Thankfully it was a game that nothing rested on apart from whether we finished fourth or fifth. Luck would have it that a draw was the perfect result as it meant we were paired with Darlington on the Saturday rather than Wycombe on the Sunday. As scorelines go that was the happiest I’ve ever been after a 1-1 home draw. Cheers Simmo.

There was a strange feeling about this game right from the start for me. Even though it was decided that fringe/youth team players would play this one, I was never concerned we would lose this. You can either put that down to my confidence in the management team at Rochdale or my confidence in the management team at Shrewsbury. I just knew we wouldn’t lose another end of season game to a team managed by Paul Simpson and I was proved right. It doesn’t surprise me that he has tried to mask his own failings as a manager by highlighting the referee’s performance.

Anyway, the game was a typical end of season affair and it is probably the only time I’ve encountered as a Dale fan where we were willing our own team not to score by the end of it. It only really sparked into any kind of life when Ben Davies whipped in a free kick ten minutes before the end of the first half for Asa Hall to head past Tommy Lee. The only surprise from part of the Sandy was that ‘Simmo’ himself didn’t step up to take it giving his liking for taking set-pieces.

Not to worry thought I, we’ll easily score at least one against this bunch.

And lo and behold, the bb in the Shrewsbury goal duly obliged by placing the ball at Chris Dagnall’s feet ten minutes into the second half to present us with an equaliser. Had the ref now blown for full time I would have taken it like a shot going off other results in the division.

As it was, Alfie decided he wanted to get on the scoresheet too and he would have but for an eagle eyed linesman who decided to disallow a goal that the ref was only too happy to award just seconds earlier. He then bizarrely decided to book Alfie for apparently not complying with the whistle to signal the offside even though he failed to acknowledge the flag himself.

To be fair though I think every Dale fan would have taken the 1-1 given other results and it of course now means we get a localish trip to Darlo on Saturday where the lads need our support more than ever.

See you there for what promises to be an interesting affair.

Up The Dale.