Gary Jones scored his sixth goal of the season to help Rochdale beat Walsall.
Jon Macken struck from close range to put the visitors ahead but Walsall failed to clear a corner and allowed Josh Thompson fire in an equaliser.
Anthony Elding tapped in to put the home side ahead in but Darren Byfield equalised seconds later when he struck from 30 yards.
Clayton MacDonald brought down Jones in the box and the Rochdale captain scored the resulting penalty to win it.
Rochdale manager Keith Hill told BBC Radio Manchester: "We're everybody's favourites to get relegated so we're living the dream at the moment I suppose.
"We're competitive on a football pitch regardless of who it's against because we're well prepared and the players have got a belief in themselves.
"I do feel that if I was a neutral we would have definitely have deserved to win, we created a lot of chances and we could have been a little more comfortable winners."
Live text and stats
Saturday, 11 September 2010
Npower League One
Home Team
Score
Away Team
Time
Rochdale
3-2
Walsall
FT
(HT 2-2)
Thompson 27
Elding 44
Jones (pen) 65
Macken 4
Byfield 45+1
Rochdale
01 Lillis
03 Widdowson
04 Holness
18 Thompson
26 Dawson
06 Barry-Murphy
07 Kennedy
08 Jones
16 Tutte yellow card
09 Elding (Thompson 65)
19 O'Grady
Substitutes
21 Edwards,
12 Goodall,
28 Flynn,
10 Redshaw,
11 Done,
15 Thompson,
14 Akpa Akpro
Walsall
01 Brain
04 McDonald
23 McGivern
03 Lescott
06 Smith
08 Richards
12 Marshall (Reid 70)
18 Gray (Paterson 79)
26 Davis yellow card
09 Byfield
10 Macken
Substitutes
21 Bevan,
02 Westlake,
05 Lancashire,
20 Geddes,
15 Paterson,
19 Grigg,
22 Reid
Ref: WebsterAtt: 3,174
ROCHDALE
WALSALL
Possession
Rochdale52%
Walsall48%
Attempts on target
Rochdale4
Walsall3
Attempts off target
Rochdale3
Walsall6
Corners
Rochdale4
Walsall6
Fouls
Rochdale4
Walsall12
Final Result
97:01 The match begins.
Full Time
90:00+3:23 Chris O'Grady has an effort at goal from just inside the box that misses to the left of the target.
90:00+2:21 Jamie Paterson takes a shot. Craig Dawson gets a block in.
90:00+0:41 Unfair challenge on Craig Dawson by Darren Byfield results in a free kick. Craig Dawson restarts play with the free kick.
90:00 The match has reached full-time.
89:37 Booking Booking for Andrew Tutte.
88:23 Inswinging corner taken from the left by-line by Brian Barry-Murphy, Emmanuele Smith manages to make a clearance.
87:28 The ball is delivered by Emmanuele Smith, Header by Matthew Richards from deep inside the penalty area misses to the left of the target.
85:47 Ryan McGivern gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Andrew Tutte. Free kick taken by Andrew Tutte.
84:03 Free kick taken by Marcus Holness.
84:03 Booking David Davis shown a yellow card.
83:50 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Gary Jones by David Davis.
82:39 Free kick awarded for a foul by Ryan McGivern on Joe Thompson. Free kick taken by Jason Kennedy.
81:23 Shot from just outside the box by David Davis misses to the right of the goal.
79:29 Outswinging corner taken by Brian Barry-Murphy, Josh Thompson challenges Emmanuele Smith unfairly and gives away a free kick. Free kick taken by Aaron Lescott.
79:08 Reuben Reid is adjudged to have handled the ball. Free kick taken by Brian Barry-Murphy.
78:05 Substitution Julian Gray goes off and Jamie Paterson comes on.
75:51 The referee blows for offside against Julian Gray. Free kick taken by Josh Lillis.
74:57 Foul by Joe Thompson on Emmanuele Smith, free kick awarded. Aaron Lescott restarts play with the free kick.
74:21 Joe Thompson is flagged offside by the assistant referee. Jon Brain takes the direct free kick.
73:52 Brian Barry-Murphy crosses the ball, save by Jon Brain.
73:29 Free kick awarded for a foul by Aaron Lescott on Chris O'Grady. Direct free kick taken by Brian Barry-Murphy.
69:53 Substitution Reuben Reid replaces Paul Marshall.
