A Dale fan writes

The Rochdale fan who wrote for us before gives his views on how Rochdale are doing:

After a barren run of one win in eleven competitive games, the enforced winter break has completely revitalised Rochdale and 2011 has been superb thus far, with Dale topping the current form table over the past six games and moving from 19th to 9th in the league one table. We have rediscovered how to win games again. A 3-2 win over Tranmere on New Year's Day was the catylyst, in a game that could have gone either way up the last kick. This was followed by a 2-1 win away at Oldham with Chris O'Grady on the mark twice against the club that sold him to Dale a year ago, and then a dogged 1-0 win at Dagenham, with O'Grady again scoring. A 1-1 draw at home to Leyton Orient was followed by a 0-0 draw against Bournemouth, in a superb advert for league 1 football, and then another dogged and determined win away at Yeovil.

We have learnt a lot about league one football over the past few months and no-one is getting carried away and shouting about the play-offs now, unlike earlier in the year. After we beat Huddersfield 3-0 at Spotland at then end of September, we all got a bit above ourselves, and found it a bit difficult over the subsequent months when we were brought back down to earth with a bang. We are now just enjoying the moment, with Charlton, Sheffield Wednesday and Southampton all due to visit Spotland in the next month. We are allowing ourselves to dream just a little, and looking fondly at the play-off zone, while still keeping an eye on the sides below us.

The key players remain the same. Midfield talisman Gary Jones, now on 13 goals for the season, his best ever haul, talented defender Craig Dawson and cultured striker Chris O'Grady.

As I have to be at Coventry Cathedral on Saturday afternoon, the Rochdale fan will be providing a match report.