Steve Parkin's boys continued to prove that winning away from home is the easiest thing in the world, with a convincing win over the Cobblers. As the cliche goes, it really was a game of two halves, with Dale completely dominant against a poor looking Northampton side in the first half, whilst in the second, Dale did their very best to make a game of it by gifting the home side chances and blowing them down the other end.

Around five hundred Dale fans made the trip down to Northants at the impressive Sixfields Stadium, and the scenes at the end suggested that the final outcome was one of expectation rather than hope. Confidence has never been higher on the terraces (or plush new all seater stand with an expensive food bar as it was in this case). The players are also showing this confidence as they threatened to run up double figures in a first half that was more one sided than the one at Chester.

It was hard to believe that a side like Northampton could be so outplayed. They could really have conceded a hatful in the first half, as Dale had chance after chance. It was only the thickness of the woodwork, and ex Dale keeper Keith Welch who prevented Dale declaring at half time. Dale knocked the ball about with ease and they played like it would just be a matter of time before they scored. Recent dropped points at home, has had no effect whatsoever on them away from home, and they played like a team of champions. Northampton could offer little to cope with the constant one way traffic, and they failed to have a shot until just before the half time whistle, and that went many yards off target.

It was no exaggeration to say that Dale could have chalked up a cricket score. Despite a very pedantic ref who was whistle happy, especially when the decisions went the way of the home side, Dale were in full control. They had a couple of early chances, but the first real effort came when Holty had a long range effort clip the cross bar. Holt has had quite a bit of stick off Dale supporters this season, and has had accusations of being a greedy player. It is true that there has been a couple of occasions where it might have been wiser if he had decided to pass rather than try to take on everybody himself, but you cannot question his commitment and workrate which have both been outstanding in Lancashire's absence.

The first half saw Dale hit the cross bar 2 or 3 times, and see the ball cleared off the line a couple of times also. You got the feeling that Dale may have been punished if they hadn't taken advantage of their chances, but then every time Northampton tried to get into the game they failed miserably. The home fans were reduced to ironic cheering when the home side managed to string some passes together. It was great to see Dale frustrate the home side so effectively.

The breakthrough came not long before half time, following yet another sustained spell of pressure by Dale. The ball found its way to Clive Platt who was hanging around the right hand side of the penalty box. He beat one man, before firing the ball home which settled nicely in the back of the net to put Dale in the lead.

Half time couldn't come soon enough for the Cobblers, and with it brought some very bizarre scenes. Their equivalent of the Golden Gamble draw saw the winners trying to shoot the ball into the boot of a car from a distance. Given the choice of winning £500, £1000 or the car as a prize, they all chose £500. Didn't make sense to me either. You got the feeling that if we organised something similar at Spotland, we would insist on a goalkeeper being in front of the boot just to make sure. We wouldn't have needed them, as the fans who had a go, proved themselves to be worse than the home side.

The second half saw the Cobblers looking a far better outfit, after an expected roasting off under pressure Town manager Ian Atkins, though despite great spells of possession they offered little to suggest that our lead would be under pressure. Despite the height advantage of the home side, Edwards collected everything in the air.

Dale had attacks on the break, and should really have taken advantage and increased their lead. Town were short on numbers as we attacked on the break, but we never really had a threatening effort. We forced a series of corners, and ex Claret Howey saved a goal when he headed an Atkinson cross wide.

Peake and Flitcroft were magnificent in midfield as they bossed everything. The Cobblers found no way through the middle, and had to go down the wings where they came up against a defensive wall in our full backs Evans and Searle who were magnificent in keeping them out.

Searle however almost proved to be the villain of the piece when he passed the ball back to Edwards, only to see it go straight to a Northampton attacker. However, despite his time and space on the ball, he was soon closed down, and saw his effort cleared off the line acrobatically by a Dale defender, when the home fans were already celebrating. Northampton pressed in the last few minutes, spurred on by the ref's decision to play three minutes of injury time, despite no stoppages. One attack looked to have saved the day for the home side, but again the ball was scrambled away.

So Dale go second after this win which gives them five away wins out of five this season, and still to concede a goal on their travels. All eyes are now on next Saturday's match with Barnet. Is it too early to call it a title decider?

Dale: Edwards, Evans, Searle, Green, Hill, Ford (Carden), Flitcroft, Peake, Atkinson, Holt (Dowe), Platt
man of the match: Jason Peake. He is playing the best football of his career, and he is not afraid to get stuck in when needed

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