance, taking the scoreline aside, I’m happy. I really am.

‘I thought our control of the game for so much of it was really good, especially in a difficult place on a surface that had a huge impact on moments and goals. In truth, I think we were unlucky not to win.’

The underlying issue lay elsewhere. Too many goals were being conceded that could − and should − have been avoided. It was not a systemic flaw, nor a tactical one, but a matter of execution in key moments. Those small lapses, increasingly frequent, were beginning to carry greater consequence.

In the stands, the tension was unmistakable. What had been an opportunity to extend the advantage instead felt precarious, the three-point cushion over York tempered by the knowledge of their superior goal difference. It was a lead, but not yet a decisive one.

There were also signs of strain beneath the surface. Since Liam Hogan’s departure, the lack of natural cover at centre-back had become more apparent, with limited options available to reshape or reinforce when required. Players could adapt, certainly, but it was far from ideal in the midst of a title run-in.

That need for reinforcement was recognised. In the days that followed, Rochdale moved to strengthen, securing the loan signings of John-Kymani Gordon from Colchester United and Archie Baptiste from Middlesbrough, both arriving through to the end of the season.

Baptiste, a commanding central defender standing at six foot four, arrived with a pedigree shaped through the academies of Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur before continuing his development at Middlesbrough, where he had captained their Premier League 2 side and made his senior debut earlier in the campaign. His addition offered a more natural solution to the defensive imbalance that had begun to emerge, providing both presence and depth at a critical point in the run-in.

Gordon, meanwhile, brought a different profile. Comfortable operating across the front line, the wide player added further attacking flexibility, having gained valuable experience through spells in the EFL following his progression at Crystal Palace. His contributions at Carlisle United − where he scored on debut and played a role in their promotion, including the winning goal at Spotland during Rochdale’s relegation season three years earlier − along with subsequent time at Cambridge United, AFC Wimbledon and Colchester United, pointed to a player accustomed to the demands of senior football.

With the squad bolstered and the run-in entering its final stretch, attention turned once more to the next challenge.

Rochdale’s month concluded with a trip to Sutton United, a side still adjusting to life back in the National League in what was their second season following relegation from League Two. While their campaign had proved a challenging one, leaving them in the lower reaches of the table, the immediate threat of relegation had largely subsided. On paper, it was a fixture that favoured Dale – and they had already beaten them at Spotland back in August – but, as recent weeks had shown, little at this stage of the season could be taken for granted.

McNulty made only a single change from the side that had drawn at Scunthorpe, with Tyler Smith coming in for Devante Rodney, while recent arrivals Baptiste and Gordon were named among the substitutes. It was a selection that left options to alter the game if required − a decision that would become increasingly relevant as the afternoon unfolded.

From the outset, there was a flatness to Rochdale’s play that had not been evident before March. The usual composure in possession was absent, replaced instead by hurried decisions and a tendency to bypass midfield altogether. Too often, the ball was sent forward with little conviction, and just as frequently returned. Sutton, organised and energetic, closed passing lanes effectively and capitalised on the resulting turnovers, ensuring the contest was played largely on their terms.

The conditions did little to help. A swirling wind disrupted rhythm and made control difficult, but it did not fully explain the lack of fluency. Dale appeared unsettled, unable to establish the control that had underpinned so much of their campaign. Clear chances were scarce. Aidan Barlow’s effort from distance drifted over, while at the other end Lewis Simper provided Sutton’s most consistent threat, testing Ben Winterbottom and remaining at the centre of much of their forward play.

There was a sense, even before the interval, that something more would be required. The balance in attack was not quite right. Emmanuel Dieseruvwe, so often a reliable focal point, appeared hampered, his influence limited, and without that central presence, Rochdale’s forward play lacked cohesion.

The second half brought improvement, though initially only in degree rather than kind. There was greater intent, more willingness to commit bodies forward, yet the execution remained inconsistent. Crosses drifted beyond their targets, passes failed to connect, and for all the territorial gains, clear openings remained elusive. Sutton, by contrast, maintained their energy and discipline, and continued to pose a threat on the break.

The introduction of substitutes began to shift the dynamic. Ian Henderson’s presence offered a clearer focal point, his movement unsettling defenders in a way that had been lacking. Devante Rodney, also introduced from the bench, began to find space in the penalty area, while Connor McBride provided a more direct outlet. There were glimpses now of something more cohesive, even if it was still some distance from the control Rochdale would have expected of themselves.

Henderson then thought he had put Dale ahead when rounding the goalkeeper and finishing from close range, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.

Yet just as momentum hinted at turning, the game appeared to slip away. Immediately after, with 12 minutes remaining, Sutton struck. Charlie Bell, afforded space from distance, delivered a finish of genuine quality, his effort rifling beyond Winterbottom and into the top corner. It was a goal that shifted the balance of the afternoon entirely. From a position of frustration, Rochdale now faced the prospect of defeat.

