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Rochdale 4 Rotherham 1

Mike Brookes
24/ 3/2008

ROCHDALE striker Chris Dagnall produced a Roy of the Rovers performance by returning after a six-month injury lay-off to score an eight minute hat-trick from the bench.

Dale had fallen behind through a sixth-minute Marc Joseph header but equalised on the half-hour through skipper Gary Jones.

Manager Keith Hill threw on Dagnall in the 70th minute and the little striker - who has recently recovered from a cruciate ligament operation - reignited his side's drive for the League Two play-offs.

Dagnall's first came on the 80th minute, when he finished from close range after good work by fellow sub Lee Thorpe.

He then rifled home from 15 yards with his right foot five minutes from time, and completed a stunning hat-trick with a left footed curler on 89 to leave manager Keith Hill full of smiles.

"I know what Chris is all about and though he hasn't done much training this was a must win game for us," Hill said.

"He came knocking on my door at 12.45pm asking what was the script and then went away and wrote it himself."

With results going their way Dale find themselves just one point off the play-off places with three games in hand and their destiny very much in their own control.