We're on our way to Burton Albion, in front of crowds of less than a thousand. Show me the way to Burton Albion, the FA Trophy waits for us.

Rochdale were beaten again, this time at the hands of playoff hopefuls Darlington.  I've gone on about this a lot but it really was quite obvious what was going to happen with about twenty minutes of the game gone.  The story goes, Dale play well in the first half but concede before half time undeservedly.  They then come out for the second half and play like a bunch of idiots and concede again.  We've seen this several times this season, more notably away at Carlisle and away at Wrexham.

The table is looking rather unpleasant and it could get even worse.  Dale are now below bury and Macclesfield for the first time this season and lie in 18th place, just 4 points off the relegation zone.  Rochdale's next two games are against two of the best teams in the Division as well, Northampton away and Carlisle at home.  That's followed by a huge match against Rushden, one of the teams currently in the relegation zone.

Changes were made from the team that embarrassed themselves at bury.  Ernie Cooksey and Tony Gallimore were dropped and Scott Warner and Alan Goodall returned as Dale went 4-3-3.  Chris Dagnall also started the game with Ramsden reverting back to right back with Rory McArdle going back to Sheffield Wednesday.  Dale lined up with Gilks, Ramsden, Goodall, Jackson, Griffiths, Warner, Jones, Doolan, Christie, Dagnall and Lambert.

Rochdale did look quite good in the first half by their standards and looked like they could well get a breakthrough.  Jones had an effort that flew wide of the post which was followed up by an effort that was blocked and one that was saved by the keeper.  Rochdale did seem to be limited to long range shots but it was something we'd not seen in a while, someone attack.

Darlo had their chances as well and Gilks made a very good save to keep Cooke out while the defenders waved their arms around like fairies waiting for the flag to go up.  Gilks would later become a villain again.

The home side were looking alright, much improved which automatically made me sense that a Darlo goal was coming so mentioned it to the one messageboard regular and low and behold, with about ten minutes to go before half time, bang, Darlo go 1-0 up.

Darlo broke down the right and the ball was pulled back to the edge of the box where Cooke was waiting to hit it first time and he finished it into the bottom corner, 1-0 Darlo.

The second half was poor for Rochdale and this is becoming all too familiar.  It used to be that Parkin's half time team talks worked and we could go in drawing or losing and then come back into the game.  We can't anymore and it just gets worse. 

Sure enough, with just five minutes of the half gone it was 2-0 to Darlo.  This time it was down to another Gilks cock up in fairness.  Jemal Johnson broke down the right, managed to get past Goodall and then glided into the box and hit a poor effort which was easy to save for Gilks.  But, this is Matt Gilks and nothing is easy and the ball went underneath him and into the back of the net.  Even Johnson looked surprised.  The boos rang out around Spotland as Dale went 2-0 down.

Rochdale did actually have a couple of good chances in the second half but couldn't make the most of them.  Chris Dagnall was involved in both of them.  He broke forward and was one on one with the keeper before his touch let in Shelton Martis and he blocked it and the ball fell to Iyesden Christie who seemed to have a lot of the goal to aim at.  You would expect an average striker to score it (I'd class it as an easy chance for someone like Holt or Lambert) but not Christie, he blazed it over the crossbar. 

Daggers nearly got Rochdale back in the game with a belting effort.  He outpaced the whole Darlington defence and sprinted diagonally with the ball like Michael Owen against the Argies in 98 and he powered a strike towards the far corner but a brilliant save from Russell meant we had to make do with a corner.

That was it as far as Dale chances went, Darlo took over and Dale seemingly went home.  Gary Brown gave the ball away in a dangerous area and Johnson was denied by Gilks when he should have wrapped it up.

It finished 2-0 and Parkin Out chants were heard in the Sandy and in the Main Stand I'm told.  Parkin seems to have lost the dressing room and we're not gaining any points.  Where is the next win coming from?  The relegation zone looms nearer each game and I'm not at all confident we can get enough points to stay up.

Player Ratings:

Matt Gilks 5 Mistake for the second goal, people are expecting him to make mistakes now and he's not proving them wrong

Simon Ramsden 6 Did alright, looks a good full back to me.  Don't think he could ever play central though like some people were suggesting

Alan Goodall 6 First game back for ages and did ok overall though some passing was poor and he let Johnson past him a bit too easy for the second

Mark Jackson 6 Again, not bad.  I like the fact he's talkative, not afraid to tell people when they're in the wrong

Gareth Griffiths 6 Fairly solid and although he has his critics, we miss him when he's not there

John Doolan 6 Dale's best player in the first half but was poor in the second half

Scott Warner 6 Solid in the middle and worked very hard getting stuck in

Gary Jones 7 Had several chances to put Dale in the lead from long range and he looked to attack, much better from the captain

CHRIS DAGNALL 7 Like at Macclesfield, first half he was poor but second half he was superb and looked our only chance of a goal.  There is talent there but he's at the wrong club to be able to use it

Rickie Lambert 6 Quiet night for Lambert.  His corners were superb but we couldn't make the most of them

Iyesden Christie 5 Poor game.  Don't see anything like value for money yet.

Subs:  

Ben Kitchen 6 Replaced the very poor Christie and went out wide as Dale went 4-4-2.  Did alright again and shows signs of being a useful asset next season

Gary Brown 5 Made a bad cock up which Darlo failed to capitalise on

Ernie Cooksey 6 Good game when he came on I thought.  Proved that if you put him central, he'll do alright!

Photo: Action Images

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