Dale maintained their five point lead at the top of League Two with a comprehensive 4-1 victory over Morecambe.
Chris O'Grady opened the scoring in the 12th minute following a fortuitous block from the Morecambe defence, leaving the on-loan striker the simple job of toe-poking home. Chris Dagnall doubled Dale's lead ten minutes later after superb link-up play between himself and O'Grady led to Dagnall rounding Morecambe goalkeeper Barry Roche for Dale's second. Will Atkinson headed home with little under 20 minutes to go before Wayne Curtis scored Morecambe's goal six minutes from time. Atkinson then restored Dale's three goal advantage with a neat flick just two minutes later.
Keith Hill made one change to the side that started in Saturday's draw at Crewe, with Rory McArdle coming in for Matt Flynn at right-back. The rest of the team was unchanged, with Tom Heaton making his last appearance of his current loan spell at Spotland. McArdle was at right-back, whilst Craig Dawson, Nathan Stanton and Tom Kennedy made up the rest of the back four. Jason Taylor and Jason Kennedy continued their partnership in the middle of the park, with Will Atkinson and Joe Thompson occupying the flanks. Chris O'Grady and Chris Dagnall partnered one another up top. Adam Rundle made it back onto the bench after returning from his loan spell at Rotherham.
Morecambe boss Sammy McIlroy was forced into changes of his own, with his strike partnership of Phil Jevons and Paul Mullin missing out through injury. In came Wayne Curtis and Mark Duffy to replace those two. Michael Twiss, scorer of the very late equaliser at Spotland last season, was in The Shrimps' starting line-up.
The five encounters between the two sides have produced just the one win, with that coming for Dale in April 2008. The other four have ended in stalemates, which meant Sammy McIlroy was still looking for his first victory over Keith Hill.
After a fantastic effort from the Dale groundstaff and their army of volunteers, referee Graham Salisbury gave the game the go ahead at 10.30am, and he will have had no queries with the pitch as it looked in fantastic condition following the weather it had been subject to.
The game made a lively start, but it was the visitors who were doing the initial pressing. The Dale defence couldn't get a cross into their box clear, with Tom Kennedy only clearing as far as Michael Twiss. The former Manchester United trainee struck a sweet volley on target, but Tom Heaton was equal to it to make a fine save low to his left as he turned the ball around the post for a Morecambe corner.
The opening ten minutes saw Rochdale struggling to get into their fluent rhythm, but Keith Hill's side were soon into their stride as they began to string some passes together. Following a contentious corner decision, the ball fell to Will Atkinson on the half volley who caught it well, but the ball just drifted wide of Barry Roche's right post.
Dale's possession continued, and in the 12th minute that paid off as the League leaders went 1-0 up. Will Atkinson found himself with the ball on the left before beating his man and playing a ball into Chris O'Grady's feet. He tried a shot which was blocked, but the ball fortuitously fell back to him, and he had the simple of job of toe poking the ball home to give him his 12th of the season and putting Dale a goal to the good.
That early goal was sure to settle Keith Hill's side down as they went forward in search of a second. It was that man O'Grady again, this time on the left of the box who crossed in search of his strike partner Chris Dagnall. The ball was cut out but only found its way out to Jason Kennedy on the edge of the box, but the captain's strike into the ground was easily picked up by Barry Roche.
Despite Dale's early goal, Morecambe were showing they weren't going to lie down and take a beating as they looked for a way back into the match, forcing Dale onto the back foot as only good defending denied them an instant equaliser. Up the other end, Will Atkinson found himself through on goal after a Chris Dagnall flick, but under pressure from defenders he skewed his shot wide of Roche's right post.
