Rochdale 1 (O'Grady 79) Burton Albion 2 (Taylor 62, Harrad pen 66)

Rochdale suffered defeat in their final home game of the season. They conceded twice in four second half minutes and despite Chris O'Grady's goal they could not recover.

The defeat, a fifth in six games for Keith Hill's men, means Dale drop to third place in the League Two table, although of course their promotion was secured some time ago.

Dale created the vast majority of the chances in the first half and perhaps should have had led at the break given the quality of some of those opportunities. A Chris O'Grady shot that cannoned the top of the crossbar was the closest they came but the striker, and partner Chris Dagnall, squandered one or two more presentable chances.

Dale started brightly, winning a few early corners and enjoying plenty of the ball in and around the Burton box but they could not create anything clear cut and it was the visitors who were first to hit the target, Cleveland Taylor's volley destined for the corner before Kenny Arthur pounced to turn the ball behind.

The home side continued to push and came close to an opening goal when Gary Jones slid the ball into the box for Chris O'Grady and his shot cannoned off the top of the crossbar. That was the first of three presentable Dale chances within a couple of minutes. When Kallum Higginbotham beat his man along the byline and set up O'Grady the striker should have hit the target but hacked his finish well wide. Chris Dagnall completed the trio of opportunities when he raced clear but fired a tame finish straight at Kevin Poole in the Burton goal.

Chances continued to come and go for Rochdale, O'Grady and Dagnall squandered one each after they had meandered into the box, although they may have been better served looking for well placed team mates rather than firing tamely at goal.

Still Dale could not find the opener. On half an hour O'Grady broke the length of the field as the home side cleared a corner. He got to the edge of the Burton box before sliding the ball in for Dagnall, who brought a fine save from Poole as he looked to finish across goal.

Slowly Burton started to gather some momentum and enjoy more time on the ball but they struggled to create anything that might lead to Arthur being troubled.

The first 15 minutes of the second half brought nothing to report except that it was becoming increasingly clear that this was not a pitch conducive of flowing football. Bobbles and awkward bounces stopped the players in their tracks time and again as they looked to take control of the ball.

Then, from nowhere, came an opening goal in freak circumstances. Burton had offered very little all game and it did not look as though they would cause any further harm when Cleveland Taylor gathered the ball wide on the right. Taylor looked to pick a cross and the ball found the back of the net as it sailed over Arthur and in at the far post.

Just as last week at Hereford, one quickly became two as Dale crumbled. Steve Kabba stole a yard in the Dale box, Craig Dawson slid in to tackle and the Burton man went to ground. The referee pointed to the spot although the young centre half appeared to get a slice of the ball with his tackle. Shaun Harrad converted the penalty comfortably.

Dale sought a quick response and were nearly back in it when Jones brought a fine save from Poole with a well struck drive from the edge of the box, O'Grady turning the re-bound over the top.

A minute later Dale found a route back into the game thanks to some indecision in the Burton backline. They let a high ball bounce in their own box and O'Grady took full advantage. Poole did not know whether to stay or go, in the end he did neither, and was caught in no man's land when O'Grady lobbed the ball over him. Despite Paul Boertien's best efforts to try and hook the ball clear with an outstretched arm the linesman flagged to indicate it had gone over the line.

Dale had four minutes of injury time to rescue a draw but the closest they came was from a Jones shot easily gathered by Poole.

Attendance: 3749.

Rochdale: Arthur, Wiseman, T. Kennedy, Stanton, Toner (Thompson 64), Dawson, Jones, Taylor (J. Kennedy 67), Higginbotham, O'Grady, Dagnall (Gray 69).
Subs (not used): Fielding, McArdle, Holness, Obadeyi.

Burton Albion: Poole, Boco (Pearson 76), Boertien, James, Parkes, Penn, Simpson (Corbett 67), McGrath, Kabba, Taylor (Webster 67), Harrad.
Subs (not used): Grocott, Kelly, Knowles.