More often than not a team that suffers a 3-0 defeat will receive few plaudits and whilst Rochdale were deserving winners at Spotland, many observers, neutral and otherwise, felt the margin of victory flattered the home side.

A run of five matches without defeat has come to an end to a side that are firmly established in the play off spots and may yet win automatic promotion.

For the Bees Joe Devera was out with a hamstring injury and was replaced at right back by Jordan Parkes in an otherwise unchanged line up which had seen off Bury by a 3-0 scoreline at the weekend.

This was a significant match for Rochdale in their season.  The tone was set by the diminutive David Perkins in central midfield who used the ball well all night, and like Barnet, the Dale play with two wide men. Both sides were set up to attack and produced an entertaining match as a consequence.

Albert Adomah and Adam Birchall all had numerous efforts on the Rochdale goal yet never seriously troubled Tommy Lee, the Dale keeper. Adomah and Thomas had good shots from distance and Birchall had several acrobatic attempts on goal, but to no avail.

In the 34th minute Rochdale won a contested free kick on the half way line and from the delivery a miscued header by a Barnet defender set up Adam Le Fondre to control the ball and slot it past Lee Harrison from close range.

Barnet began the second half on the offensive and Adomah almost equalised from an enticing cross from the left by Jason Puncheon in the second minute of the second period.

Just two minutes later however Rochdale doubled their lead. Adomah and Parkes were combining in an attack down the right flank, but once the move broke down, Rochdale broke swiftly and worked the ball to Rene Howe who steadied himself before hitting the back of the net, again from close range.

Barnet continued to push forward in search of a goal that would get them back in the game; the likelihood now being that a goal would come soon and that it would either bring the teams closer together or put Rochdale in an unassailable position.

The third goal of the night came in the 72nd minute. The Dale left winger Adam Rundle went on a mazy run and fed the ball through to Howe whose cross was passed into the net by the right winger Kallum Higginbothan who had left his touchline sensing an opportunity.

Despite the fact that it would take a miracle to get the Bees back into the game at this stage, still Barnet pressed and chased and as the cliché goes there were some positives to be had from the performance.

Michael Leary at centre back and captain had the look of someone who is really growing into both roles and the display of the team was at such a level that Rochdale were never able to coast, they had to earn this victory, and just about earn it they did.

At the final whistle the players and the coaching staff saluted the travelling Barnet fans, in acknowlegement for their efforts to get to this fixture which had been postponed twice at late notice before.

The Bees are hitting the road north again this Saturday when Barnet visit Accrington Stanley in the last but one away fixture of the season.

David Bloomfield.