TWO goals from Lee Thorpe made it three wins from three for Rochdale at Meadow Lane.

Notts County took the lead just after the interval, but Thorpe's double handed the visitors a deserved win.

The home side struggled to break out of their own half in the opening 45 minutes as Dale applied long periods of pressure, with Russell Hoult turning Gary Jones' volley round the post and saving well from Joe Thompson's downward header.

But a minute into the second half, County took the lead when referee Phil Gibbs awarded the softest of penalties for an innocuous challenge by Scott Wiseman on Myles Weston.

Jamie Forrester then made no mistake from the resultant spot-kick.

But Dale were level on 62 minutes when Thorpe drilled a 20-yard drive past Hoult.

And they claimed a winner 10 minutes later when Will Buckley picked out the perfect pass to Thorpe and he drifted round Hoult to slip the ball into the empty net.

Rochdale: Russell 7, Kennedy 6, McArdle 7, Stanton 7, Wiseman 6, Rundle 7, Toner 7, Jones 7, Thompson 6 (Buckley 50 7), Thorpe 7, Dagnall 7 (Le Fondre 67 7). Subs not used: Spencer, Keltie, Buckley, Holness

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