But this side, as they had shown repeatedly, were not easily dismissed. In the closing moments, McBride delivered a cross of real quality into the area, and Rodney, reacting instinctively, guided a volley beyond the goalkeeper to restore parity. It was a lifeline.

Even then, there was time for one final twist. Deep into stoppage time, with the game seemingly settled, Dale forced one last opportunity. A delivery from the left caused uncertainty, the ball breaking in the six-yard area. Rodney tried to stab home but missed, however, there, inevitably, was Henderson. Composed where others might have rushed, he applied the finishing touch from close range. In an instant, what had appeared a damaging defeat, then a draw, was transformed into something altogether wonderful.

Three points have never felt so precious as they did at Sutton.

The reaction was immediate and visceral. Relief as much as celebration. Players and supporters alike understood the significance, even if the performance itself raised uncomfortable questions. At the final whistle, tensions spilled over, with confrontations between both sets of players and staff reflecting the intensity of the occasion. Sutton manager Chris Agutter saw red not just in mist but from the referee during the altercation.

In truth, this had been one of Rochdale’s poorest displays of the season. They had lacked fluency and composure. The wing-backs, so often central to their attacking structure, struggled to impose themselves, while the midfield never fully established control. And yet, within that, there were signs of adaptation. The shift in personnel, the subtle adjustments – Dan Moss appearing more comfortable after switching flanks following the introduction of John-Kymani Gordon − offered something to build upon.

More than anything, though, it was the response that defined the afternoon. Where the performance fell short, the collective resolve did not. There was a togetherness, a refusal to accept the outcome that had seemed inevitable.

It is often said, somewhat cliched perhaps, that potential champions find a way. Here, Rochdale did − just as they had against Tamworth, and just as they would need to again. The three points, harsh on Sutton perhaps, ensured the title race remained firmly in their hands. The win also meant that Rochdale had surpassed their record for the most away points in a season, when they had secured 43 points on the road in 2007/08.

‘The dramatic ending was incredible,’ McNulty said afterwards. ‘Football throws you these moments every now and again. But it’s the players’ belief to keep going. This team has never lacked that. No one gave us anything this season – we’ve had to earn it. And what you saw at the end there, that willingness to keep going, that’s what this group is about.’

With April approaching, five games remain. The pressure is unrelenting and, at the finish line, York City await.

As always, my thanks to TVOS/Dan Youngs/Rochdale AFC for use of images.

 

Dale hold their nerve in tight title battle

 

Devante Rodney and Casey Pettit celebrate as Dale reclaim top spot.

The beginning of spring brought with it another round of reverse fixtures for Rochdale to navigate as they sought to sustain their gripping two-way battle at the top of the National League with York City.

What had, just two months earlier, been a congested quagmire had transformed into something remarkable. Rochdale sat on 82 points, York on 83 − though Rochdale held a game in hand. Third-placed Carlisle trailed some way behind on 71.

In almost any other scenario, the herculean efforts of both sides would have been rewarded with automatic promotion. The National League, however, is anything but just. With only one automatic promotion place available, neither side could afford to concede even a single point in the relentless race for the title.

March began with a rearranged home fixture against Brackley Town, the original game having been frozen off in January while Rochdale were ground-sharing with Accrington Stanley. Yet it was not the rescheduling that occupied supporters’ thoughts when considering the Northamptonshire visitors.

In a league where a dropped point could feel as damaging as three, it was the reverse fixture in August that lingered in the memory. Without disrespect to Brackley, the part-time side had been among the division’s least fancied, their league position for much of the season reinforcing that perception. Seeking to protect his squad over the August Bank Holiday weekend, Jim McNulty had changed his entire starting XI for the contest. The result was a collection of players who, so early in the campaign, appeared disjointed and unfamiliar with one another. Brackley claimed all three points, inflicting one of only four defeats Rochdale had suffered to this stage.

It would be churlish to assume the outcome would certainly have differed had McNulty selected his first-choice side, yet in a title race of such fine margins, those dropped points continued to be cited by some supporters.

As Brackley arrived at Spotland, they did so under new management. Andy Whing, formerly of Solihull Moors at this level, had taken charge and was tasked with steering the Saints clear of relegation. For Rochdale there could be no repeat of August.

What followed was a night that briefly threatened to drift into the same frustration before Rochdale seized control and carried it to a deserved victory.

There was one change to the starting XI from the 2-0 win at Aldershot Town, as Ed Francis came in for the injured Harvey Gilmour.

