Right, let's get personal here. Today exorcised many ghosts. Many, many ghosts. I've been going to Mansfield for many years, and in about the past sixteen years, I've only missed a couple of visits to Field Mill.

Of course, in true Dale supporting style, they just happened to be the only two occasions that we've won at Field Mill during all those years, and I've often felt that I'd never get the chance to see us win at Mansfield.

But today from the very first kick off was as nailed on a win as you could ever get. Without any exaggeration, Mansfield had all the markings of a side who knew the final score before kick off, and they were there to simply make up the numbers.

They reminded me greatly of Doncaster in their relegation season, when Donny were so far adrift that they'd given up by about November. Quite why Mansfield would do the same, given their closeness to safety and so many games to go is beyond me, but their performance had conference written all over it and the final score was as predictable as porn.

Dale lined up with just a couple of changes from last week. TK returned in place of Basham, allowing Perkins to revert to the centre of midfield, and Alfie came in for Thorpe who's had his second virus during his brief time with Dale.

It was very much a grey day at Field Mill. Most of their fans seemed to have given up the ghost, and even their Haslam Out diehards seemed to have given up too. The crowd of 2,400 seemed exaggerated but with 400 Dale fans and the majority of the crowd wearing Day-Glo yellow and orange jackets, it was perhaps understandable.

As for the game? Well the game belonged to Gary Jones. We've talked often about how the Rochdale way seems to have become a thing of the past. The Rochdale way had Jones celebrating his record appearance for the club by scoring a horrendous Brass style own goal, or by getting sent off.

Today, Jones left the pitch with his head held high, but in a proper huff, as his two goals had secured the win for Dale, but his record appearance had missed out on the hat trick that he clearly wanted.

The first half seemed to be one of missed opportunities. We dominated proceedings throughout, though Mansfield did have one or two forays into our half.

If you're talking out and out chances, then talk would be thin on the ground. But we had a number of opportunities, which we struggled to really take advantage, giving plenty of strength to the age old Murray arguments.

But if there was ever any doubt about who would be the one grabbing the headlines today, then them doubts were soon over, as Dale took the lead. We'd kind of threatened without forcing a real save from Muggleton in the Stag's sticks.

We had plenty of possession, and on one of those Sky Sports possession stats that never really mean anything at all, we'd have been around the 70% mark, as we were doing all the pressing, all the passing, and the only side capable of keeping the ball in play.

But were we going to score? Well despite our possession and dominance, there was a feeling about our play that confidence had been knocked by recent results and performance. It was suggested before the game that all we needed was a lucky win and everything could kick start from there.

And to be honest, there was a bit of fortune with the goal mixed with endeavour, as the ball seem to break well for a battling Rene Howe on a couple of occasions, and he was left with a seemingly easy task of crossing into the six yard box for which Gary Jones was lurking with intent. 1-0 Dale, record appearance marked and at number one was Gary Jones.....

After that goal, the Stags had their best and perhaps only real chance of the game when they had a header cleared off the line from the ever reliable Adam Rundle. It was great defending by Rundle, and perhaps was the key turning point in the entire game.

Had we conceded then, then anything could have happened. We've seen in practically every season since relegation was introduced to the football league that relegation threatened sides suddenly become the division's form sides from March onwards, and a goal at this point could have jumpstarted the Stags into action.

The only downside to the first half was Nathan Stanton copping an elbow to the head, and being forced off the field. He wasn't happy about being taken off, but it looked like we had little choice as he appeared dazed and confused. Well as much as you can from sixty yards away.

At half time, we were good value for our 1-0 lead, but the feeling amongst the travelling contingent was that we hadn't actually played as well as we could do, and that we should have taken more advantage of our superiority.

If there were any worries on that score, they'd vanished within minutes of the second half started, and the away end became party time with the three points firmly secured on the bus.

The goal which seems to have gone down as a Le Fondre goal everywhere apart from the heads of the people who were actually there. It was not quite as clear an own goal as we had at Bradford, but there could be little doubt about it, regardless of what Jeff Stelling may have been reporting across the continent.

Former Mansfield winger Adam Rundle crossed from the left, with Alfie getting on the end of it. However, his touch was intercepted by a Stags defender getting the final touch. I'm happy for Alfie to get the credit. After all, it was 2-0, game over.

And I said before, it was party time at that point. We had Baldy Mourihno which seemed to raise even more laughs in the away dugout than it did in the away end as it dawned on them what they were singing, and we were indeed shown the Slaphead.

At this point, the underachievement of the first half was forgotten, as we were running riot and the home side just couldn't cope with us. Argument will rage between supporters of both sides about whether we were that good, or whether they were that poor, but the fact of the matter was we were bossing the Stags on their own pitch. (was gonna put Patch there but sounded like some Danny Dyer video commentary)

It was very fitting that the game was sewn up by a certain Gareth Jones. Captain, record appearance maker and goal scorer. Not a bad afternoon's work for the popular scouser.

The goal was the best of the day without doubt. A Rundle free kick was deflected out, and Jones turned and fired home from the edge of the penalty box. And number three was Gary Jones.....

Rene Howe clearly felt left out by the Dale second half onslaught, and decided to get in on the action halfway through the second half. He broke clear of the backline of the Mansfield defence, rounded the Stags keeper, and fired with ease. 4-0 to Dale and we've scored four goals away for what seems to have been about the 57th time this season. Sell Spotland, and we'll win the league.

It could have been a cricket score after this. Well not an England cricket score, but we could have racked up a scoreline to condemn Mansfield to their record defeat. But Keith Hill opted to make changes, to given Jonah a well deserved ovation. You could see he wanted the hat trick, and I've no doubt he'd have got it, but he'll remember the ovation as much as he would retaining the match ball.

We had numerous opportunities to inflict damage on the Stags but doing so would have been bullying. The game was won, we'd done the job we came to do, and then some. Scoring more would have seen certain Mansfield players reacting in the same way that Jefferson Louis did when he lost it.

The final whistle came with probably more Dale fans in the stadium than Stags fans, and we were still out numbered by stewards loitering with menace, but the victory was celebrated with as much vigour as the rest have been this season, with a touch of expectation about the whole thing. Have we really reached the stage that scoring four goals away from home has been come expected?

This win was (cliché alert) a potential banana skin. The side with the best away form travelling to the side with the worst home form would always bring up the surprise. But that was the old Rochdale way. Things have changed.

So reports of our demise have without doubt been exaggerated and whilst other results might not have been what we would have liked, we're still up there and in a Keegan stylee, we're still fighting for this, and we headed back from the Midlands with big smiles on our faces.

And a final word about the stewards. They'd have gone away from the game today, disappointed that they didn't have sufficient opportunities to throw more Dale supporters out of the game. They arrived at the game with a chip on their shoulders. Their presence and attitude made the victory that little bit sweeter.

The post-script of the game was that Billy Dearden lost his job. A defeat to Dale proved to be the same tonic that it was to his predecessor Carlton Palmer. Perhaps ironic that it was Dearden who turned down the job of Head of Dale Youth (not Yoof) before Keith Hill was given that position. And the rest as they say is history......