Rochdale relegated as Stockport keep alive automatic promotion hopes

Rochdale were condemned to relegation from the Football League after 102 years as they lost 1-0 at high-flying Stockport.

As it happened Dale would have gone anyway due to Crawley’s win at Hartlepool but they went down with a whimper at Edgeley Park.

Stockport, now unbeaten in 11 games, are just a single point shy of the automatic promotion places.

The home side went close early on when skipper Paddy Madden fired inches off target following Isaac Olaofe’s neat lay-off.

Defender Fraser Horsfall then headed inches over as he met Myles Hippolyte’s cross.

Stockport were dominating and Hippolyte nodded just off target as he stooped to meet Neill Byrne’s cross.

Olaofe struck the decisive goal deep into first-half added time as he danced past two challenges before firing home clinically from 15 yards.

Rochdale’s first decent half-chance came in the 53rd minute when Danny Lloyd curled a 20-yard drive over the crossbar and Stockport replied with Ryan Croasdale volleying over.

The final quarter of the game saw precious little goalmouth action as doomed Rochdale never looked like equalising.