‘Unfortunately, Harvey picked up a calf injury late in the last game,’ McNulty confirmed afterwards. ‘The scan suggests around five weeks, which is a loss. But it’s next man up. Part of why Harvey has been outstanding this season is because of the quality supporting and challenging him in that position. That underpinning on the training ground drives standards.’

Dale began as if determined to extinguish any lingering ghosts of August. Inside three minutes, they were ahead. Aidan Barlow’s left-wing cross arced towards the near post, where Emmanuel Dieseruvwe, sharp and decisive, converted for his 22nd goal of the season. Spotland rose in expectation.

Aidan Barlow gets the ball rolling against Brackley.

For much of the opening period Rochdale monopolised possession. They probed and recycled, penned Brackley back into a compact, stubborn low block. Dieseruvwe forced Jonny Maxted into a further save, yet for all the territorial dominance there was a faint sense of unease.

Then came the reminder of how unforgiving this league can be. With almost their first meaningful attack, Brackley equalised. A corner was delivered with height rather than pace; Zak Lilly’s looping header hung in the air before dropping beyond Oliver Whatmuff. The visiting support, what few of them there were, celebrated wildly. Around the ground, the earlier hum of confidence tightened into irritation.

Brackley briefly threatened again after the break when Zak Brown curled narrowly wide from distance, but the tempo had shifted. Dale’s passing carried greater intent, the press bit harder. After patient probing around the box, Ryan East slid a low ball into Dieseruvwe’s feet. In one smooth motion the striker rolled his marker and, with exquisite composure, lifted his finish over the advancing Maxted. It was his ninth brace of the campaign − timed precisely when the title race demanded it.

It was not only events in Rochdale that sharpened the atmosphere. News began to filter through that Boreham Wood had taken the lead against York City. Then, astonishingly, another. Each whisper rippled through the stands, passed phone to phone, row to row, until it became a roar. Supporters waved, gestured, shouted towards the pitch − willing the message onto the turf, willing their team to grasp the opportunity being handed to them 200 miles south.

Barlow and substitute Tyler Smith both fired off target as Rochdale sensed vulnerability. The third goal, when it came, arrived from a familiar source. East stood over a wide free-kick and delivered with pace towards the near post. Kyron Gordon, making his 100th appearance for the club, darted across his man and glanced a header goalwards. It flicked off a defender but was destined for the net regardless. Gordon wheeled away in celebration, embraced by teammates and serenaded by supporters who knew the significance of the moment.

Mani D just keeps on scoring for Dale.

The final minutes were played in a curious blend of tension and anticipation. Every clearance was cheered; every Brackley delivery drew sharp intakes of breath. Yet there remained one final tremor. Deep into stoppage time, Brackley won another corner. Once again, the ball was allowed to travel, once again Lilly found space. His header made it 3–2 and introduced a needless edge to the closing seconds. It was the second concession from a dead ball − another disappointing failure to assert control over a routine situation.

Yet when the whistle finally blew, confirmation arrived minutes later from Hertfordshire: York had been beaten. The noise inside Spotland swelled once more − this time not urging but celebrating. Rochdale’s 3–2 victory, combined with York’s defeat at Boreham Wood, lifted them two points clear at the summit with a game in hand.

The variety in Rochdale’s goals was a particular source of satisfaction. The first, a move that dissected the opposition and ended with a clinical finish. The second was crafted in tight spaces. The third, crucially, came from a set piece.

‘We’ve worked hard on that,’ McNulty said of the third goal. ‘It’s not my area − credit goes to the staff who dedicate themselves to it − but it proved to be the difference. We conceded a couple from set plays tonight, which is unlike us, but the one we scored ended up being decisive.’

For long spells the issue had not been structure or control, but the speed at which Rochdale moved the ball and attacked space. In the opening 15 minutes they had shifted it sharply, stretching Brackley and forcing openings. Then the urgency faded, the play slowed, and the visitors were allowed to settle into their defensive shape.

The second half told a different story. The substitutions injected impetus and variety, altering the rhythm of the contest. Whether enforced or tactical, the changes had impact. Fresh legs brought directness, and Tarryn Allarakhia in particular offered a different kind of threat − more willingness to drive, to commit defenders, to accelerate play.

Most satisfying of all was that the 85 points Dale now found themselves on was a record return – with 11 games still to play. This wasn’t the only record to tumble. In reaching his ninth brace of the campaign, Dieseruvwe moved into rarefied territory in the club’s history. He became only the second player ever to score two or more goals in a match on nine separate occasions in the same season for Rochdale. The only other man to achieve the feat was Albert Whitehurst, who did so an astonishing 11 times during the 1926/27 campaign − a record that has stood untouched for almost a century.

At the other end of the pitch, Ethan Ebanks-Landell signed on for another year. Retaining the captain and the club’s most experienced player was as important as any addition, particularly given the leadership he provided to a squad still developing together.

