Rochdale and York set for 'unique' title-decider

Rochdale striker Emmanuel Dieseruvwe (left) has scored 25 National League goals this season while York's Ollie Pearce (right) is the division's top scorer with 34 [Getty Images] York City boss Stuart Maynard has called his side's final day National League title decider at Rochdale "one of the biggest games in the English football pyramid". The Minstermen top the table ahead of Dale by two points going into Saturday's match. Both sides have broken the 100-point barrier in what has been a great battle for the lone automatic promotion place to the Football League.

"We've kept it normal but we know the magnitude of the game," Maynard told BBC Radio York when asked about his side's preparations. "These are the games that we want to be involved in. "We know from the outside it will be documented as probably one of the biggest games in the English football pyramid this weekend but for us nothing changes.

"The lads have been incredible but all that matters is that come the final whistle we're top of the league. " This is the second time in the past four seasons that two teams in the National League have won over 100 points after Wrexham and Notts County both achieved the feat in 2022-23. The Welsh side won the title with 111 points and Notts County went up through the play-offs, having finished on 107.

York were moments away from securing the title last Saturday before Dale striker Emmanuel Dieseruvwe scored an injury-time winner at relegated Braintree to take the battle for promotion to the final day. The Minstermen's home win over Yeovil had finished with Dale still level in their match and players had followed the final minutes of Rochdale's game on the pitch hoping they would be able to celebrate ending the club's 10-year wait for EFL football. Boss Maynard said his side, who finished second with 96 points under Adam Hinshelwood last season before losing to Oldham in the play-offs, had moved on from that blow.