A rip-roaring encounter at Saunders Honda Stadium saw Dale take three points back to Spotland when at one time it looked as though they were in for a hiding.

Dale laid on the ropes for 45 minutes and took a real beating by Curle's men, but the Dunkirk spirit in the Dale camp shone through in the second half.

Rochdale manager Steve Parkin included the fit again Lee Cartwright in the starting line up as he looked to add width to his side, Scott Warner making way for what Steve Parkin says was a well deserved rest.

Blair Sturrock was another casualty as he made way to a change in formation with Parkin opting to go with a 4-4-2 formation.

The game started brightly enough and 'keeper Matt Gilks was lucky to see his evening continue after taking out Gregg Blundell on the edge of the box within the first 90 seconds. The referee, Mr Drysdale, let Gilks off with a yellow card, much to the anger of the natives.

Sadly Blundell's evening ended as he was stretched off and sent to hospital with concussion.

Substitute Ryan Lowe curled the resulting free-kick around the wall but Gilks got down well to push the ball round the post.

Chester went close to opening the scoring on 14 minutes as Ben Davies raced onto a loose ball on the edge of the area. Gilks charged off his line, but Davies lifted the ball over the advancing keeper and as the home fans celebrated the goal the ball crashed off the underside of the bar before being hooked to safety.

The home side went close after the lively Ben davies turned Goodhind before swerving a right footed effort for Stewart Drummond to head goalwards. Gilks dived to his left and pushed the ball clear.

Ryan Lowe was next to keep the pressure on Gilk's goal when his header from Branch cross from right slid just wide of the target.

Whilst Rochdale efforts in the first were rare, they did come close and a Grant Holt flashing volley on 24 minutes looked like breaking the deadlock, but sadly his shot drifted wide of the top corner.

Chester continued to push and created two great chances inside a minute as the half hour mark approached. A half-cleared corner was met by a stinging header by Lowe and beaten away by Gilks. Moments later a volley from David Artell flashed over the bar.

With Chester continuing to press Rochdale hit the home side on the break with a punishing result. A long ball out of defence found Lambert on the left hand side. The former Stockport man did well to hold onto the ball and slide the ball into the path of onrushing skipper Gary Jones and he made no mistake side footing home past MacKenzie on 39 minutes.  It was the classic sucker-punch from Dale.

The second-half began with Chester picking up from were they left off in the first half applying the pressure from the off.

It wasn't long before the home side scored a deserved equaliser after Stewart Drummond blasts home from close range from a Tom Curtis cross on 51 minutes

Five minutes later Davies doubled the Chester tally after a good advantage was played by the referee following a poor challenge by Gallimore. Branch skipped away and squared the ball to Davies who bundled the ball over the line after a lucky deflection off Gareth Griffiths.

Michael Branch almost put the game beyond Dale minutes later after former Dale striker Marcus Richardson had bundled his way through two challenges before releasing the former Everton man wide on the left.  Branch cut inside and attempted a fierce curling shot that Gilks did well to push away before his defenders cleared the danger.

Despite the goal Dale responded well to the set back to be fair and Gary Jones almost scored his second of the night with a thunderous volley from 18-yards that the Chester 'keeper did extremely well to kepp out.  A matter of inches either way and he would have been helpless.

Rochdale continued their positive response and on 69 minutes Grant Holt notched his tenth of the season following a goalkeeping blunder from MacKenzie.  A wicked cross from the left by Alan Goodall just needed catching by the 'keeper, but he elected to punch the ball only to find Holt on the edge of the area after his clearance had hit Artell and he drove the ball back through a gaggle of players and into the back of net.

Rochdale sensed victory and subsitute Scott Warner who'd replaced the injured Tommy Jaszczun almost got it.  The Dale number 14 was unlucky after showing great bravery to meet a Holt cross from the right at the far post, but somehow the forehead of defender David Artell kept Warner from increasing Dale's advantage.

Rochdale's tails were firmly up by now and they continued in what had become a relentless search for the winning goal and on 85 minutes, after good patient build up they were rewarded. Holt turned Dimech just inside the area before striking a low shot.

MacKenzie got down to palm the ball away, but it fell nicely for Lambert who sidefooted home from close range.

A pulsating encounter was brought to an end after three added minutes in a game Saatchi and Saatchi couldn't have advertised better for entertainment.