If Morecambe were hoping to pick up a quick equaliser, they would have to think again as in the 21st minute Chris Dagnall re-found his scoring boots as he doubled Dale's lead. Chris O'Grady had the ball played into his feet which Dagnall picked up before playing the ball back to his strike partner. O'Grady played a delightful flick over the Morecambe defence into the path of Dagnall who took the ball on and found himself one-on-one with Barry Roche. Roche had done well to narrow the angle, but Dagnall, showing great calmness, managed to round the former Chesterfield stopper before slotting home into an empty net with his left-foot. It was Dagnall's 13th goal of the season, coming on his 200th career appearance.
The key to the goal was the fantastic link-up play between O'Grady and Dagnall, which has been a key feature of Dale's recent run of form. Those two were linking up again just a minute later as Dale came mightily close to making it 3-0. They exchanged passes again, but Dagnall's touch was heavy as Dave Artell went to clear. However, Dale's leading scorer was never going to back out of the challenge and the deflection found its way to Joe Thompson on the right. He crossed looking for Chris O'Grady, but a Morecambe head cleared the ball only as far as Will Atkinson who lofted the ball back into Dagnall, but Dale's leading scorer couldn't divert the ball into the goal as he rattled the crossbar.
The two quick goals certainly seemed to have rattled Morecambe as Dale were able to get the ball down and keep possession easily, always looking for an opportunity to grab a third. They had to make sure they were aware at the back too, as The Shrimps looked for an opportunity with the ball bobbling around the Dale box at one point before Tom Heaton came out to collect the ball.
With little over ten minutes to go until half-time Dale could have been accused of easing up a little on Morecambe as the tempo in their game slowed down slightly. However, Chris Dagnall was striving to keep that tempo up and he battled superbly on the edge of the box before Jason Taylor gave the ball to Chris O'Grady on the left. He drilled a ball low into the box which troubled the Morecambe defence as Joe Thompson came in to try and tap home. However, he couldn't quite get a foot to the ball and the ball rolled clear. It certainly would have made it 3-0 with Thompson just a few yards out.
With five minutes to go in the first-half, Morecambe were forced into a change after Michael Twiss had to go off after receiving a facial cut following a challenge with Jason Taylor. On came Aaron Taylor up top for the away side, and with his first touch he had a great chance to bring The Shrimps level. Garry Hunter played a ball into him, but he dragged his right-footed shot well wide of Tom Heaton's right post.
Chris Dagnall wanted to double his tally for the game before half-time and he had a great individual effort which just drifted wide. He picked up the ball on the right before cutting inside and driving the ball just wide of Barry Roche's right post. Dagnall was at it again just before half-time as he crossed towards Chris O'Grady who did superbly to get his header on target after coming backwards, but Roche was equal to it as he tipped the ball over for a corner.
That was the last action of the first-half as referee Salisbury brought it to a close with Dale two goals to the good and looking good value for their lead.
Both sides were unchanged as they came out for the second half with Dale kicking off, hoping to maintain their lead and possibly extend it. In truth the expected five minute onslaight from the visitors never materialised and the opening exchanges of the second half were quiet.
Hill's side steadily began to get on top and the first real chance of the half duly arrived for the home side. Jason Taylor brought the ball forward after a poor clearance from Tom Heaton. He tried to play in Joe Thompson on the right but his pass was cut out before Chris O'Grady did find Thompson. He carried the ball forward then played the ball back to O'Grady whose shot produced a fine save from Barry Roche.
Just two minutes later and Rochdale were streaming forward again. Chris O'Grady flicked the ball on to Chris Dagnall who did superbly to nutmeg his man before firing off a shot which was well saved by Roche, who was keeping Morecambe in the game early on in the second half.
Morecambe were forced into another substitution in the 55th minute, with their captain Dave Artell coming off through injury to be replaced by Jim Bentley.
Chris O'Grady was proving a constant thorn in the Morecambe defence and he showed quick feet to get past Andy Parrish on the Dale left before crossing low towards Joe Thompson. However, substitute Jim Bentley was alert to cut out the cross and clear for a Dale corner.
