Dale down Vale with late goal
Substitute Calvin Andrew kept Rochdale's play-off hopes alive with a goal deep into stoppage time to seal a 1-0 win against Port Vale at Spotland.
A dire contest appeared set for a goalless draw until Andrew leapt above the Valiants defence to meet Callum Camps cross and glance a header into the bottom corner of the net.
The result leaves Dale four points behind sixth-placed Chesterfield with a game in hand.
Michael Rose's set-pieces provided the only attacking threat during a tepid first half as short on quality as it was entertainment.
Rose saw one free-kick deflected over the crossbar while another threatened to evade everyone in a packed penalty area, including Vale goalkeeper Chris Neal, until defender Frederic Veseli headed the ball narrowly over his own goal.
The fare barely improved after the break with Peter Vincenti heading Ian Henderson's cross wide and Reuben Noble-Lazarus firing across the face of goal for the home side.
Vale offered little going forward and failed to get a shot on target but it looked like they had secured a valuable point until Andrew headed home in the fifth minute of injury-time.
Source: PA
