Perkins takes the match ball, Dale take another away win

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Chesterfield 3 (Downes 49, Lester 59, Rooney 90)
Rochdale 4 (Perkins 18, 39, 86, Murray 88)

A David Perkins hat-trick, his first three goals in league football, sent Rochdale two points behind the playoffs with two games in hand as they overcame Chesterfield in a scintillating game at Saltergate.

Perkins, plying his trade on the wing rather than his preferred central midfield role, broke the deadlock on 18 minutes with an unstoppable turn and shot. Five minutes before the break he doubled Rochdale’s lead with another superb individual effort. He chased a long ball into the channel, beat a defender on the byline and finished from a tight angle.

Rochdale’s hard work was undone however, by a Chesterfield side who attacked at will at the start of the second half. They pulled a goal back when Aaron Downes scored with a free header from six yards and the home side drew level when Jack Lester’s shot was deflected beyond Russell in the Rochdale goal.

Chesterfield threw everything at the visitors but it was Rochdale who stole the points thanks to Perkins hat-trick goal, a slightly deflected strike from the edge of the box, and a wonderful individual effort from Glenn Murray, carrying the ball forty yards and beating a defender and goalkeeper before firing into the empty net.

Although that was in the 88th minute the action was far from over. Chesterfield reduced their deficit in injury time through Adam Rooney’s header and in the last minute of time added on they a won corner, for which goalkeeper Barry Roche went forward, and Downes header was somehow cleared off the line by Ben Muirhead.

“It’s another tremendous three points but the 1-0 win at the weekend made me happier,” said Rochdale manager Keith Hill. “We didn’t concentrate from some set plays and in the end Ben Muirhead has cleared off the line from a set play. Both teams created a lot and it could have gone either way but to play the way we played at a place like Chesterfield is a feat in itself.”

On the subject of the hat-trick hero, Hill remarked: “If you’d said before the game that David Perkins was going to score a hat-trick I would have said you’d get better odds on me playing for England!”

Perkins himself said: “It’s a good night’s work and I’m made up and it’s a good job I scored the second one because the lads were all saying I should have cut it back! When they got back to 2-2 we could have given up but this team does not give up and I said to the lads that we’re still well in the game and it shows great team spirit and our never say die attitude.”

After a shaky start Perkins first goal settled the visitors. Chesterfield had enjoyed one or two moments in the Dale box and Janos Kovacs might have done better than to head Peter Leven’s free kick over the top. Dale’s opener was certainly against the run of play but from then on they began to show why their unbeaten away run now stretches to twelve matches.

Dale began to show more creativity and could have pulled further head but Adam Le Fondre could only head Kallum Higginbotham’s cross straight at Roche and Murray failed to get on the end of Gary Jones low cross into the six yard box by a matter of inches.

Perkins’ superb solo effort doubled Rochdale’s lead going into the break and the home fans frustrations were understandable at the half time whistle as, despite a few chances, Sam Russell had only had to turn a Leven volley round the post in the Rochdale goal.

The second half brought a different story as Chesterfield set their sights on getting back into the fixture. There was an air of inevitability about their opening goal on 49 minutes as they spent the opening four minutes of the half camped in Dale territory and Russell had already made a top draw save, clawing out Lester’s header at full stretch.

The game opened up with Rochdale refusing to go on the defensive. Le Fondre skipped past the goalkeeper but found the angle too tight to turn home and Murray missed his kick from six yards from his strike partner’s cross. Higginbotham’s long range shot then took a wicked deflection that carried the ball inches past the far upright with Roche again beaten.

From then on Chesterfield dominated and for a while it looked as though only one side could go on and win the game after the equaliser had arrived. Lester fizzed a shot past the upright and then had a goal ruled out for offside after latching onto Steve Fletcher’s header.

Substitute Jamie Ward’s free kick was headed across goal by Downes but it was just too far for Michael Barnes who turned the ball into the side netting. A fine move then saw Barnes fire straight at Russell when well placed, with the build-up coming via another Fletcher knockdown and a Lester back heel.

Rochdale scored against the run of play once more when Perkins secured his hat-trick and the Dale fans reaction suggested that they thought the points were sealed when Murray added a fourth. Little did they know what injury time had in store but somehow Rochdale clung to the three points and another memorable away day win.

Attendance: 3595

Chesterfield: Roche, Lowry (Ward 56), Kovacs, Downes, Robertson, Moloney (Picken 80), Niven, Leven, Barnes (Rooney 76), Lester, Fletcher.
Subs not used: Winter, Jordan.

Booked: Lester.

Rochdale: Russell, Ramsden, McArdle, Stanton, Kennedy, Higginbotham, Jones, Doolan (Rundle 83), Perkins, Murray, Le Fondre (Muirhead 64).
Subs not used: Spencer, Thompson, Holness.

Booked: Stanton.

Attempts (on target): Chesterfield 16 (8) Rochdale 8 (6)
Free kicks: Chesterfield 21 Rochdale 18
Offside: Chesterfield 7 Rochdale 6
Corners: Chesterfield 12 Rochdale 4

Referee: A Haines.