Hendo warning for top six rivals

DERBY DUEL: Rochdale's Joe Bunney tackles Athletic's Ryan McLaughlin the last time the two sides met

IAN Henderson has warned Rochdale's play-off rivals: "We are coming for you."

Two goals against relegated Coventry from Dale's talismanic forward took him to 19 for the season.

Thanks to losses for Millwall and Southend, the three points gained against the Sky Blues also helped to propel Keith Hill's side to within one win's gap of the top six.

With two left to play, starting with the trip to SportsDirect.com Park on Saturday, Rochdale know nothing but a win will do in order to keep the top-six hope going right up to the last-day home match against Bradford.

"It is always difficult against an already relegated side," Henderson said after the 2-0 win over Coventry at Spotland.

"We were professional in the manner we went about our business. To have scored two goals stands us in good stead. We are still in the running, as they say.

"You look around and the atmosphere here is amazing. We are not out of it and we are the quiet ones, creeping up.

"We did the business again and other teams, fortunately for us, dropped points.

"We go into our next two games with unbelievable hope. Our dream is still alive."

Stunning form up to just past the turn of the year, with seven wins from eight league fixtures, boosted the chances of a club that had one of the lowest budgets in League One.

Then came a barren run of not one win in 10 outings - the club were in 13th place after a 2-1 loss at Scunthorpe in March - before victories over three of Athletic's rivals near the bottom of the table came at just the right time.

"We've got to make sure we don't leave anything in the changing rooms or any stone unturned in our preparation for Oldham," said Hill.

"There's still fire in their bellies and a massive appetite for success."