With just over an hour played Dale thought they had a good shout for a penalty. Chris Dagnall went down under a challenge from Will Haining which brought the fans in the TDS stand to their feet in appeal, but referee Graham Salisbury waved play on as disgruntled Dale supporters slowly sat back down.
That proved to be Dagnall's last action of the game as the diminutive striker began to look a little jaded and as he was brought off to a standing ovation from the Spotland crowd. The scorer of the 2nd goal at Crewe Kallum Higginbotham was brought on up front to partner Chris O'Grady.
With little over twenty minutes to go in the game and Rochdale cruising, Morecambe were struggling to create any real opportunities. Their best chance came from a corner when Laurence Wilson rose highest to nod at goal, but Tom Heaton was equal to it as he held the ball well.
Kallum Higginbotham was showing why he has come back into the reckoning in recent weeks with the former Oldham youngster looking very lively up top. He played a neat little ball into Joe Thompson who had made a superb run through, but after Thompson had carried the ball on he produced a weak effort from just inside the box that Roche saved easily.
That was Thompson's last action of the game as Spotland welcomed back Adam Rundle after his loan spell at Rotherham, with the winger going out to the left and Will Atkinson coming over to the right.
As the game began to wind down towards the end, just under 4000 Rochdale supporters were treated to another goal, with Will Atkinson grabbing his second goal of his loan spell. Adam Rundle played in Tom Kennedy on the left after he had made the overlap. The left-back then whipped in a superb cross to the back post where Atkinson leaped above Laurence Wilson to nod home expertly past Barry Roche as Dale went 3-0 up.
If there were any doubts that the points weren't safe, there were none now as Dale took complete control of the scoreboard. However, Morecambe weren't prepared to lie down and wait for the final whistle as they went close to their first of the afternoon. Rory McArdle missed a cross from the right which fell to Mark Duffy. He took a touch and looked to bend it round Tom Heaton, but his effort just drifted wide of the stopper's left post.
Keith Hill's side had taken the foot off the gas and Morecambe began to have a few more openings as the clock ticked down. Craig Stanley had a great driven effort from distance which just flew wide of Tom Heaton's left post.
However, Heaton was beaten in the 84th minute when Wayne Curtis found the net for a consolation goal for Morecambe. Aaron Taylor played in the striker who beat Craig Dawson for pace before coolly slotting past Heaton for Morecambe' first of the game.
This gave the Shrimps a feint glimmer of hope, but that was soon wiped out two minutes later when Man of the Match Will Atkinson scored his second of the game restoring Dale's three goal advantage. Jason Taylor did well on the left before crossing low for Atkinson who tried a backheel flick in an attempt to score. He connected well but Barry Roche managed to get his body behind the ball. However, the ball span over him and rolled into the back of the net to give the scoreline an even better look.
That really did settle things and Chris O'Grady was still striving to make it look even better. He picked up an Adam Rundle flick on the left before driving at goal. However, his effort just went wide of Barry Roche's left post.
The referee brought an end to the game and Morecambe's misery after three added minutes and Dale made it 7 wins in 8 games, maintaining their 5 point lead at the top of League Two. The win also meant Dale had reached the once crucial 50 point mark, but in a season where promotion is the only thing on the mind, that fact seems of little importance.
We'll see you at Spotland on Saturday as Adam Le Fondre and Rotherham come to Spotland with Dale looking for another win.
Dale: Heaton, McArdle, Dawson, Stanton, T Kennedy, Taylor, J Kennedy, Atkinson, Thompson, O'Grady, Dagnall.
Morecambe: Roche, Artell, Stanley, Twiss, Hunter, Curtis, Drummond, Duffy, Wilson, Parrish, Haining.
Referee: Graham Salisbury (Lancashire). Assistant Referees: Andrew Smith (West Yorkshire) & David Storrie (South Yorkshire). Fourth Official: Carl Dunne (Staffordshire).
Attendance: 4,309. (382 visitors)