‘I’ve loved every minute of it here, particularly since the gaffer has taken over,’ he said. ‘I’m really glad that they see me as part of the future still. I think I’ve still got a lot of value to offer.’

Another year for captain Ethan Ebanks-Landell.

Attention then turned back to league business on Saturday. Where Rochdale had not struggled to find the net against Brackley, they had shown defensive lapses, but the complete opposite was true when Boston United visited Spotland four days later.

Under Paul Hurst, a veteran manager of both the National League and the EFL, Boston had enjoyed a run of eight games undefeated prior to kick-off. On this sunny spring afternoon, it could certainly be seen why.

For long stretches, Rochdale controlled the contest but could not quite apply the finishing touch.

The ball moved crisply enough, the structure remained, yet the final moment kept evading them. Boston defended their box with determination and organisation, content to absorb wave after wave of pressure.

Still, the shape and intent of Jim McNulty’s side never wavered. That was perhaps the most striking aspect of the afternoon. Personnel changed, but the principles did not. The plan remained the same as it had for the majority of the season to date: control the ball, stretch the opposition and trust that the breakthrough would eventually arrive.

Two changes from the midweek victory over Brackley saw Tarryn Allarakhia return to the starting XI and Casey Pettit handed his opportunity in midfield. Pettit had hinted during pre-season that he offered something slightly different in the centre of the park − a player willing to bite into tackles, impose himself physically and keep the ball moving with purpose. Here, those qualities were again evident as they had been in his limited appearances during the campaign. His presence helped ensure that Dale’s midfield control rarely wavered, a fear that had arisen in light of Harvey Gilmour’s injury.

Allarakhia, operating on the right, provided a different kind of threat. With a natural inclination to attack the outside, he repeatedly looked to deliver early crosses into the area. Combined with Dan Moss pushing forward on the opposite flank, the supply lines into Boston’s penalty box were plentiful. The missing ingredient was simply the decisive touch.

Tarryn Allarakhia operated on the right against Boston.

Ryan East, Aidan Barlow and Devante Rodney all saw efforts blocked, while Emmanuel Dieseruvwe twice tested Boston goalkeeper Dan Cameron with headers that lacked the power to trouble him unduly. For much of the first half Oliver Whatmuff was a spectator at the other end.

The pattern continued after the break. Rochdale retained the initiative, Boston remained stubbornly compact, and the sense grew that this might be one of those afternoons where dominance alone would not be enough.

The breakthrough eventually came from experience − and from two substitutes who combined almost immediately after entering the field. Ian Henderson had been on the pitch barely two minutes when he lifted a delicate cross towards the far post. Moss rose to head the ball back into the danger area and Tyler Smith reacted quickest, stooping to nod home from close range.

It was a classic six-yard-box finish, the sort Smith had begun to make a habit of this season, but few will prove more valuable.

If the goal ignited relief around Spotland, it was followed swiftly by a moment of anxiety. Boston created their clearest opportunity of the afternoon almost straight from the restart when Tom Cursons broke through one-on-one. Whatmuff, largely untested until that point, produced a crucial save to preserve the lead.

That intervention proved every bit as important as the goal itself.

From there Dale saw the game out with relative calm. The narrow scoreline belied the level of control they had exerted across the 90 minutes.

‘That’s the sign of a good team,’ Tyler Smith reflected afterwards. ‘You can’t win things if you don’t find ways. It’s not always going to be easy − teams will come here and sit back − but we’ll always find a way.’

A hard-earned three points, secured late, sent a crowd of more than 3,000 home content. The players, meanwhile, could finally enjoy something of a rarity − a midweek without a fixture, and a pitch that would benefit from two clear weeks without football or rugby cutting in to it.

The victory also carried a quieter historical significance. It represented the most wins Rochdale had ever recorded in a single season. And there were still 10 games to play.

However, with Dale clinging to the top of the National League by just two points, and York having come from behind at home to beat Eastleigh, the squad now faced a trip to Hampshire to face the same opponents. The week-long break before the journey was welcome − though the news that Joe Pritchard had joined Tobi Adebayo-Rowling and Harvey Gilmour in the treatment room with a hamstring injury tempered any relief. Five weeks out, with another long trek to Southend looming just four days after the Eastleigh game, was the last thing Dale needed.

Still, these were the challenges any title contender had to overcome.

The DAZN cameras’ decision to make this a teatime fixture meant the travelling faithful arrived at the Silverlake Stadium already armed with unwelcome knowledge: York City had earlier strolled past Aldershot 3-0, a result that John Coleman’s side had offered precious little resistance to, and the summit of the National League had changed hands once again before Dale had even kicked a ball. The pressure, familiar enough by now, was clear – only a win would do.

