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  • Kick-off: 15:00
  • Venue: Spotland Stadium
  • Attendance: 2985
  • Referee: Woolmer, A

Live Commentary

90 mins

That's it, it's all over, the referee has blown the final whistle.

90 mins

Ryan Taylor is booked for unsporting behaviour.

90 mins

Goal!! Rochdale have scored with Chris Dagnall putting it in the back of the net.

86 mins

Goal!! Rochdale have scored with Chris Dagnall putting it in the back of the net.

81 mins

Goal!! Chris Dagnall scores for Rochdale.

78 mins

Rotherham are replacing Peter Holmes with Ian Ross.

77 mins

Peter Holmes is booked for unsporting behaviour.

71 mins

The referee has booked Lee Thorpe.

68 mins

Adam Le Fondre is replaced by Chris Dagnall.

65 mins

Rene Howe is being taken off, Lee Thorpe has come on in his place.

60 mins

Rotherham are replacing Derek Holmes with Marc Newsham.

57 mins

Danny Harrison is booked for unsporting behaviour.

54 mins

Ben Muirhead is replaced by Chris Basham.

52 mins

Rotherham are replacing Jamie Yates with Ryan Taylor.

46 mins

The second half is under way with the score currently at 1 v 1.

45 mins

Half time whistle is blown by K Wright

30 mins

Goal!! Gary Jones scores for Rochdale.

7 mins

Goal!! Marc Joseph scores for Rotherham.

0 mins

The ref has blown his whistle and the match has started.

Match Report

Rochdale striker Chris Dagnall produced a fairytale return from injury, climbing off the bench to score a nine-minute hat-trick and re-ignite his team's charge for the play-offs.

Dagnall had been out since the end of September, having undergone surgery on a damaged cruciate knee ligament and had only been back in training for ten days before manager Keith Hill bravely threw him back into the fray.

In an open game Rotherham took the lead after only six minutes when defender Marc Joseph headed home a Peter Holmes corner.

Dale hit back on the half hour when inspirational skipper Gary Jones burst into the box and rifled home after good play by Rene Howe.

With the home side very much on top, Hill introduced Dagnall and fellow striker Lee Thorpe midway through the second half and their partnership paid real dividends.

On 81 minutes, Thorpe held up the ball well in the box, before finding Dagnall, who controlled it in an instant before firing home from six yards with his left foot.

Five minutes later, after good work by another substitute, Chris Basham, Dagnall produced excellent footwork to evade a challenge and then fire home with his right foot from 12 yards.

By now Rotherham were a completely spent force and Dagnall finished them off in the 89th minute, controlling a wonderful 50-yard Tom Kennedy pass with his right foot and instantly curling the ball into the net with his left from the edge of the penalty area.

With other results going their way, Rochdale are once again just one point away from the play-off places, with three games in hand over most of their rivals and have their destiny very much in their own hands.

Rochdale Team

Rotherham United Team

Rochdale

Rotherham United

Corners

3 5

Fouls

10 13

Goal attempts

11 12

Shots off target

4 4

Offsides

6 3

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