INTRODUCTION

Brentford will be looking to capitalise on taking maximum points over the Easter period when they take on one of the other play-off chasing teams this weekend.

The Bees picked up six points from six last weekend with wins at home to Wrexham and away to Grimsby Town and climbed to tenth in the League Two table, reviving hopes they can make the play-offs.

They take on Rochdale at Griffin Park on Saturday and can make further inroads into the lead established by the top seven with a win.

The Bees are currently five points, plus a large deficit on goal difference, behind seventh-placed Chesterfield and Rochdale are one of the teams they will have to catch if they are to make the play-offs.

The Dale are eighth, a point behind Chesterfield, and have nine games left to play while most of the other promotion chasers have six or seven.

ROCHDALE RECENT HISTORY

The recent history of Rochdale AFC can be likened to a man riding an exercise bike, they look as if they are working hard but they never actually get anywhere as since 1974 Dale have been stuck firmly in the fourth tier of English football.

The Manchester club were relegated in 1973/74, finishing rock bottom of Division Three having won two games all season, and despite some cup success and near misses they have never escaped.

When The Bees were last in the fourth tier, 1998/99 Rochdale finished close to the bottom of the table, 19^th, and only six points clear of the relegation zone, but they improved under the leadership of Steve Parkin, who took over in the summer of 1998.

They finished tenth the following year, four points off the play-offs, and eighth a year later, missing out on a play-off spot by a solitary point.

Parkin moved on to Barnsley in November 2001 but The Dale continued to thrive, finishing in a play-off spot and only a point away from automatic promotion.

Rushden and Diamonds won the two-legged play off semi-final and Rochdale, then managed by John Hollins, faced another year in the bottom tier.

Paul Simpson assumed control in the summer of 2002 but he could not continue the improvement and Rochdale finished only four points clear of the relegation zone.

They did however embark on a remarkable FA Cup run which saw wins over Peterborough United, Bristol Rovers, Preston North End and Coventry City before a defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Fifth Round.

Simpson left at the end of the season and was replaced by Alan Buckley, but he lasted less than six months and the club turned back to Parkin with their league status in doubt.

They eventually survived, finishing two places and five points clear of a resurgent Carlisle United, managed, ironically, by Simpson, and with Parkin back at the helm managed better the next season.

They finished ninth in 2004/05 and 14th in 2005/06 but Parkin was sacked in December 2006 after a poor run of form.

Keith Hill took over at Spotland and led the club to a ninth place finish, five points off the play-offs, and it looks like his side might go even better this time around.

The goals of Adam Le Fondre and Glenn Murray fired them into the promotion shake-up and even when the latter departed for Brighton and Hove Albion in January The Dale kept up their good run.

They had a mixed start and were in the middle reaches of the table in October but a fine run over the winter period, including a stretch of two defeats in 17 games, took them into the play-off picture.

A run of one win in six through February and March set them back and they have lost their last two away games but they are currently favourites to take the last play-off spot and play six of their last nine games at Spotland.

BRENTFORD TEAM NEWS

The Bees injury worries are clearing up as they enter the final weeks of the season and they could have all their key men available for visit of Rochdale.

Experienced central defender Matthew Heywood was on the bench in the win at Grimsby and should be available although he may not dislodge Karleigh Osborne and Alan Bennett and may have to remain as a substitute.

Midfielder Gary Smith missed the win at Blundell Park after picking up a rib injury against Wrexham but he might be fit to return, although he will also have to fight for his place after fine performances from Kevin O'Connor and John Mousinho in the two wins.

Striker Ross Montague is definitely ruled out and Charlie Ide and Darius Charles are out on loan but everyone else should be available.

Wayne Brown, who scored the winner at Grimsby, will be pushing for a starting berth but Ricky Shakes, who scored both goals in the win over Wrexham, should keep him out.

ROCHDALE TEAM NEWS

Rochdale boss Hill moved to avert a potential goalkeeping crisis on Thursday afternoon when he signed Tottenham Hotspur stopper David Button on loan until the end of the season.

Before that deal he was left with only Tommy Lee, who is on loan from Macclesfield Town, after 21-year-old Lloyd Rigby left the club and with Sam Russell and James Spencer injured.

Lee played in Rochdale's 4-1 win over Rotherham United on Easter Monday, his second appearance of the weekend since joining from The Silkmen, but Button is likely to start on Saturday.

