After falling behind shortly before the hour mark, substitutes Ian Henderson and Luke Hannannt netted to secure a 2-1 win over Wealdstone that takes Jimmy McNulty’s men to 102 points.
The Head Coach made two changes to the starting line-up from Easter Monday’s draw at Hartlepool United. Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, who returned from injury in that game, started for the first time since February, with Tyler Smith also named in the eleven.
Dale created a couple of openings in the first ten minutes, with Dan Moss sending a back-post header wide and Mani Dieseruvwe testing Wealdstone goalkeeper Dante Baptiste from range.
The Dale striker did have the ball in the back of the net, but the offside flag had already gone up against him from Adebayo-Rowling’s through ball.
The wing-back then shot into the side netting after racing down the right channel, whilst Oliver Whatmuff had to be alert to hold Micah Obiero’s attempted chip.
13 minutes after the break, the visitors took the lead. Dale could only partially clear a free-kick which came back into the area, and after some neat interplay, Deon Woodman slotted home from close range.
Whatmuff made a good stop low to his left to deny Wells-Morrison’s shot after a defensive mix-up, before a triple sub from McNulty turned the momemtum in Dale’s favour.
Luke Hannant saw a striker well blocked inside the area and JK Gordon’s low cross was inches away from Henderson, who would give Dale a lifeline with 12 minutes remaining.
Ed Francis, the fifth of Dale’s substitutes, provided a beautifully chipped ball over the top of a tight defence on to the chest of Henderson, who took a touch before firing home an equaliser.
Dale kept pushing and pandemonium ensued inside the Crown Oil Arena in the 90th minute, when Hannant fired a low effort into the bottom corner after being found by Devante Rodney on the edge of the area.
There was still time for late drama, with Whatmuff making a big save to his right to deny Connor McAvoy’s header before Sean Adarka fired over.
However, Dale stood firm to hold on and stay firmly in the title race.
Dale XI | Whatmuff, K Gordon, East, Ebanks-Landell ©, Gilmour (72’ Francis), Dieseruvwe, Adebayo-Rowling (64’ JK Gordon), Barlow (64’ Henderson), Moss (64’ Hannant), Perry, Smith (55’ Rodney).
Unused subs | Pettit, Baptiste.
Scorers | 78’ Henderson, 90’ Hannant.
Wealdstone XI | Baptiste, Cook ©, Woodman, Boldewijn, Kadji (77’ Agyemang), Obiero (72’ Adarkwa), Hutchinson (86’ Tiensia), Tshikuna (72’ Nathaniel-George), McAvoy, Wells-Morrison, Hinchy (86’ Georgiou).
Unused subs | Johnson, Olomola, Agyemang.
Scorers | 58’ Woodman.
Attendance | 3,021 (51 away).
