Fleetwood Town 0 - 3 Rochdale

Rochdale made it back-to-back away wins against play-off chasing sides after comfortably dispatching of Fleetwood Town to virtually secure their League 2 status.

Ian Henderson netted his second in two games after being picked out by George Donnelly before Donnelly doubled Dale’s lead.

Josh Lillis saved an Andy Mangan penalty after Michael Rose tussled with Jamille Matt and home defender Nathan Pons was sent off for an off the ball scuffle with Bobby Grant.

Jason Kennedy fired a terrific third in the final minute to secure the points.

Dale boss Keith Hill made one change from the Bank Holiday Monday win at Exeter, Joe Rafferty preferred at right back with Michael Rose switching to the left, Kevin McIntyre on the bench. With on loan Joe Thompson’s recall to parent club Tranmere, youngster Joel Logan stepped in as sub.

Still not completely safe from the drop, Dale started the game on the front foot, a trait that would continue throughout as they dominated.

Nathan Pond’s timely interception as Grimes struck inside two minutes was needed with the strikers’ effort looking goal bound.

Seconds later and George Donnelly will feel he should have scored with a free header but the striker, coming up against his former club, saw his effort pushed away by the keeper.

With the visitors in the ascendency, it was no surprise when they took the lead. A Fleetwood corner was defended away to Bobby Grant who in turn picked out Donnelly down the right. The striker turned provider with Ashley Grimes and Ian Henderson unmarked in the box with the former hitting a first time shot beyond Scott Davies in the Fleetwood net.

Hill’s side were enjoying their day in the cold sunshine of the Fylde coast.

Grimes was again left frustrated by Pond as the defender blocked well again after Grant’s pull back.

Josh Lillis had to be alert when Junior Brown’s deflected shot almost caught him out but the stopper re-adjusted to tip over.

With five minutes to go before the break, Dale should have doubled their lead via the usually reliable Bobby Grant. Joe Rafferty’s shot deflected out to Grant inside the area and when faced with Davies, he weakly shot allowing the save to be made.

The second half was much of the same Rochdale pressure.

Donnelly’s pace caused problems for the lumbering Fleetwood defence and soon after the re-start, he got away again but his shot hit his own player in Henderson who was acting as decoy.

Just after the hour mark and Hill's men did get the second their play deserved. Grant's perfectly weighted through ball to Donnelly gave the striker a yard and although his first shot was saved, he continued his running to smash home from four yards despite former Dale loanee Ryan Edwards’ best attempts.

The home fans felt they should have had a penalty when Shane Cansdell-Sherriff tangled with Jamille Matt inside the area but referee Bates waived play on.

Donnelly was denied a brilliant second when Davies flung himself to stop the striker's volley.

The turning point of the game came with 11 minutes left of the 90. Michael Rose got in a tangle with Matt outside the area and appeared to be pushed over but as play continued, the home striker fell over the prone body of Rose with assistant Mr Hart signaling for a penalty. Half time substitute Andy Mangan stepped up but Lillis guessed the correct way to brilliantly save.

Had that spot kick gone in then the last 10 minutes would have been a different story but frustrations began to set in with the Fleetwood players. Nathan Pond was shown a second yellow card for an off the ball incident with Bobby Grant to end any hopes of a fight back.

With the clock ticking down inside the final minute, Jason Kennedy put the icing on the cake with a sweet finish from 20 yards. Cavanagh’s ball into Kennedy’s feet allowed him to roll his marker before unleashing a unstoppable strike in the top corner for his sixth of the campaign.

It was a thoroughly deserved three points for Hill’s men who now sit eight points clear of the bottom two with most of the teams below only having three games left.

Keith Hill said: "Nobody will complain about the result.

"I’m glad we there were so many supporters here to see what we as a team are capable of achieving.

"We stuck to the plan and the players showed 100% commitment. The players are buying into what I want. There has been a lot of information exchanged between myself and the players. There have been a lot of verbal fights but we have got through together.

"The results today and on Monday [against Exeter] show that I’m right. We are going in the right direction.

"At half time we should have been two or three goals to the good.

"We got the second and then they got the penalty which was well saved. It could have changed the momentum but luckily it didn’t, we then scored an excellent third.

Attendance: 2954

Rochdale: Lillis, Rafferty, Edwards, Cansdell-Sherriff, Rose, Cavanaugh (Barry-Murphy 90), Kennedy, Grant, Donnelly (Gornell 90), Henderson, Grimes
Subs: (not used) Collis, McIntyre, Howarth, Logan, Thomas

Fleetwood: Davies, Pond, Matt, Nicholson, Brown, Goodall, McLaughlin, McGuire, Edwards, Evans (Crowther 54), McKenna (Mangan 46)
Subs: (not used) Evans, Amankwah, Dawson, Moore-Taylor