Rochdale

Port Vale had scored only six goals in 11 league games before kick-off. Against Rochdale, in front of 6,458 at Vale Park, they had three in 22 minutes, and the home win they badly needed was all but sealed.

Jon Brady brought back Onel Hernández and Max Watters, and they took barely 90 seconds to make the difference. Watters headed the ball down to Kyle Dempsey, Dempsey dinked it through, and Hernández found Sam Waller's bottom corner.

Three goals, and a long afternoon for Dale

Nine minutes later Aden Flint tripped Hernández in the box, and captain George Byers fired the penalty past Waller. Rochdale had one moment in between, when Cian Hayes sent Dajaune Brown through against his old club, but Jasper Moon got across to stop him.

Then the third. Dempsey's fierce drive was parried by Waller, and Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel was first to the rebound. Watters headed over from close range before the break, and it could easily have been four.

Ian Watson didn't hide from it afterwards.

We can't start games of football like we started today. The goals against are so soft. We allow people to run through us. We spoke all week about how athletic they are and how good they are in those moments.

Ian Watson, Rochdale head coach, to Rochdale AFC

A different second half

He made a triple change at half-time, sending on Ian Henderson, Luke Hannant and Ed Francis. Rochdale had more of the ball after the break, and Brown went close twice with headers, but Marko Maroši wasn't beaten until the 82nd minute, when Henderson headed in Hannant's set-piece cross.

Vale answered straight away. Substitute Keyrol Figueroa, on loan, tapped in George Hall's cross from close range four minutes from time. With the last kick of the game Maroši saved a header, and Charlie Tasker put away the rebound. It made the score a bit more respectable, and that was all.

"We've bounced back"

Jon Brady, a week on from defeat at York, wanted the focus on what his side had finally done in front of goal.

First off we were very clinical in what we did. We created loads of chances and the way we played, especially in that first half, was really pleasing. To concede those two is disappointing but I want to focus on the positives. We've scored four goals at home, three from open play.

Jon Brady, Port Vale boss

He picked out Hernández. "Onel stood out for me, he was excellent, his movement was great for the first goal and the way he finished it was brilliant," he said. "We said last week had to be just a bump in the road and we've bounced back this week."