ROCHDALE produced a magnificent performance to blow away Leyton Orient’s 100 per cent start to the season on Saturday.

Steve Parkin’s men scored four excellent goals and could have had many more on what is their most traditional of bogey grounds.

In 15 previous visits to the East End of London no Dale side had ever managed more than two goals in a game, but that statistic was wrecked by a tremendous all-round team display.

Strikers Rickie Lambert and Grant Holt will grab the headlines for scoring three of the four goals, but the contribution of every other player shouldn’t go unnoticed.

Dale started the game well and might well have had a fourth-minute penalty when John Mackie climbed all over Lambert in the area, but referee Pat Miller was having none of it.

The Bedfordshire official, in only his second League game, then rejected an even stronger claim after 16 minutes when Holt was hauled down by Gabriel Zakuani as he tried to turn 12-yard from goal.

But seven minutes later Holt gave Dale the lead from an almost carbon-copy situation. Ernie Cooksey headed the ball through from just outside the area and Holt used tremendous body strength to turn Zakuani and fire the ball past Glyn Garner.

Six minutes later Dale were awarded a free-kick 30-yard from goal and although many observers thought it was too far out Lambert produced an audacious shot which flew into the top right-hand corner.

This goal seemed to shake Orient into life and they enjoyed their best spell of the game, if only in terms of possession rather than chances.

They thought they had reduced the arrears a minute before the break, but Gary Jones hacked Joe Keith’s header off the line. As it was, the referee had already blown for a foul on Alan Goodall.

Dale went straight down to the other end and when Holt played in Tommy Jaszczun the former Northampton man saw his angled drive palmed away by Garner.

Orient started the second half well, although they were unable to make any headway past a solid Dale rearguard in which Tony Gallimore and Jon Boardman, in particular, were outstanding.

Their commitment to attack left them slightly exposed at the back and Dale used the extra space to almost score their third on the hour.

Holt beat the Orient offside trap and bore down on goal, but just as he was about to pull the trigger Zakuani made a timely tackle to keep Orient in the game.

Seven minutes later Orient’s chances of a comeback were extinguished when Dale netted their third.

Lee Cartwright played a lovely ball through the inside-right position for Lambert to run onto. The Dale striker created space for himself in the area before hitting a left-footed shot past Garner’s right-hand as the goalkeeper dived the other way.

Orient were now a demoralised team and it was no surprise when Rochdale made it 4-0 in the 74th minute.

Alan Goodall and Jaszczun exchanged passes down the left, and Goodall played a neat one-two with Lambert before racing into the area to prod the ball past Garner.

Orient supporters streamed for the exits as Dale fans taunted them with chants of “Are you England in disguise?”, but almost immediately their team pulled a goal back.

Justin Miller’s long throw found its way to the far post where substitute Efe Echanomi prodded the ball into the roof of the net.

Grant Holt’s late booking for playing on after the whistle had been blown was the only negative aspect of an afternoon 204 Dale fans will never forget.