Winner takes all as Rochdale meet York in huge National League title decider | OneFootball

York City and Rochdale will face off in a ‘winner takes all’ clash on Saturday afternoon to decide this year’s National League title, in yet another seismic title race.

League leaders City currently find themselves on 107 points, whilst Rochdale are on 105 in second, giving the visitors a notable advantage over their opponents as a draw will be enough to see them promoted to the football league.

Only one side can gain automatic promotion to League Two, with the other entering the play-offs alongside Carlisle United, Boreham Wood, Scunthorpe United, Southend United and Forest Green Rovers.

The teams both exceeding 100 points bares echoes of Wrexham’s promotion into the 92 in the 2022/23 season after winning the league with a record haul of 111, just four ahead of Notts County who went up via the playoffs.

Both sides were in the playoffs last season, but neither made the final, where Oldham Athletic were ultimately promoted back to the Football League.

They also both boast two of the league’s top scorers, York’s Ollie Pearce leads the league’s scoring charts with 34, whilst Rochdale’s Emmanuel Dieseruvwe is third after bagging his side’s 99th-minute winner last time out to set up this final day spectacle.

Pearce is also in fine form lately, having scored in his last two outings – both players will no doubt play a key role in Saturday’s result.

Former Notts County manager Stuart Maynard has been the man in charge of York this season and will be hoping to add a 34th win to his tally at the helm of The Minstermen since his appointment last August.

Meanwhile, Jimmy McNulty will remain in the Rochdale dugout for his 170th game in charge, almost as many as the 197 he was involved in as a player for the club.

York came out on top in the reverse fixture back in November, handing The Dale a 4-1 hammering thanks to braces from Pearce and Josh Stones.

In fact, City have won their last four meetings with Rochdale since August 2024. Rochdale’s last win came in the early days of McNulty’s tenure, 3-1 at the LNER Community Stadium back in August 2023.

A sold-out Crown Oil Arena in Rochdale awaits the two sides on Saturday afternoon, with kick-off scheduled for 12:30pm (UK time)