Valiants frustrate leaders Rochdale

The result came on the day Rochdale sold 20-year-old winger Will Buckley to Watford for £300,000. Home debutant Andy Haworth, on loan from Blackburn Rovers, went close early on when his run at the Vale defence ended with a shot across the face of Chris Martin's goal. Chris O'Grady and Chris Dagnall combined well on 28 minutes when O'Grady picked out his strike partner's near-post run and Dagnall denied a goal by Martin's brave stop. Haworth saw another effort saved after the interval and curled another shot wide of the upright while at the other end Heaton recovered well to push away Haldane's deflected effort wide. Craig Dawson's shove in the back of Haldane should have led to a Vale penalty before the chance of the night fell to Dagnall, though the striker crashed Joe Thompson's cut back against the visitors' crossbar.