Late Butler goal denies Dale

Rochdale were denied victory at Spotland as Andy Butler's injury-time goal secured a dramatic 3-3 draw for Walsall.

Jean Louis Akpa Akpro had just volleyed the hosts ahead as the game entered stoppage time, but the Saddlers went straight up the other end to level through Butler's header. Walsall took the lead 25 minutes in. Kevan Hurst's delivery from the left was partially cleared, but Emmanuel Ledesma collected the loose ball and sent a measured 25-yard effort wide of Dave Lucas in the hosts' goal. They went two up when full-back Joe Widdowson managed to get his head to Ledesma's free-kick from the right, and succeeded only in sending the ball looping over Lucas and into his own net. Rochdale were back in the game when Nicky Adams' corner was headed across the face of goal by Kevin Long and Jason Kennedy poked home from close range. Michael Symes wasted a glorious chance to level things up when Akpa Akpro presented him with an open goal, the striker screwing his shot horribly wide. But Symes made up for that miss when he stroked home an 82nd minute penalty after Kennedy was brought down by Mat Sadler. The points looked in the bag for Dale when Akpa Akpro scored, but Butler's header leaves them six points adrift of safety.