68:32 Corner from the left by-line taken by Brian Barry-Murphy, Craig Dawson takes a shot.
68:14 Joe Widdowson crosses the ball.
64:31 Substitution Anthony Elding leaves the field to be replaced by Joe Thompson.
64:09 GOAL - Gary Jones:Rochdale 3 - 2 Walsall Gary Jones scores a power penalty. Rochdale 3-2 Walsall.
62:40 Penalty awarded for an unfair challenge on Gary Jones by Clayton McDonald.
59:55 The referee blows for offside against Anthony Elding. Free kick taken by Aaron Lescott.
59:09 Long distance shot from Chris O'Grady misses to the left of the target.
58:32 Free kick awarded for a foul by Emmanuele Smith on Chris O'Grady. Brian Barry-Murphy restarts play with the free kick.
56:14 A cross is delivered by Gary Jones, save by Jon Brain.
55:53 The ball is crossed by Chris O'Grady, clearance by Aaron Lescott.
51:48 Joe Widdowson gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Darren Byfield. Matthew Richards restarts play with the free kick, Shot by Emmanuele Smith from deep inside the penalty area misses to the right of the goal.
47:37 Corner taken right-footed by Julian Gray, save by Josh Lillis.
47:27 Paul Marshall produces a cross, save made by Josh Lillis.
46:59 Inswinging corner taken left-footed by Paul Marshall from the right by-line, Anthony Elding manages to make a clearance.
45:01 The referee blows his whistle to start the second half.
Half Time
45:00+1:42 Corner from left by-line taken by Paul Marshall.
45:00+0:02 GOAL - Darren Byfield:Rochdale 2 - 2 Walsall Darren Byfield scores a goal from long range to the top left corner of the goal. Rochdale 2-2 Walsall.
45:00 The first half comes to an end.
43:29 GOAL - Anthony Elding:Rochdale 2 - 1 Walsall Anthony Elding gets on the score sheet with a goal from close range low into the middle of the goal. Rochdale 2-1 Walsall.
42:31 Marcus Holness restarts play with the free kick.
Correction - 40:24 The ball is delivered by Paul Marshall, Ryan McGivern has a headed effort at goal from close in which goes wide right of the target.
40:24 Paul Marshall delivers the ball in from the corner, Ryan McGivern produces a headed effort from deep inside the six-yard box which goes wide of the right-hand upright.
39:31 Craig Dawson takes a shot. Blocked by Matthew Richards.
38:14 Craig Dawson fouled by Matthew Richards, the ref awards a free kick. Brian Barry-Murphy takes the direct free kick.
36:51 Ryan McGivern concedes a free kick for a foul on Andrew Tutte. Brian Barry-Murphy takes the free kick, Craig Dawson produces a right-footed shot from deep inside the penalty box which goes wide of the left-hand upright.
34:20 The ball is swung over by Darren Byfield, Josh Thompson manages to make a clearance.
28:56 Josh Thompson gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Aaron Lescott. Jon Brain takes the free kick.
26:49 GOAL - Josh Thompson:Rochdale 1 - 1 Walsall Josh Thompson scores a goal from close in to the bottom left corner of the goal. Rochdale 1-1 Walsall.
26:13 Outswinging corner taken by Brian Barry-Murphy from the left by-line,
24:42 Inswinging corner taken left-footed by Paul Marshall from the right by-line.
20:31 Corner from the left by-line taken by Paul Marshall, Julian Gray produces a left-footed shot from just outside the area that goes wide left of the goal.
19:41 Foul by Emmanuele Smith on Gary Jones, free kick awarded. Brian Barry-Murphy restarts play with the free kick.
11:37 Foul by David Davis on Brian Barry-Murphy, free kick awarded. Brian Barry-Murphy takes the free kick.
7:58 Free kick awarded for a foul by Matthew Richards on Chris O'Grady. Free kick taken by Craig Dawson.
6:08 Matthew Richards produces a left-footed shot from the edge of the box and misses to the left of the goal.
5:57 The ball is sent over by Andrew Tutte, clearance made by Matthew Richards.
3:37 Assist by Ryan McGivern.
3:37 GOAL - Jonathan Macken:Rochdale 0 - 1 Walsall Jonathan Macken finds the back of the net with a goal from inside the penalty box to the bottom right corner of the goal. Rochdale 0-1 Walsall.
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