This might have unsettled a squad less sure of itself. It did not unsettle this one. Jim McNulty named an unchanged side from that which overcame Boston and they rewarded him in kind.

Jim McNulty was rewarded by his team selection at Eastleigh.

From the first whistle, Dale played with their usual composure and authority. They set the tone immediately, penning Eastleigh back and probing with the kind of patient, purposeful build-up that has become their trademark. When the opening goal arrived, it was a move of real quality, Ryan East finding Aidan Barlow wide on the right, and Barlow’s low ball across the face of goal inviting Emmanuel Dieseruvwe to slide home at the far post. His 23rd league goal of the season.

The half-time scoreline flattered Eastleigh. The opportunities had been plentiful, the execution only occasionally wanting, and the one-goal cushion felt a thin reward for 45-minutes’ worth of sustained attacking intent. Whether it was enough to trust through the second 45 was the question that nagged. It did not nag for long, however.

Dale emerged with even greater urgency after the interval, recycling less and moving the ball with a sharpness that Eastleigh simply could not live with. The second goal, when it came, was one that will be remembered long outside the confines of this season. Casey Pettit, whose ability to strike the ball with genuine ferocity has always suggested goals like this were inevitable, took a touch to set himself just outside the box before rifling a shot into the top corner, off the underside of the bar and in. It was a piledriver in the most literal sense.

Pettit then switched from finisher to creator, his whipped delivery from a free-kick in the right channel was met by the head of Ethan Ebanks-Landell, who powered the ball home − also via the underside of the bar − to put the seal on what had by now become a thoroughly convincing evening’s work that had, until then, passed largely without complaint.

However, the late consolation from substitute Jake Tabor was the one blemish, with substitute Bryant Bilongo limping and unable to close down the cross that led to the strike, Eastleigh’s only shot on target all game. It was once again a reminder, however minor, that even the most commanding of leads must be protected to the last. That it amounted to nothing more than a footnote was some comfort.

What mattered − what always matters in these final weeks of a title race − was the three points, and the reclaiming of top spot in the table. The performance, moreover, carried a significance beyond the result. That Dale could produce football of this quality and conviction on an evening when York’s earlier win had reset the pressure gauge, when injuries continued to thin the squad, and when a trip to Southend loomed just four days hence, spoke of a group of players who have absorbed everything this season has thrown at them and emerged, each time, still pointing upwards.

The doubts, if any lingered, were blasted away somewhere on the south coast. Dale are still top. The destination is still in their own hands.

As always, my thanks to TVOS/Dan Youngs/Rochdale AFC for use of images.

Trading blows at the top: Dale remain locked in step with York

 

Kyron Gordon in action against Scunthorpe.

The second half of the year’s shortest month brought Rochdale another four fixtures to mirror the first. The first was a game in hand: a home meeting with Scunthorpe United, postponed back in November when the condition of Spotland’s pitch had been the worst of Dale’s concerns.

Scunthorpe, like Rochdale, were a club more readily associated with the Football League than with non-league exile. Yet, like Dale, this was where they now found themselves. Unlike Dale, however, Scunthorpe had failed to halt their slide after relegation, tumbling into the regional leagues before clawing their way back. Under Andy Butler, they had stabilised, returning to the National League and inserting themselves into the promotion picture, fourth at kick-off and already responsible for unsettling several of the division’s leading contenders.

For Dale, the stakes were straightforward. This was one of two games in hand. A draw or a win would return them to the summit, above York City. In the end, and but for a contentious penalty decision and a lack of clinical edge after the interval, the single point they collected might easily have been three.

Five changes were made from the Saturday draw at Yeovil Town, as Ethan Ebanks-Landell, Harvey Gilmour, Devante Rodney, Joe Pritchard and Dan Moss all returned to the starting XI.

It was a first half that never quite settled into rhythm yet rarely lacked incident. Within minutes Emmanuel Dieseruvwe was tripped by the last man 10 yards inside the visitors’ half. However, despite referee Darren Drysdale awarding a free-kick, there was no card shown to Will Evans. This set the tone from an officiating point of view.

Scrappy passages followed, loose touches and hurried clearances, but also spells where Dale pieced together some fluent sequences and worked their way into promising areas. Dieseruvwe looked certain to turn home Rodney’s cross after superb work from the Dale No.10, but couldn’t divert goalwards. Scunthorpe, to their credit, committed men forward and ensured it was a genuine contest.

The visitors struck first. A poor clearance from Kyron Gordon ricocheted off Harvey Gilmour, the loose ball falling kindly for Callum Roberts, Scunthorpe’s danger man who forever seemed to lurk on the right ready to cut in on his left foot. Dale’s defence retreated rather than engaged, affording him the space to set himself before arrowing a strike beyond Oliver Whatmuff from outside the area.

