CHRIS DAGNALL’s spectacular return to first-team action offered Rochdale a welcome boost in their pursuit of a play-off finish – but Keith Hill insists the squad needs fresh blood before tomorrow’s loan signing deadline.

Striker Dagnall started the Easter Monday clash against Rotherham on the bench but came on midway through the second half with the score at 1-1. Millers’ manager Mark Robins – himself no slouch in front of goal – said Dagnall looked as though he’d never been away as the Dale man netted a hat-trick in the last 10 minutes of a close contest.

Out since September with a knee ligament injury, Dagnall’s heroic comeback kept Dale within one point of seventh-placed Chesterfield with three games in hand. The Spotland outfit are within touching distance of their goal, but boss Hill feels the small squad could use some help in crossing the line.

"The players will get a rest this week after playing two games in three days, but Dave and myself won’t," said Hill. "The deadline for loan signings closes tomorrow and we need a few more bodies.

"We have the nucleus of a good squad but we do need extra bodies in with respect to injuries, the

possibility of having three extra games to play, tiredness and lack of form. It’s important we do that work, but we will only recruit the right type of players."

With James Spencer carrying a groin injury and Sam Russell ruled out for the rest of the season to have an operation on his broken finger, Hill desperately needs a goalkeeper. Tommy Lee has played the last two games after signing an emergency loan deal from Macclesfield, and if he is not available to Dale for the rest of the campaign, Hill will turn his attention elsewhere.

Dale lost 1-0 at Notts County on Saturday, but bounced back in style against Rotherham, Dagnall ultimately proving the difference between the teams.

"I know what Chris Dagnall is all about," said Hill. "He has not trained as much as he possibly could or should do, but this was a must-win game for us. A couple of hours before kick off Daggers knocked on my door and asked me what was the script. To be honest, he wrote his own script.

"The timing of the substitutions was good, I think Rene Howe and Adam Le Fondre gave us everything they possibly could and their centre halves were tiring – the double introduction of Lee Thorpe and Chris Dagnall worked to good effect.

"It was a very open game, very expansive in the first half. They created opportunities and so did we. I’m glad they came and played with that sort of attitude because ultimately it does give us opportunities.

"Thorpe was superb and it’s great to have him back in the squad. He’s been absent for the last two or three weeks and he’s integral to what we want to achieve in the remaining nine games. All the results went for us on Monday, so what was doom and gloom on Saturday is now an on-top-of-the-world feeling.

"That’s football. It’s a rollercoaster game we work in and it’s going to be a rollercoaster for the next nine games."

Hill’s troops travel to London this weekend for a meeting with Brentford, themselves harbouring hopes of a late run at the play-off places.

"There wasn’t an awful lot wrong with our last away performance, but for the result," he said.

"We were encouraged by the endeavour and just needed a little bit more thought and quality against teams fighting for their lives and sitting in deep.

"We’re not going to get that going to Brentford because they will want to win the match and will feel they have an opportunity to get into the play-offs. We go there full of effort and desire to achieve our end goal, and that is to get into the play-offs."