Will Buckley struck a second-half winner to earn Rochdale a 2-1 victory over Northampton.
Cobblers condemned to fourth straight defeat
Will Buckley struck a second-half winner to earn Rochdale a 2-1 victory - their first on the road - and condemn Northampton to a fourth straight defeat.
Rochdale emerged worthy victors but looked as though they would have to settle for a point after Ryan Gilligan had cancelled out Chris O'Grady's first-half opener before Buckley popped up to hit a superb winner and claim all three points for the visitors.
Rochdale started brightly and Gary Jones went close before O'Grady broke the deadlock in the 19th minute, converting a low cross from the impressive Buckley.
Buckley almost doubled Rochdale's lead and O'Grady also tested Simon Brown. The keeper then foiled Chris Dagnall after he raced clear five minutes before the break with O'Grady firing over the rebound.
Abdul Osman and Luke Boden went close after the break before Gilligan equalised in the 64th minute, scoring from close range while Dagnall should have restored Rochdale's advantage a minute later, but he shot wide from the follow-up after Brown had saved from Jones.
Rochdale, though, were not to be denied, and Buckley grabbed a 68th-minute winner when he cut in from left and fired into the top corner from the edge of the box. Steve Guinan almost earned a point in the 79th minute but headed against the crossbar from Gary Mulligan's cross.