Then came the game’s most contentious talking point − if not the season’s. Dale had the chance to respond almost immediately from the spot, after Dieseruvwe was brought down, only for controversy to take centre stage. Dieseruvwe paused during his run-up and the referee then awarded a free-kick to Scunthorpe instead. It was a bewildering moment and one that may yet carry weight beyond this game. The question lingered: why the hesitation?

Referee Darren Drysdale tries to explain his position.

McNulty answered post-match. “I’ve never seen anything like what happened with the penalty,” he said. “I very rarely go in to see officials, but I did tonight. Mani [Dieseruvwe] is in the middle of taking the penalty and the referee is screaming at people on the edge of the box. For me, you should have this completely under control before you blow the whistle. Mani shouldn’t be running in to take a penalty while the referee is shouting and ushering.

“The referee felt Mani stopped his action. My take was Mani jogs up to the ball, hears shouting, thinks he has to wait, jogs past it, then prepares to take it again. The referee then gave an indirect free kick, but I don’t think there was clarity as to why he did. I got the sense [he and his fellow officials] didn’t know what had just happened.

“The referee’s assessor has since told me he believes a mistake was made − that Mani should be booked for not striking the ball but should be allowed to take the penalty again.

“I’m disappointed the officiating team didn’t know the rules on that. With what’s at stake, they should know. If something happens you’re unsure on, you take time, communicate and find the right solution. It’s worrying when they don’t know what the solution is in that moment. It’s had a massive impact on the game.”

To their credit, Dale did not allow frustration to consume them. The equaliser owed everything to industry and intelligent movement, the underlapping run creating the space and the opportunity that the persistence deserved. Kyron Gordon took a touch and delivered a low ball in. It caused issues in the box and, without hesitation, there was Ryan East to place it home. In a half of uneven quality but high drama, parity felt a fair reflection − even if the defining moment had come and gone.

Ryan East at least eased Dale frustration.

Where Scunthorpe made a genuine contest of the first half, the second was played almost entirely in their territory. Dale pushed them back, sustained pressure, and asked question after question.

Yet the same flaw that surfaced at Yeovil reappeared: no decisive touch, no one to force the ball over the line. The control was there, the territory was there, but the clinical edge was not. Set pieces, especially corners, were not up to the usual standard either.

A draw was enough to send Dale back to the top of the table. And yet, as the final whistle blew, the overriding feeling was of what might have been.

It was a similar feeling to when Rochdale visited Woking earlier in the season. There they found a side, and particularly a goalkeeper, very difficult to breach, despite being the dominant side. The result was a goalless draw that, to this point, represented the only game in which Rochdale had failed to score that season. Woking arrived at Spotland for the reverse fixture in no better position than they had been that day, languishing in the lower third of the National League, and, after two consecutive draws and York’s relentless form, it was felt that another blank simply could not be afforded.

In the end, there was no ambiguity. A 3-0 victory that felt routine in the way only genuinely good teams can make it feel. Both joy and relief were palpable around Spotland at the full-time whistle.

Jim McNulty’s lone change saw Jake Burger come in for the injured Aidan Barlow, with Tyler Smith returning to the bench. The rhythm, though, was unchanged. Dale started fast, as they have so often done, and thought they had struck inside four minutes when Emmanuel Dieseruvwe turned in Callum Perry’s delivery, only to see the flag raised. It was a warning shot more than a setback.

Kyron Gordon’s afternoon had a brief farcical interlude when, after being clipped as he surged into the box, he was instead booked for simulation by referee Steven Copeland. Three minutes later, justice arrived in a more tangible form: Joe Pritchard’s corner arced to the back post, Gordon timed his run impeccably, and his header powered past Woking keeper Will Jääskeläinen. The moment had the inevitability of a training-ground routine finally executed in anger.

The second goal came eight minutes later. A move built from the back ended with Ryan East threading the ball into Dieseruvwe, whose first touch took him away from his marker before he wrong-footed Jääskeläinen and side-footed the ball calmly into the bottom corner.

Mani D knows where the goal is against Woking.

Woking never truly threatened to disturb the pattern. Dale controlled territory and tempo, with overlapping centre-backs Gordon and Perry in particular providing the thrust that kept the visitors pinned back. There was a pleasing balance, too: plenty of progression down the right, but with Dan Moss’s late arrivals from the left forcing the Woking defenders into uncomfortable decisions, a dynamic that would later earn its reward.

That reward came in the 73rd minute, when Moss was tripped as he shaped to shoot. Penalty. After the midweek drama from the spot against Scunthorpe, there was a flicker of narrative tension, but Dieseruvwe dismissed it with clinical efficiency, burying his second of the afternoon and extinguishing any remaining doubt.

