Villa beat Rochdale - their second win in twelve third division games - and make fourth place their own but they are now five points off second placed Preston with eight points left available. Frank Upton, Villa’s youth team coach, leads the team as both Vic Crowe and Ron Wylie are a little bizarrely absent scouting new players. Villa face Preston next and must win to keep their feint hopes of a promotion place alive.

Vic Crowe's Villa win for the second time in twelve games to make it eighteen wins, fourteen draws and ten defeats in forty two division three games so far this season as they back back into fourth place and close the gap to the second promotion place to five points.