Thousands had made the journey South, sharing the drenched carriageways with the Stockport supporters. It was probably the biggest movement of people from the town in its history, and it wasn't just from Rochdale.

Amongst the many, many supporters decked out in black and white were a multitude of accents, as it seemed everyone to have even heard of Rochdale had pledged their allegiance for the day.

The ticketmaster effect showed itself inside the ground. Dale fans were spread out all over the place, in various tiers within the ground, whilst County were a lot more condensed behind the goal.

The first question was answered as we got into the ground. Simon Ramsden had been given the nod to replace David Perkins in midfield with D'Laryea taking his spot at right back. In all the combinations speculated upon on the messageboard, this was perhaps the only one not mentioned so far. You can always rely on Hilly to give us a surprise.

First half we probably shaded it overall though we were hanging on towards the end. Both sides were knocking it about, and there was an element that either side could threaten without actually doing so.

There were clever runs from both sides, but undoubtedly defences were on top throughout. The only chance to fall to either side came to County's Dickenson but he fired well wide.

And then it came. That moment where Dale took the lead at Wembley.

It stemmed from Chris Dagnall. As with both of our play off games against Darlington, Dagnall was afforded the first real effort of the game. He'd picked the ball up outside the box, and let fly. It immediately took a deflection and started curling towards the left hand post, scraping the woodwork as it went out for a corner.

Corners have not been our strength all season, but we produced probably the best set piece of the season. The cross went straight to the near post and was met by a flying Rory McArdle with the keeper AWOL. In fact, so high had McArdle leapt that he had to duck down to head the ball in, putting Dale in front.

The goal gave a bit of spark to County. They then went on the ascendancy and we worried by a free kick which went agonisingly close to the post.

But just as one Dale defender had given us the lead, it was another Dale defender who gave Stockport their equaliser. Gary Jones defended deep, and his tackle put the ball out for a Stockport corner.

County took it short, and a dangerous curling cross was met by half a dozen players competing for it. It was Stanton who got the final touch, with the ball coming off his hand, but you'd have to be the world's most vindictive b*****d to pinpoint any blame on Stanton for it.

It was very chess like for the remainder of the first half. There were no more chances to speak of with both Dale and County almost prepared for the other side to come at them. Neither side did.

Half time brought a change for Dale. Higginbotham was brought off to replaced by Muirhead.

Half time also brought a change in opposition as County stepped up a gear, and that ultimately proved to be the difference between the two sides. They knocked the ball about with more confidence and purpose than they did in the first half.

And whilst many Dale fans were still forking out £17.20 for a bit of chicken and chips, and not back in their seats, County took the lead. It was another excellent cross put in, and there was so much curl on it, it confused pretty much everyone, including a couple of County forwards. Unfortunately for us, Pilkington was stood smack bang centrally in the middle of the penalty box, and he produced an excellent header to put it past Tommy Lee who had no chance at all.

County were very much in control now, and almost in a similar way to how Darlington played against us, they showed intelligence and knocked the ball about whilst we ran around like headless chickens.

But it wasn't one way traffic. We almost grabbed an equaliser when Gary Jones turned back the clock ten years. He collected the ball around the halfway line and ran with it and ran and ran. On the edge of the County box, he let fly and required a decent stop by Logan to keep it out.

But another excellent Stockport passing move saw them increase the lead. It started from the back, before moving down the wing, and then crossed in to give Dickenson his one moment. He proved his worth by taking full advantage and his early shot beat Tommy Lee at his near post.

With the Wembley video screens taking great delight in picking up images of distraught Dale supporters (tho thankfully we were spared that usual horrible image of fans' grief suddenly becoming very happy when they see themselves on telly), we got back into it. To be fair, we had looked dead and buried, and it came from the most unlikely of sources.

Not Adam Rundle, but rather Adam Rundle's right foot. I dare say it will go down as the best goal of his career so far, so to score it with his wrong foot is reason for celebration.

A long throw was headed clear by a County defender, but that clearance was met on the volley by Rundle who gave us a fighting chance. The last rites were cancelled.

With fifteen minutes still remaining in the game, all the talk was whether we could produce yet another come back. Could we comeback from 3-1 down like we did against Darlington? Could we have one last chance?

Well it was not to be. We huffed and puffed, and we came close a lot of times, but possession in the right areas could not be converted into chances, and County held on to secure the promotion.

At the final whistle, there were a few tears about the place, but it was quite remarkable just how many Dale supporters stopped about at the final whistle. The day before has seen Leeds supporters evacuate their end like there was a farming exhibition taking place outside, but 90 to 95% of the Dale supporters waited for the Dale players to pick themselves off the floor and give them a thoroughly deserved ovation.

It was heartbreaking to see the reaction of Gary Jones who took it the worst, just as he did back at Plymouth several years ago. He needed consoling by Flicker, but he wasn't the only one to take the defeat so personally.

But be in no doubt that the players have every reason to keep their heads up high. We have been spoilt many times this season, in what will go down for many people as the best season they've had as a Dale supporter.

We may not have secured the promotion spot that had been our goal, but unlike our Play Off loss in 2002, it feels different this time. There was a huge element of "this is our chance" about that Play Off defeat, where it was then or never. It proved to be never.

Now it feels like we are still in the early stages of a wonderful journey that Hill and Flicker are taking us on. There is not a single doubt in my mind that we'll come back in August, smiling again, but bigger, braver and even more determined to secure that elusive promotion.

Cheers Keith, we're proud of every single one of you. Thanks for a fantastic season. We're looking forward to next season already.