Beyond the goals, this felt like a mature performance. Burger, an irresistible magnet for fouls, slowed and accelerated the game at will, even if he occasionally lingered too long on the ball. Set pieces looked dangerous again. Devante Rodney was quieter than in midweek but worked to knit himself into Dieseruvwe’s orbit. Most reassuringly, the defence rediscovered its familiar solidity, a clean sheet that mattered as much psychologically as it did mathematically.

Woking were poor on the day, but poor teams still need beating. Dale beat them with minimum fuss and maximum control, an eighth win in ten that kept them perched at the summit.

They would stay there, at least until the following Tuesday, when they crossed the Pennines to face old rivals FC Halifax. The West Yorkshire side had inflicted one of Dale’s four league defeats in the reverse fixture − other than against Hartlepool, the only one they had suffered at home − so there was a sense that something was owed.

Halifax, meanwhile, were smarting from a 4-1 humbling at York City, a result that left Dale’s advantage in the National League at a solitary point, a lead that eroded upon full-time at The Shay.

Devante Rodney had given Dale a half-time lead before Tyler Smith doubled the advantage late on. However, 87th and 92nd minute goals from the hosts saw them claim a point in dramatic fashion.

Jim McNulty made two changes to the starting line-up from the 3-0 win over Woking. Tobi Adebayo-Rowling and Aidan Barlow both returned from injury, replacing Joe Pritchard, who had a tight hamstring, and Jake Burger.

There was a sense, at half-time, that Rochdale had navigated the most awkward part of the evening.

Halifax had started the sharper. The first chances fell to the hosts and Dale were required to be alert early on, throwing in timely blocks and staying switched on under pressure. It was not a dominant opening, but it was a mature one. Gradually, Dale found a gear.

The key lay down the right. Time and again, the space between Halifax’s centre-back and left-back was exposed. Once Ryan East began driving forward with conviction, the game tilted. His perfectly weighted through ball on 15 minutes released Devante Rodney, who burst into the area and finished powerfully in off the near post. It was a goal born of spotting a weakness and repeatedly probing it until it gave way.

Kyron Gordon gets a cross in against Halifax.

From there, Dale grew into the contest. Rodney was central to everything, stretching the line, threatening in behind, and creating uncertainty. Kyron Gordon’s downward header was superbly kept out by Sam Johnson, and Rodney flashed another effort across the face of goal from an unforgiving angle. The narrow lead at the break felt deserved, though far from decisive.

The second half followed a similar rhythm. Halifax carried threat − Oliver Whatmuff was called upon to make important saves, notably from Will Harris and Josh Hmami − but Dale continued to look the more incisive side. The defensive unit remained disciplined, bodies on the line when required.

When the second goal arrived, it seemed to settle matters. Harvey Gilmour drove through the middle and fed Connor McBride, whose saved effort fell kindly for Tyler Smith. After an initial denial, Smith forced home the rebound, aided by a deflection on the line. At 2–0 late on, Dale had surely sealed the points. Surely.

And yet, football rarely follows the script a beguiled writer begins drafting in his notebook.

Harris reduced the arrears in the 87th minute, altering the atmosphere in an instant. Whatmuff had palmed the initial shot from David Kawa into the unmarked forward’s path and he easily steered home. What had felt composed now felt fragile. Then, in stoppage time, former Dale loanee Cody Johnson delivered the ball into the box. Kawa headed it on into the path of Lavery, who struck decisively in the 92nd minute. From comfort to disbelief in the space of five minutes. Two sloppy goals conceded in a fashion very unlike that seen so far by the 2025/2026 Rochdale side.

For long stretches, Dale had shown discipline and attacking intent, weathering the early Halifax pressure and exploiting the space down the right with purpose. Yet even at 2–0, this was not a performance flowing in its usual rhythm. The early withdrawal of Adebayo-Rowling disrupted the balance, with Bryce Hossanah introduced at right wing-back. His struggles there prompted a further reshuffle, Dan Moss switching flanks in what felt like little more than robbing Peter to pay Paul − solving one problem while creating another.

‘In terms of the game plan, we had Tobi out there,’ McNulty said afterwards. ‘He starts the game and then has to limp off with an injury. He’s got a slight hamstring situation there which we’ll assess. It’s an unforeseen and unfortunate change.’

The change unsettled the structure, and the removal of Emmanuel Dieseruvwe before the hour compounded it. With no natural outlet to hold the ball up, possession returned too quickly and too frequently. The control that had underpinned much of the evening became increasingly fragile. The warning signs were there, even before Halifax struck.

But the failure to see out the final moments ensured the night would be remembered less for its good points and more for its sting. A point gained on paper. Two points lost in reality.

