Dale force for the playoffs

Last updated : 25 May 2007 By Gary Moss

Final Position: 9

Top Goalscorer: Chris Dagnall (16)

Player of the Season: It is to hard to split Glenn Murray and Chris Dagnall

The front pair have scored thirty-one Rochdale goals between them this season and have been the main reason for Dale's mid-season turnaround.

Murray from Stockport and Dagnall from Tranmere were both bought on board in the transfer window and their impact has been instant.

Dagnall...Tranmere's loss

At Christmas, Rochdale were looming worryingly just above the drop zone but a series of great results soon had them competing for a play-off place come the final games of the league season.

Murray (23) and Dagnall (21) have formed one of the most potent partnerships in the division scoring the goals that have fired them rapidly up the league ladder.

The two feed off each other superbly. Their ability to create as well as having a keen eye for goal has transformed their season and makes them strong contenders for overdue promotion next season.

Against Notts: Notts first met Rochdale in only Steve Thompson's fourth game in charge of the Magpies.

Alan White's 51st minute goal at Spotland maintained County's unbeaten start to the League Two season.

Dale stopper Mat Gilks stopped it being many more on an afternoon that the home side failed to threaten until the dying stages.

In the return game, Dale got their revenge.

Glenn Murray and Ben Muirhead netted for the visitors as Rochdale recorded their first ever win at Meadow Lane.

Jason Lee had put County in front eight minutes after the re-start but goals for the visitors in the final seven minutes of play chalked up a richly deserved win for the travellers.

Defining Moment: Back to back 4-0 wins over Boston United and Grimsby Town marked the beginning of Rochdale's revival.

Six different scorers in the two games gave Dale a much needed lift for them to turn what looked to be a relegation threatened season in the early stages.

The wins came just after the appointment of Keith Hill as Rochdale boss after the departure of Steve Parkin.

The thumping victories began a fine run of form for the second half of the season.

Highlight: Rochdale lost just one of their last eight league games in a last ditch effort to reach the play-off's.

They overcame Hartlepool, Lincoln and thrashed Macclesfield 5-0 but in the end just narrowly missed out on a chance of going up. To even be contesting at that end of the division was such a success considering their woeful start.

Lowlight: After the departure of Steve Parkin, fans must have feared the worst.

Dale looked very little better than hopeless as they struggled to hoist themselves from danger.

A run of just one win in fourteen including a 7-1 thumping away at Lincoln saw Rochdale in huge trouble.

The Mad Verdict: Boss Keith Hill has worked miracles to turn Rochdale around this season.

Never have I seen one side play such contrasting football over one season.

Murray... scored against Notts
The turnaround has been unthinkable. After over 30 years in the fourth tier of the English leagues, Dale's latter form has at last given a hint of the club actually going somewhere.

From the turn of the year, their form was champion's pedigree. They won 13, drew 6 and lost just 3 in their end of season run in. To think they finished ninth shows how poor they were at the beginning of the campaign. Had they made the play-off's they'd probably be strong favourites such would there momentum have been.

I tipped them to finish bottom of League Two at Christmas- How wrong could I be?

What's Next? After their post Christmas form surely they'll target a play-off place next season.

If Murray and Dagnall can build on their so far impressive partnership, Dale could be a force to be reckoned with next season.

Rochdale have without doubt been the division's most improved outfit and if they can maintain their end of season form over the course of the coming campaign who knows where they'll end up.