Report | Rochdale

Saturday 10th March 2007 - KO 3pm

Rochdale

Darlington

Matt Gilks

Sam Russell

Simon Ramsden

Neil Wainwright

David Perkins

Micky Cummins 62

Steve Turnbull

Clark Keltie

Alan Goodall

Julian Joachim 69

John Doolan

Gregg Blundell

Lee Crooks 63

Martin Smith 80

Ben Muirhead 76

Scott Wiseman

Glenn Murray

Ian Miller

Adam Le Fonde

Evan Horwood

Adam Rundle

Dave Wheater

Substitutes

Lewis Edge

David Stockdale

Charlie Cowyn-Platt

Alun Armstrong

Rory Prendergast

David Rowson 80

Mark Jackson 63

Tommy Wright 69

Louis Dodds 76

Ricky Ravenhill 62

SCORERS

BOOKINGS

Muirhead 74

Wheater 11, Wainwright 65

Stuart Ashworth at Spotland

With both sides going into this one having won four of their last six games and drawing the other two, the form book and indeed many had predicted a goalless draw come quarter to five.

With nil nil written all over it perhaps you'd be forgiven in thinking this stalemate would earn the tag 'bore draw' but what transpired after 90 minutes of football was just that, 90 minutes of football.

The day began with the news that Rory McArdle had failed a late fitness test ahead of the game so with his exclusion, Alan Goodall took up station in the centre of defence with David Perkins taking the left back slot vacated by Goodall's switch.

That left a hole in the midfield and gave Steve Turnbull the chance to show his worth and he took on and passed his Dale debut with flying colours.

Rochdale dominated huge percentages of the game and from the first whistle, Hill's side look the most threatening, especially in the early stages.

Just three minutes had been played when Ben Muirhead skipped down the flank before squaring a dangerous ball into the box. With Rundle and Le Fondre lurking Darlington defender Dave Wheater got his body in the way of the ball and almost diverted it past his own 'keeper Sam Russell. Sadly for Dale fans the visiting stopper reacted quickly and pounced on the ball.

Ben Muirhead was again involved on 12 minutes and did well to get some sort of cross in after he looked like he'd nudged the ball too far forward in his approach. Muirhead's looping cross was met in the box with a similar looping header from Murray that sailed over the bar from nine yards.

Darlington weren't without chances of their own though much of their excellent football in the first two thirds was wasted in the last. It looked as though they may have to rely on a set-piece to break the deadlock and on 16 minutes they almost did.

A corner from the right wasn't dealt with by Dale after seemingly poor communication from Gilks and his defence. Dave Wheater attempted to nod the ball over a crowd in the box after a tangle of bodies meant Gilks merely got the faintest of touches on the ball. Fortunately the Rochdale 'keeper recovered in time to pluck the ball out of the air as Wheater headed goalward.

The home side should have taken the lead on 20 minutes following the best passage of play in the game but were denied by the brilliance of 'keeper Sam Russell in the Darlington goal three times in as many seconds.

John Doolan combined well with Muirhead on the right before the Bradford loanee put a low cross into the box. Glenn Murray hooked a firm low shot towards the keeper's right but Russell got down well to parry the ball. No sooner was he on his feet when Rundle fired in the loose ball but again Russell blocked before make save number three from Adam Le Fondre at his near post to push the ball out for a corner.

While there was no question he had ability in his hands, Russell's feet were proving troublesome after two poor kicks from the Darlington stopper provided Dale with another two opportunities in quick succession.

The first poor kick fell to the very lively Adam Rundle who raced forward before driving a low ball into the box that flashed across the face goal.

The second ended with Glenn Murray taking a pot shot at goal after good build up play from debutant Steve Turnbull. Sadly for the Dale faithful it was another chance that went begging.

Whilst one keeper was having problems with his kicking the another was popping them all round the park without a problem. In fact it was Matt Gilk's who almost added an assist to his name after a route one ball forward found Adam Le Fondre in the opposition box. Le Fondre smashed a half-volley goalwards and this time Russell was beaten. Sadly the woodwork had other idea's and the Stockport County loanee's effort smashed off the angle and away to safety.

The Quakers, chasing those play off places added two more chances of their own after half an hour and the best of the whole afternoon fell to Neil Wainwright who should have put his team in front with what looked like a tap in.

A deep cross from the right found Smith at the back post and it was his header back across goal that found the unmarked Wainwright. With the goal at his mercy Wainwright drilled a low shot wide of the mark to the relief of Dale fans and disbelief of his own.

Dale responded well and drove the Quakers back into their own half with solid wing-play on both flanks. It was that positive approach that led to the half coming to close with a succession of corners and assaults on Russell's goal, but it was a goal that wasn't going to be breeched.

It is often the case for a team seemingly in control of affairs to come out for the second period to come out with the roles reversed and that was certainly the case after the break.

Maybe it is the respective team talks in which one is calm and offers the advice of more of the same whilst the other is about flying tea-cups and talk of stepping it up.

Whatever was said it was the visitors that came out strong in the second period and with just two minutes of the restart Darlington almost broke the deadlock. A ball from the right into the box was stabbed goalwards by Martin Smith but as the ball headed home Gilks was down to his left to smother it, leaving Smith in the area with his head in his hands.

Smith almost found a way past Gilks five minutes later following an assist from the Spotland surface. A hopeful shot from outside the box bounce in front of the Dale 'keeper before springing up like a Jack-in-a-Box and somehow Gilks bundled the ball wide of the target.

It took the home side a while to get back into things; in fact it was 62 minutes into the game before a sniff of an effort came Rochdale's way. Adam Le Fondre. With his back to goal, Le Fondre looked to capitalise on nobody seizing on a loose ball from Alan Goodall's header back into the mixer with an overhead effort that flew over the bar.

Dale turned the screw and looked very threatening going forward for a time but sadly the pressure heaped on the visitors failed to reap any reward.

They went close with a great ball into the box that evaded the advancing Le Fondre and a Glenn Murray header that was tipped over the bar by Russell but all to no avail.

Russell even provided a photo opportunity for the pitchside photographers after a curling effort by Le Fondre was acrobatically tipped away and even shouts for an 89th minute penalty were waved away by referee Mr Hegley after Le Fondre came crashing down under a strong but fair challenge by Wheater.

Again, on a personal note I was disappointed with a draw after Rochdale took on a promotion chasing side, beat them to the punch, beat them on points, but sadly only got one.

Match Stats

Rochdale

Darlington

ATTEMPTS

ON TARGET

FREEKICKS

CORNERS

OFFSIDE

YELLOW CARDS

RED CARDS

POSSESSION

65%

POSSESSION

35%

Stats by PA

Star Player

Rochdale

Darlington

Alan Goodall

Sam Russell

Slotted into the Dale central defence in the abscence of injured Rory McArdle with aplomb. Man-marked the pacy Joachim out of the game and provided excellent cover.

Despite poor kicking Russell was simply the reason the scoreline reads 0-0. A string of fine saves including three in succession earned his side a share of the spoils.

Managers Comments in Brief

Keith Hill

Danny Penney

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