Another deadline day signing was Lewis Montrose, a defender or midfield player, from Wigan Athletic, and he may also come into the line-up.

The Easter Monday win also saw the return of Chris Dagnall, who had been out for six months with a knee injury.

Dagnall marked his return with a nine-minute hat trick and took his tally for the season to six in nine games.

Le Fondre and Rene Howe have played in attack recently, particularly since Murray was sold, and former Brentford striker Lee Thorpe is also an option.

For more on the Rochdale squad, click here.

EARLIER THIS SEASON

It took a brilliant goal from Glenn Poole to earn The Bees a point at Spotland when the teams met in October, one of a number he has scored this season.

The Bees looked to be heading to defeat when The Dale lead through a Murray goal but Poole fired in an equaliser from close to the touchline on the left hand side, looping the ball over Spencer and in to the far corner.

It was his second goal for the club and coming in the 88th minute it earned a slightly fortuitous point as Rochdale had the better of the game, certainly after they went ahead.

For a full report, click here.

For a gallery of photos from the match, click here.

LAST MEETINGS

The last time the teams went head-to-head in league competition was in the 1998/99 season when Rochdale beat The Bees 2-0 in Greater Manchester and Brentford won 2-1 at Griffin Park.

Prior to October Brentford were last at Spotland just under two years ago when they took on Rochdale in the First Round of the FA Cup.

The Bees, who were on their way to a Fifth Round meeting with Charlton Athletic, won through a tight and tense encounter thanks to a Kevin O'Connor penalty seconds before half time.

MEMORABLE MEETINGS

The Dale will remember the 1999 meeting with The Bees, as it is the only time they have ever managed to beat them.

With Brentford a couple of pieces short of the jigsaw that would eventually take them to the Division Three title goals from Michael Holt and Robbie Painter gave the home side a 2-0 win.

Prior to that Rochdale victory The Bees had won eight in a row against the Manchester outfit, scoring 22 goals in the process.

PLAYED FOR BOTH

Loan striker Scott Taylor joined a lengthy list of players who have appeared in Brentford and Rochdale shirts when he came on as a substitute in the game at Spotland this season.

Another former Bees' loanee Mickael Antione-Curier joined the Spotland club soon after his spell at Brentford ended in the summer of 2003 while goalkeeper Thomas Baker and striker Harry Anstiss represented both clubs between the wars.

Current Rochdale striker Thorpe played for The Bees in the first five months of this campaign, including for the London side in the return fixture.

George Eastham, who spent a year at Griffin Park under legendry Bees' boss Harry Curtis, Micky French and Dick Renwick also played for both clubs.

As did Kevin Dearden, who was at Rochdale on loan from Tottenham Hotspur before joining Brentford in the 1993/94 season.

During nearly six seasons at the club he was part of two play-off teams, a Division Three championship winning squad and played more than 250 games for The Bees.

ODDS

The Bees are slight favourites to record their third win in a row on Saturday, with Bet 365, the club's partner bookmaker, offering 11/8 on a home win.

Rochdale can be backed at 13/8 with the draw 23/10 and a repeat of the 1-1 score line at Spotland is 11/2.

For Brentford to record a second straight 2-1 win Bet 365 offer 17/2 while a 2-0 win is available at 9/1.

Le Fondre, who has 13 goals this season, is favourite to open the scoring, and can be backed at 6/1 while Dagnall is 13/2 and Thorpe is 7/1.

Reuben Reid is also available at 7/1, Alan Connell, who scored his 11^th goal of the campaign at Blundell Park, is 15/2 and Glenn Poole and Nathan Elder are 8/1.

John Mousinho, Kevin O'Connor and Ryan Dickson offer alternatives at 20/1.

ANDY SCOTT'S THOUGHTS

Brentford manager Andy Scott said it was vital his team built on taking six points out of six over the Easter weekend and has not completely ruled out thoughts of making the play-offs.

But he admitted any talk of making the top seven would be premature unless his team could pick up the points this weekend.

"It will be a very tough ask," said Scott. "The first hurdle is to get three points on Saturday because if we don't it is then very unlikely.

"I think we will have to win at least five games, probably all of them to get in the play-offs.

"It will be an attractive, attacking football match.

"They like to attack with wingers and that is the way we like to play.

"They have done very well, they have three games in hand and are probably favourites to get into the play offs.

"It will be a big blow to their confidence if we beat them."