So it was probably a good time to be playing a Northampton side, still without a manager and on the back of three defeats. Of course, Dale mentality states that the opposition losing three on the trot means they are due a win and our visit was bound to kick start their season.

But the form book ruled, as Dale gained a very much deserved victory against a sorry looking Northampton side which lacked ideas and invention from start to finish. No doubt, there will be Northampton fans who felt they deserved something from the game due to their second half possession, but the reality is over the full ninety minutes we were good value for our win, and should really have added to our two goal tally.

Talk of our forward line being wiped out injury, illness and plague proved to be something of a Dave Flitcroft mind game, and we lined up with exactly the side that you'd have expected us to as we looked to win our third game in four. The only surprise in our line up was the black shorts which look far better than their white counterparts.

Northampton lined up with Akinfenwa up front. He's looking like a player who feels he is above such menial tasks such as training or fitness work. He's a big name player for this level, but he's an even bigger player and he must be severely lacking in any sort of self respect to be going through the motions like he is at Sixfields.

Also in their line up was former Man Utd starlet John Curtis, who I've never forgiven for letting me down on Championship Manager back in the 1990's. Perhaps he can look forward to trading Beckham stories with Sol when Sven's boys come to town.

The first half was all Dale and the Cobblers didn't get a look in under the Indian Summer's day at Sixfields. It perhaps wasn't quite the Dale mastershow that we produced at Northampton back in 1999 to get rid of Ian Atkins, but we looked calm, confident and completely focused right from the first start as we kicked away from the end housing the 400ish Dale supporters.

The difference between the two sides seemed to be that Dale were playing with a purpose, whilst Northampton were just there. We had a game plan of how we were going to win, whilst they seemed to be merely running out with the plan of effort and hope.

It was your traditional good football by Dale with most of the play at the hill end. So much play was down there that some of the picnic types on that slope gave up and went home given how little of the play they could see.

We had a flurry of half chances but nothing to overly worry any of the home fans but the pressure was mounting and nobody was particularly surprised when the again impressive Chris O'Grady opened the scoring for Dale.

A Will Buckley run down the left saw a low cross into the box. Dagnall dragged his marker with him, allowing O'Grady to ghost in and steer the ball home from around the penalty spot to give him only his third goal since leaving Rotherham many moons ago.

The goal, aside from the usual and immediate two minute spell in which we invite the opposition onto us, made little impact on the passage of play and simply came across as business as usual from ourselves, and arguably business as usual from Northampton who were staring at their fourth successive defeat on the trot.

The home side did manage a shot on goal with about five minutes of the half to go but it was far from being a case of hearts in the mouth.

Half time brought the increasingly common show of cheerleaders including one young lad who seemed to decide halfway through that he wasn't playing any more. Not that I was watching the Cheerleaders. Honest. Was just wondering what a twelve foot tall skittle was doing on the pitch.

The second half saw a couple of subs by the home side as they tried to get back into a game and the introduction of Gutteridge gave us something to think about.

Indeed, Northampton certainly got back into the game and at times they had plenty of possession but found a resolute Dale defence. Akinfenwa proved to be a real handful and his tussles with Stanton were worth the admission price alone. It has to be said that Stanton showed a real maturity and it would have been easy to be drawn into the tackle by the rather large striker but Stanton was more than content to allow him to have his back to goal and wait for one of our marauding midfielders to drop back and take it off him.

But if there were concerns over the possession, they weren't easing. We found ourselves putting pressure on ourselves by allowing Northampton to scoop up the second ball all the time and many a clearance followed up with a second chance for the home side.

Town weren't looking dangerous though. For all their possession in good areas, they weren't testing the Dale goal, and even up until the hour mark, they'd probably only had the one effort on goal.

I say the hour mark, as that was when they had their second effort on goal with which they scored. A corner came in and was partially cleared by Akinfenwa fed someone other than himself by giving the ball to Gilligan who's low drive beat everyone in a crowded six yard box to put things on level terms.

At this point, we knew what the script was saying and the Northampton caretaker manager Ian Sampson was no doubt mentally putting this goal down as his Mark Robins moment. We don't do scripts in Rochdale.

Within a minute, we should have been back in the lead with what is usually described as being a sitter. A good challenge on Dagnall in the Cobblers box followed by a slight pull back on him saw him do well to retain possession and feed in Gary Jones for a fierce drive at the hapless Cobblers keeper. The ball rebounded to Dagnall who arguably had too much time and space and he saw his effort creep just past the far post.

But any embarrassment on his part didn't last long, as a couple of minutes later we were back in front with the first nomination for this year's goal of the season competition. Dagnall was this time the provided as he gave Will Buckley the ball who beat a couple of men outside the box before aiming for that top corner. It nestled beautifully in the back of the net. Outstanding stuff from a position where a shot wasn't even on. Unstoppable.

The script would no doubt have mentioned Northampton heads dropping and Dale adding to their tally as we picked them off at will, but as mentioned above, scripts aren't really our thing, and Town came close to grabbing a second equaliser.

Sub Steve Guinan's headed effort had goal written all over it and personally I'd given up on it, only to see my hopes rescued with an "Ooh" from the home fans rather than cheering.

That effort proved to be their last of any note and despite a few nervy moments, we continued to hold on with a constant threat of taking them on the counter attack despite some very weary legs in the Dale team.

Four minutes of added time appeared from out of nowhere which could only have been the otherwise outstanding referee adopting the playground rule of playing until the next goal, and despite possession, we looked increasingly comfortable as the seconds passed by.

Late sub Dale Stephens showed a remarkable moment of calmness, as within a split second of Northampton pressure, he somehow turned and provided himself with an acre of empty space.

Will Buckley had a late run and you could see him battling with his natural instincts to go for goal. In the end, he gave in to team orders and went to the corner flag. It must have hurt, but the pain was eased by the final whistle as Dale picked up the first win on the road since March, and it was undoubtedly a thoroughly deserved win.

And if matters weren't bad enough for the home side, the tannoy man's half time joy at Peterborough losing 2-0 at home might have been slightly dampened as news filtered through that they'd come back to win 3-2. Even the Footballing Gods operate in Southern soulless industrial estates.

So another good day at the office for Dale and a game where you could pick any one from half a dozen for our best player. Solid at the back throughout, dominant in midfield, inventive out wide and our front two causing problems for the home defence. That'll do.