Dale recorded their second win on the bounce with a late show against Dagenham at Spotland.
Temitope Obadeyi put Dale ahead with his first goal for the club after Tony Roberts could only parry Gary Jones' shot just eight minutes in, but the Dagenham equalised shortly after through Josh Scott.
Dale couldn't find a way past Dagenham for the second goal until the final ten minutes when Gary Jones scored his first of the season with a great effort from outside the area. Chris O'Grady then made the game safe in injury time with a tap-in at the back post.
Following a two week break, Keith Hill's players were well rested and this meant the Dale boss could name an unchanged side from the one that overcame Crewe 2-0 two weeks ago to the day. Frank Fielding was in goal, with Scott Wiseman, Craig Dawson, Nathan Stanton and Tom Kennedy in the back four. Gary Jones and Jason Taylor were put together in midfield, with Will Atkinson and Temitope Obadeyi on the wings. Chris O'Grady and Chris Dagnall were up top for the league leaders.
It was welcome to see Dale get back into action after a blank Saturday last weekend, and with fresh legs throughout the camp the home crowd were perhaps expecting a lively start from Keith Hill's men.
However, it was the away side that had the first effort on goal, although it was originally meant to be a cross by Dagenham left-back Damien McCrory. His swung his left boot at the ball which looked to trouble Frank Fielding for a moment, before the ball sailed comfortably over the crossbar.
It was a slow start from both sides in the opening eight minutes, but that changed as the game entered the 9th minute as Dale took the lead.
Neat work down the left from Will Atkinson and Gary Jones led to the former putting in a low cross to Chris Dagnall who couldn't control, but the ball fortuitously popped out to Gary Jones who struck a fierce shot which was well saved by Dagenham 'keeper Tony Roberts. However, he could only parry as far as Temitope Obadeyi who had the simple task of tapping home into an empty net for his first Dale goal.
That was exactly what Dale needed to get off to a good start in order to settle any nerves there may have been. However, Dagenham could have equalised just a minute later when a free-kick was swung to back post, but Jon Nurse couldn't bundle the ball home.
That miss didn't matter just thirty seconds later when the away side did equalise through Josh Scott. Nathan Stanton took too long on the ball and was robbed by Jon Nurse who drove down the right. He squared for Scott who had an even easier task than Obadeyi as he slid home past Frank Fielding.
Two early goals always sets the game up for an enthralling encounter and games between these two sides always produces goals. Jason Taylor attempted to restore Dale's lead two minutes later but his drive from the edge of the area was always rising over the crossbar.
Dale were showing an unfamiliar trait of giving the ball away cheaply with a few stray passes creeping into their game. It was Dagenham who had the better of the opening twenty minutes but the Dale of this season can always produce something out of nothing and there was always that danger that the away side had to be wary of.
The two early goals seemed to buck the trend of the game as it once again slowed down and didn't bring good chances for either side. Chris Dagnall did have an effort in the 24th minute when Chris O'Grady set the ball back for him, but his effort was poor and never troubled Tony Roberts in the Dagenham goal.
Dale did have a great chance to retake the lead in the 34th minute through Chris O'Grady. He did well down the left to beat Scott Doe before playing the ball across the face of goal, but his cross-shot evaded the goal as well as Will Atkinson at the back post. The same happened a minute later through the same man, although O'Grady's effort came from a deeper position, but again Atkinson couldn't reach it.
Keith Hill's side were starting to get more of a grip on the game as half-time approached. Gary Jones lofted a ball over the top of the Dagenham defence for Chris Dagnall to chase. It bounced up high towards the edge of the area but Dagnall managed to get a head on it. However, Tony Roberts came out well and got a punch on it, but only as far as Chris O'Grady who directed to the ball towards goal before it was cleared by Scott Doe a few yards out.
Dale will not have wanted to see half time and Gary Jones was next to try his luck. He hit a shot from the edge of the area with real venom and swerve which Tony Roberts uncomfortably dealt with as he just managed to turn the ball round the post.
The first booking of the game as the fourth official signalled for one minutes of added time. Peter Gain was booked for a foul just inside his own half, but the resulting free kick from Tom Kennedy came to nothing.
That was the last action of the half as referee Wright blew for half-time with Dale taking a while to get in the game but looking the most likely to score as the half came to a close.
The second half took a while to get going and the first chance of the second period, much like the first half, came from a cross-cum-shot from the Dagenham left. Graeme Montgomery drove a cross towards the box which swerved wildly at goal and just evaded the goal of Frank Fielding.
It was Dagenham who were having the better of the opening ten minutes. This prompted Keith Hill into bringing on Kallum Higginbotham for Temitope Obadeyi on the right. Higginbotham scored the equaliser at Dagenham earlier this season when Dale came from behind to win 2-1.
He was hoping to have the same sort of impact in this fixture and he managed to set up Chris Dagnall in the 59th minute as Dale looked to go ahead again. He did well against Damien McCrory on the right and drove into the box before picking out Dagnall on the penalty spot, but the strikers shot went over Tony Roberts's crossbar. Dagnall will have been hoping to do better from range as Dale began to look livelier.
Dagenham were still proving to be a threat and Josh Scott came very close to putting his side ahead with his second of the game. He drove in from the right before unleashing a left foot shot which Frank Fielding had to be alert to tip over for a corner kick.
Neither side could carve out a proper chance and this prompted Keith Hill to bring on Jason Kennedy for Jason Taylor as he hoped to prize open the Dagenham defence.
With fifteen minutes to go in the game Dale had a superb chance to go 2-1 up through Chris O'Grady. Kallum Higginbotham found himself in the hole behind the Dagenham midfield before slipping in O'Grady, but his right foot shot was sliced well wide of the Dagenham goal.
With little over ten minutes remaining Dale made their third and final substitution with Andrew Haworth coming on for Will Atkinson on the left side.
Dale were looking the more likely to score the next goal and Chris Dagnall had a great chance to do so when he struck a volley at goal which just flew past Tony Roberts' left post.
That was a close shave for Dagenham but they couldn't do anything in the 81st minute when Gary Jones scored his first goal of the season to put Dale 2-1 up. Jason Kennedy fed the ball to the right where Jones was and 25 yards out he struck a sweet shot into the bottom corner where Tony Roberts could do nothing to keep it out.
Keith Hill will have been hoping his side didn't concede straight after the goal as they did with the first but the Dagenham defence were standing off Dale as they were allowed to play the ball about with ease. The impressive substitute Andrew Haworth had a good effort from the edge of the area which just flew past the Dagenham goal.
Four minutes of added time were signalled by the fourth official and just two minutes into that Dale made the game safe through Chris O'Grady. Chris Dagnall broke free all alone in the Dagenham half and he bore down on Tony Roberts in a one-on-one situation. However, Roberts stood tall and forced Dagnall out wide before Daggers had a shot which deflected into the path of Chris O'Grady at the back post as he tapped home with ease.
It was game over as far as Dagenham were concerned and the referee brought the game to a close with Dale moving five points clear of Bury with a game in hand.
It's Bradford at Spotland next on Tuesday as Dale look to extend their winning run to three games.
Dale: Fielding, Wiseman, Dawson, Stanton, T Kennedy, Taylor, Jones, Atkinson, Obadeyi, O'Grady, Dagnall.
Dagenham: Roberts, McCrory, Doe, Arber, Green, Nurse, Scott, Ogogo, Montgomery, Pack, Gain.
Attendance: 3,153.
