A gift of a goal separated the two sides at Meadow Lane as Dale were beaten 1-0 by Notts County.

A mistake between Jason Taylor and Chris O'Grady led to Lee Hughes scoring County's winner in the first half, as the destination of the League Two title looked to be decided.

The first half was dominated by Dale and the Meadow Lane crowd was very quiet until Hughes' opener. The half evened out after the deadlock was broken but Dale were trailing at the break.

The second half was very much the same. Notts County had some good chances as they exploited gaps in the Dale defence as they went in search of an equaliser, but Frank Fielding was in fine form to stop them.

Andy Haworth came on as a substitute for Dale and almost equalised with a fine effort that hit the crossbar. But Dale couldn't find a way through the County defence as they were beaten at Meadow Lane.

Keith Hill made one change to the side that started the promotion winning game at home to Northampton, with Jason Kennedy coming in for Kallum Higginbotham as Dale reverted to the 4-3-1-2 formation. Frank Fielding was in goal, with Scott Wiseman, Nathan Stanton, Craig Dawson and Tom Kennedy at the back. Jason Taylor, Gary Jones and Jason Kennedy were in midfield, with Joe Thompson in the free role behind Chris Dagnall and Chris O'Grady.

The atmosphere inside Meadow Lane was electric for a game which could effectively decide where the League Two title ends up this season. A fast and frantic start was expected, and in the first five minutes both sides had half chances to take an early lead.

Notts County's Lee Hughes had a decent chance to turn a cross from the right goalwards, but he put it well over the bar, before Chris Dagnall had an opportunity to turn home a Scott Wiseman cross. However, he could only send the ball back out to the edge of the area where Gary Jones crashed a shot goalwards, only to see it fly wide of Kasper Schmeichel's left post.

The best chance of the game came after 11 minutes when a County corner routine fell to Graeme Leeten yards out, who struck a shot at Frank Fielding with the Dale stopper fisting the ball up into the air, before the ball eventually made it way out for a goal kick.

Dale's best chance came in the 17^th minute of the game when a mix-up in the Notts County defence led to Chris Dagnall racing clear. However, instead of electing to shoot he tried to lay it off for a Dale player more central in the area. But Dagnall didn't know there were no purple shirts in a shooting position, and the chance was wasted.

As the game approached the twenty minute mark Dale were starting to assert their authority on the game. Good interplay between Tom Kennedy and Chris Dagnall almost led to the former crossing for the latter, before the ball was cleared to Chris O'Grady who had Dale's first shot on target, although it never trouble Schmeichel in the County goal.

However, just as Dale started to control the game, they became the cause of their own downfall. A mix up between Chris O'Grady and Jason Taylor led to Lee Hughes being played in between Nathan Stanton and Craig Dawson, and he took his shot early, bending it over Frank Fielding and into the back of the net to give the home side the lead.

That was a real disappointment for Dale, especially as they had dominated proceedings up until that moment, causing frustration amongst the home supporters. Chances for either side began to dry up until the half wound down.

Ben Davies was next to trouble the Dale defence. He picked up a Lee Hughes lay off and ran at the back four, beating Nathan Stanton before firing a shot off which just flew wide of Frank Fielding's right post.

Dale were looking for a goal before half-time to draw level, and perhaps their best chance came from a corner kick when Craig Dawson nodded goalwards with Jason Kennedy looking to pounce, before the ball was cleared.

But Dale couldn't find a way through in the remaining minute of stoppage time and the teams went into half-time with County a goal to the good.

For Dale and boss Keith Hill they will have been hoping for a performance like the one in the first-half but with a bit more intent going forward. Chris O'Grady showed Dale's ambitions in the first few minutes when he turned his man and let off a shot from the edge of the box which just flew over the County crossbar.

The away side were showing their attacking thoughts in the opening five minutes, but Notts County were also showing their intent. Ricky Ravenhill was the first to try a shot from outside the box which Frank Fielding saw wide, before Neal Bishop had a great effort two minutes later which struck the top of the bar.

Delroy Facey had a superb chance to double his side's lead in the 58^th minute, but his free header at the back post after losing Scott Wiseman was harmlessly nodded over the bar.

As the game came towards the hour mark Dale were having a bit of pressure. Successive corners threatened to trouble the Notts County defence but again Keith Hill's side couldn't create a goalscoring opportunity.

Delroy Facey was looking like Notts County's biggest threat when they came forward. He spooned a shot well high and wide after a lay off before forcing Frank Fielding into a fantastic save low to his left to turn a fierce drive out for a corner.

Dale made two quick substitutions with little over twenty minutes remaining. Kallum Higginbotham and Andy Haworth came on for Jason Taylor and Joe Thompson respectively within a matter of minutes as Dale went back to the 4-4-2 formation.

Andy Haworth, a man who hasn't seen much of the Dale side in recent weeks, almost made an instant impact. He beat Neal Bishop to a loose ball and ran forward and right, before unleashing a fierce shot which dipped as it reached the net, only to bounce off the top of the crossbar and out for a goal-kick. It would have been some goal.

The game was becoming an end-to-end affair. Lee Hughes was the next to force Frank Fielding into a fine save, when he turned Craig Dawson with a fine move before trying to bend one into the far corner, only for Fielding to turn it behind for a corner with a fine reflex save.

Keith Hill's side were always looking to stretch the County defence as soon as they got the ball, but time and time again the home side's main man in the middle of the park, man of the match Neal Bishop, was there to thwart any build up the purple shirts were hoping to produce.

There were three minutes of added time for Dale to find a way back into the game, but despite the pressure Keith Hill's side were putting on the home side they couldn't find a way through, and Dale were beaten by a goal to nil.

Attendance: 10,536 (1,005 Dale fans).