By Eggy_Poolie
April 29 2007

A bad afternoon all round for Pools. 2-0 defeat, off the top, and Barker and Monkhouse sent off and Nelson went off injured. The title will now be decided on the last day of the season

Hartlepool fell off top of League 2 after going down 2-0 to Rochdale at Spotland.

A game that had everything and was entertaining from the first whistle saw three penalties, two of them saved, and no fewer than three red cards.

The home side started with their now usual high tempo and took the lead after just 90 seconds.

An excellent through ball by John Doolan led to a chance for Chris Dagnall which Hartlepool keeper Dimitrios Konstantopoulos could only parry, and Glenn Murray was on hand to slam home the rebound.

An action-packed first period saw two penalties, both of them saved. First of all Hartlepool's leading scorer Richie Barker saw his effort brilliantly kept out by Dale keeper Matthew Gilks on 12 minutes. Then six minutes later Konstantopoulos kept out Adam Rundle's effort with his legs.

Chances came and went at both ends before Dale doubled their lead on 76 minutes. Barker's afternoon of misery was completed when he handled on the line and was sent off and Dagnall showed the others the way with a perfectly-taken penalty.

A game that had previously been played in the best of spirits turned ugly a minute later when Hartlepool's Andy Monkhouse produced an awful tackle on Murray that sparked a mass brawl and eventually led to an early bath for Monkhouse and Doolan.