York City, as had become habit, won yet again. This time, 3-0 away at Scunthorpe which meant, even if Rochdale should win their one remaining game in hand, the title was still in the Minstermen’s own destiny with the two teams due to play each other on the season’s final day.

Tobi Adebayo-Rowling would not be the only defensive issue McNulty would need to assess, as centre-back Liam Hogan, understudy to Ethan Ebanks-Landell for much of the season, left to join fellow National League side Morecambe.

‘An opportunity came for Liam beyond this season, which is not something that would ever have been guaranteed at this football club,’ McNulty admitted. ‘Speaking to a 37-year-old man with a family who’s given his all for us, there’s a human element to this that you need to consider. That is a position we will look to bolster and recruit immediately.’

If the fatigue of February’s relentless schedule was indeed beginning to tell on the Rochdale squad, then the prospect of travelling to Aldershot Town just four days later would scarcely have lifted spirits. Managed by former Dale boss John Coleman, the Hampshire side had lost just once in their previous 12 matches, and there was a growing sense that Rochdale had faced them at precisely the right moment earlier in the season − when Coleman was still finding his feet, but already imprinting a resilience that would soon make Aldershot difficult to beat.

There had been a touch of fortune in Dale’s 1–0 victory at Spotland, and even on that afternoon there was a hint that Coleman’s side were on an upward trajectory, destined to climb further up the National League table.

After the late sting at Halifax, there was a psychological hurdle to clear, but clear it this Rochdale side did. A 2–0 victory, secured by an eighth brace from Emmanuel Dieseruvwe, the most by one Dale player in a season since 1946/47, extended the unbeaten run to 12 and once again underlined the resilience of this team.

Jim McNulty made one enforced change, Joe Pritchard replacing the injured Tobi Adebayo-Rowling. The shape remained familiar. The intent, at least initially, was less so. The first half was scrappy. Aldershot were determined to turn the contest into something fractured and chaotic, particularly in and around Dale’s penalty area. Loose balls, second phases, awkward deliveries − it was clear the hosts had identified disorder as their ally. When Dale did win it back, the instinct was to break, but too often promising moments were undone by basic passes going astray. Retention, not incision, was the issue.

Yet this side carries a striker who requires little invitation.

The opener stemmed from defensive resolve: a strong intervention on the edge of Dale’s box regained possession, Devante Rodney surged forward, and Dieseruvwe was found in stride. Two touches, composure, and a firm finish into the near bottom corner from just outside the area.

An eighth brace of the season for Mani D.

Aldershot attempted to respond immediately but were met by a line of blue shirts and a goalkeeper in Oliver Whatmuff who, together with his defence, were alert to the second balls and ricochets that had defined the half. Even so, at 1–0, it did not feel settled. As ever, one goal rarely does.

The second half told a different story. If the first had been ragged, the second was controlled. Dale kept the ball with greater authority, moved it with purpose rather than haste, and in doing so quietened both the game and the home support. It was, in many respects, the response you would have wanted to see after Tuesday − bouncebackability indeed.

The second goal arrived via persistence. A move down the left seemed to have broken down, Dieseruvwe’s clipped pass cut out. The loose ball, however, dropped kindly. On the turn from 20 yards, he whipped it into the bottom corner. Ruthless.

From there, control hardened into comfort. Kwame Thomas headed over with Aldershot’s best opportunity five minutes after the second, but while the hosts enjoyed the majority of possession in the closing stages, they rarely looked like troubling Dale’s clean sheet. The structure held. The distances were right. The chaos was gone.

Interestingly, the closing minutes saw a brief reshuffle − Ian Henderson dropping into midfield, Harvey Gilmour pushing on, hinting at the latter worryingly carrying a knock − yet the framework was no different to previous weeks. The distinction lay in execution. This time, at 2–0, the ball was kept. And when you control the ball, you control the game. The lesson from Halifax had been absorbed swiftly.

By late afternoon, Dale were back on top of the National League table − if only temporarily. Attention turned to the 5.30pm televised kick-off, where York faced Morecambe. The latter, revitalised by former Dale manager Jim Bentley and marshalled on the field by former Dale centre-back Liam Hogan, produced a defiant display. Reduced to 10 men, a penalty saved, bodies thrown in front of everything. For long stretches, it appeared the title picture might tilt in Rochdale’s favour.

But promotion races are rarely generous. Deep into 10 minutes of added time, Ollie Banks side-footed home to return York to the summit by a single point.

And so, the month closed with the two sides remaining locked in a relentless exchange at the top. Nip and tuck. Punch for punch. Two months remaining, little margin for error.

As always, my eternal thanks to The Voice of Spotland/Dan Youngs/Rochdale AFC for use of images.