Dale, to a man, were excellent throughout, but none more so than Tom Kennedy. The defender twice hit the woodwork in the first half while Chris O'Grady, Chris Dagnall, Gary Jones and Jason Taylor would have all been on the scoresheet but for a brilliant display from keeper David Button.
Kennedy's free-kick led to the long overdue winner after 62 minutes as Joe Thompson headed home at the far post with his first touch after coming on as a substitute.
"They deserved to win by more than one goal," admitted Simpson.
"When you're playing against a side as good as Rochdale, you have to keep the ball and pass it. We worked hard enough out of possession but not when we had the ball. We got exactly what we deserved - nothing.
"It was a really tough afternoon."
Source: Team Talk
Source: Team Talk