We may have been three years ahead as a club, but on the night we were light years ahead of them on the pitch. The home side were outmuscled, outthought, outbattled outpassed and simply outplayed by a Rochdale side showing just the right balance of intelligence and hunger, without ever really getting out of second gear. The fact we stepped it up at will, without ever coming close to what we know we are capable of is proof of the gulf between the two sides.

And it was just as well. For with snow falling elsewhere, and Nottingham proving that old line about it being too cold for snow, we had to have something to make our £20 entrance fee worthwhile. Value for money? It makes Hooters look like Aldi.

The first half was pretty uneventful. Not a bad half, and it was certainly a half where the majority of football was played in the County half, but it was a half that lacked any sort of serious chances.

There were two main efforts in the first half. One was a good effort by Gary Jones which got a touch on the woodwork as it went out of play, and the second came via a Joe Thompson header, which required an excellent save from Russell Hoult as time ran out in the first half.

The home side offered very little in reply and we looked like we may well have been collecting our first clean sheet since the opening day of the season.

So halfway there, ready for the second half onslaught and then from out of nowhere, the home side were gifted a penalty in the opening seconds of the second half.

Make no mistake, the penalty decision was possibly the worst decision you'll see in years. The only person to appeal for the penalty was the man with the whistle, with both sets of players perplexed at the decision. Their bloke Weston was deemed to have fouled by Wiseman but he just ran into him and if anything any decision should have gone our way. But never second guess a referee.

Jamie Forrester stepped up to take the spot kick and continued to be the thorn in our side he has been over the years by sticking it to the right of an outstretched Sam Russell. 1-0 to the home side.

Was that goal going to break us? Not in a million years, and it was nothing more than a minor set back on our way to collecting three points.

Enter Lee Thorpe.

Now Lee Thorpe has been drafted in to do a job. Back in January, he may well have been seeing out time at Brentford before calling an end to his days as a footballer in the Football League, but Hill and Flicker have provided him with an Indian Summer to his career.

But that Indian Summer involves being the big target man up front, and basically acting as a battering ram providing the scraps for Dagnall or Alfie to take advantage of.

Not tonight. In this game, Lee Thorpe had it all. Goals from the edge of the box, rounding the keeper and I swear at one point I saw him beating the right back for pace. That wasn't in the script.

The equaliser was coming. Sub Will Buckley nearly grabbed when he broke into the box, and with Dagnall in an arguably better position, he opted to shoot but it was no bother for the County keeper Hoult.

But we maintained our ascendancy and got what was very much deserved to us. The home side were on both back feet, and we were finding space at will. Lee Thorpe received the ball at the edge of the box and after looking up and seeing no one in a better position than himself, he decided to shoot. Hoult was nowhere and we were back on level terms.

At this point, Thorpe was clearly getting carried away and memories of a failed scissor kick were long forgotten. He was on fire, and in his head he clearly thought he was a 27 old cross between Alan Shearer, Cristiano Ronaldo and Pele (but without the need for the little blue pills), as he continued to get stuck into them.

And it was Thorpe who grabbed the highly merited winner. Finding space yet again, he broke clear of the defence and with just the keeper to beat, he decided to round him, and from a bit of tightish angle, it went from might to could to should to it's in. Three points in the bag, job done.

And that was pretty much it. Apart from the last couple of minutes got a bit hairy, in more ways than one. We faced a couple of corners, one of which saw the home side have a free header which sailed nicely into the former away end, which isn't half as noisy as it is with 50 away fans in it. The relief showed on the faces of the travelling Dale support as that ball went out of play, whilst the home fans looked like they'd just had a message from Russell Brand on their answerphone. The game was up.

We also had Rundle completely taken out down by the corner flag which had the referee heading to his back pocked straight away, only to change his mind and go with the yellow. Obviously wanting to keep up his no red card record. Shame he didn't have a no crap penalties record.

But the result was never in any sort of doubt and that final whistle made the break downs, sub zero conditions and exorbitant admission prices all worthwhile. £20 for an away win? Cheap at twice the price.

So we made it three wins on the trot, and the momentum keeps kicking on. You get the feeling that the backslapping won't last overly long, and there's a real urgency for the next game right now. Brentford, here we come.