Six goals in the second half at Spotland saw Notts County beaten 4-2 by playoff hopefuls Rochdale this evening.

Neither side could break the deadlock in a bright and open first half, but just before the hour the home side took the lead through Rene Howe who headed home from six-yards out to meet a cross from the left after the home side put the pressure on early in the second period.

Adam Rundle doubled Rochdale's lead twenty minutes from time by slamming the ball home from twelve yards out, but Jason Lee quickly pulled a goal back for Notts two minutes later by converting Myles Weston's cross.

However, substitute Adam Le Fondre restored Rochdale's two-goal advantage on seventy-eight minutes, and a late goal from Notts' Michael Johnson extended Rochdale's lead on a disappointing evening for the Magpies. Neil MacKenzie pulled a goal back in injury time from the penalty spot for Notts, but it was too little too late for the Magpies.

Manager Ian McParland was without the injured Adam Tann, Paul Mayo and Jay Smith at Spotland while Gary Silk was dropped to the bench with Lee Canoville, Stephen Hunt, Jason Lee and Neil MacKenzie all earning recalls from the side which was beaten at Bury on Saturday. Wayne Corden shrugged off a hamstring injury to start on the right wing, with Ryan Jarvis operating wide on the right.

Rochdale suffered a huge blow ahead of kick-off with three players stuck in a traffic jam on the motorway, so Nathan Stanton, Ben Muirhead Rory McArdle were all replaced from the original team-sheet having not made it to Spotland in time for kick-off.

In their all-blue away strip Notts got the game underway looking to respond to that defeat at Bury, and the Magpies had to hold off early pressure from the home side who forced two early corners but towering headers from Stephen Hunt and Jason Lee helped Notts clear their lines as the Magpies backline held firm with some resolute defending.

Ryan Jarvis launched an early attack for Notts from out wide by using his pace to avoid a number of Rochdale challenges, but his through-ball into the path of Danny Crow was intercepted by the toe of Tom Kennedy.

A fine run through the heart of Rochdale's defence by Butcher just after the quarter-hour mark almost saw an opportunity fall the way of the Magpies' leading scorer, but his touch from Jarvis' excellent angled ball from out wide was just a little too heavy and the ball ran through to Lee in the Rochdale goal.

A long-range effort from Jarvis took a wicked deflection off Kennedy which almost wrong-footed Lee in the Rochdale goal midway through the half, but the goalkeeper watched the ball all the way after seeing the ball take a wicked bounce just before him.

Rochdale continued to press and forced six corners in the first half-hour, but Notts had the clearest opportunity of the half ten minutes before the break.

A free-kick into the Rochdale box wasn't cleared sufficiently and after Edwards and Lee couldn't get on the end of Crow's fine cross from the right the ball fell kindly to Ryan Jarvis.

He was on hand to volley the loose ball into the ground and towards goal, and a deflection off the outstretched foot of Lee in the Dale goal and spin towards goal - only for a Rochdale defender to head off the line. But, he could only head the ball back towards Jarvis some eight yards out from goal, but the on-loan Norwich forward volleyed a snap-shot straight down the throat of Lee and the home side breathed a massive sigh of relief.

It was the only real clear-cut chance of the half; but that miss didn't dampen the Magpies' spirits and they battled hard and in defence put their bodies on the line again with Johnson and Edwards throwing themselves in front of shots from Rene Howe as the half ended scoreless.

After nine corners in the half, Rochdale's fans seemed very frustrated not to be ahead.

Half-Time: Rochdale 0-0 Notts County

Rochdale's Adam Rundle got the first effort of the half in five minutes into the half after cutting inside from the left-hand-side to shoot low with his right foot, but Hoult was equal to the effort diving to his left.

Dale threw on frontman Adam Le Fondre less than ten minutes into the half as they sought to find a way behind Notts' stubborn backline, but at the other end Crow's fine through-ball to send Jarvis clear was halted by a superb challenge from D'Laryea on the edge of the area which he had to time perfectly.

However just before the hour the home side did break the deadlock through Rene Howe. Tom Kennedy's left-wing cross into the area found the powerful striker six yards out, and he made no mistake by rising highest to head the ball into Hoult's right-hand corner.

Dale's confidence was immediately lifted and they kept Notts pinned back immediately after the goal, and Russell Hoult was called into action to make two vital stops to deny Perkins and Higginbotham - the latter of which he dived on at the second attempt after making a superb reaction stop at point-blank range.

But Hoult could not deny Adam Rundle twenty minutes from time as the winger doubled Rochdale's lead by collecting a ball into the Magpies box, moved the ball onto his more favoured left foot and then drove the ball low into the back of the Magpies' net with Hoult left with little chance.

Notts quickly responded at the other end however and Myles Weston, on as a substitute for Wayne Corden, burst into the box from the left-hand side and laid the ball across the six-yard box for Jason Lee to tap into the empty net after Weston had drawn Lee off his line in the Rochdale goal.

After the immediate disappointment of falling two goals behind it was a fine response by Notts, and was Lee's first goal of the campaign.

Five minutes later Le Fondre restored Rochdale's two-goal cushion as he met Howe's cross from the right with a diving header which flashed beyond Hoult and into the back of the Magpies' net to end any hopes of Notts claiming a point.

Notts' luck was summed up six minutes from time when a pass-back from Michael Johnson to Russell Hoult took a wicked bounce off the bobbly turf and over Hoult's foot, and the pass had just enough on it to trickle into the far corner for an own goal.

The Magpies pulled a goal back in injury time from the penalty spot after Myles Weston was hauled down in the box by Ramsden, and Neil MacKenzie slotted home to pull a second back for the Magpies.

With a home game against Accrington Stanley forthcoming on Saturday, Notts will quickly want to get this game out of their minds and focus on attempting to gain three important points at Meadow Lane and edge away from the League Two relegation zone.Full Time: Rochdale - Notts County

Rochdale: Lee, Ramsden, Kennedy (McArdle 83), D'Laryea, Holness, Rundle, Jones (C), Perkins (Basham 88), Muirhead, Howe, Thompson (Le Fondre 53).
Subs Not Used: Button, Dagnall.
Booked: None.
Sent Off: None.
Goals: Howe (58), Rundle (70), Le Fondre (78), Johnson (OG - 84).

Notts County: Hoult, Canoville, Edwards (C), Johnson, Hunt, Corden, MacKenzie, Butcher, Jarvis (Weston 66), Lee, Crow (Weir-Daley 87).
Subs Not Used: McCann, Silk, Parkinson.
Booked: None.
Sent Off: None.
Goals: Lee (72), MacKenzie (90 - Pen).

Match Referee: Mr D Whitestone

Attendance: 2,536