Saturday 27th January 2007 - KO 3pm

 5

MK Dons

 0

1

Matt Gilks

25

Lee Harper

2

Simon Ramsden 36

3

Dean Lewington 46

18

Nathan Stanton

6

Sean O'Hanlon 46

23

Rory McArdle

7

John-Paul McGovern

12

Alan Goodall

9

Clive Platt

5

John Doolan

12

Jude Stirling

27

Rory Prendergast 81

13

Keith Andrew

8

Gary Jones

19

Scott Taylor 46

17

Glenn Murray 72

20

Aaron Wilbraham

7

Kelvin Etuhu

23

Lloyd Dyer

9

Adam Le Fonde

26

Paul Butler

Substitutes

13

Lloyd Rigby

4

Drissa Diallo

14

Adam Rundle 81

14

Gary Smith 46

16

David Perkins 36

15

Gareth Edds 46

19

Lee Crooks

16

Leon Knight 46

26

Reuben Reid 72

31

Adolfo Baines

SCORERS

Le Fonde 5, Ramsden 10, Prendergast 16, Le Fondre 62, Etuhu 84

BOOKINGS

Jones 55, Stanton 69, Etuhu 85

Edds 58 

Stuart Ashworth at Spotland

Rochdale put high-flyers MK Dons to the sword following a five star showing at Spotland that helped lift Keith Hill's newlook side out of the relegation zone.

Two goals from man-of-the-match Adam Le Fondre in his first game in a Rochdale shirt capped an emphatic victory with fellow debutant Rory Prendergast also amongst the scorers.

With just 30 seconds played Rochdale could have taken the lead after a dash down the right by Kelvin Etuhu was ended with a cross that Adam Le Fondre guided to the bottom corner.  Sadly 'keeper Lee Harper was alert to get down to his right and prevent the loanee getting off to the perfect start.

Rochdale never let the visitors settle or even make in-roads into the Dale half.  Tenacious in the tackle and pin-point in the their passing, Rochdale put MK Don's on the back foot from the first whistle and that's were they stayed.

Having been denied earlier by Lee Harper, Le Fondre was in no mood to let history repeat itself minutes later after a long ball out of defence by Rory McArdle.  Both Glenn Murray and Le Fondre skipped past the Dons lacklustre rearguard but it was the Stockport loanee who took control and smashed the ball home from 12-yards.  A clinical finish enforcing why he was brought to Spotland.

Rochdale were unlucky not to have doubled their lead moments later after Etuhu fired in from the right wing to find Le Fondre at the back stick, but his header glanced the bar before the visitors finally cleared.  It was panic stations in the visitors reguard every time the ball came within reach of Harper's goal.

It wasn't long though before Rochdale put their second away, even if it did come courtesy of the unusual source of defender Simon Ramsden.  Dale skipper Gary Jones slotted the ball through for livewire Le Fondre but his shot was parried by Harper.  Unfortunately for the 'keeper the ball fell for Ramsden who smashed the ball home despite the best efforts of the 'keeper.

There was a goal not long after and it fell to Dale on 16 minutes after defender Dean Lewington was caught out by John Doolan.  Lewington was in receipt of a Harper throw out, but the left-back hadn't seen the Dale midfielder bearing down on him.  Doolan won the ball in the challenge before driving a low ball into the box was smashed home by Rory Prendergast (above celebrating) at the far post.  Bedlum broke out on the terraces with the goal as the Dale faithful began chanting the name of their new manager.

Shell-shocked by the performance and quick fire succesion of goals, Martin Allen's side failed to muster much in the way of goal mouth action though Scott Taylor was left wondering how he didn't give his some hope with a shot from 12-yards that flew over the crossbar just before the break.

The second-half had a tough act to follow on the entertainment front for Rochdale fans and the neutral, but with a triple substitution by Martin Allen in a bid to get something out of the game the seeds were being sown.

Into the fray arrived Leon Knight, Gary Smith and Gareth Edds to give a more attacking line-up for the visitors.  To be fair the early indications were that MK Dons could cause some concern, but a resolute defence marshalled well by messers McArdle and Stanton ensured Matt Gilks had a very comfortable game between the sticks.

That comfort zone was further enhanced when the 'Way back' sign was smashed to the ground by Le Fondre on 62 minutes after agressive wing play by substitute David Perkins who made his league debut.

Perkins scampered away down the left before finding John Doolan that was in truth searching out Le Fondre.  Doolan, up in support collected the ball before delivering a low cross which Le Fondre met at the front post and applied the finishing touch.

Le Fondre would have had his hat-trick if the linesman had been up with play after he smashed a shot goalwards from an Etuhu cross.  The Stockport loanee had bites of the cherry with Harper clawing the ball away intially before McGovern hooked the ball away off the line as Le Fondre looked to finish off once more.

Still there was time for one final goal and it arrived via the boots of another impressive debutant in Reuben Reid.  His control in the middle of the park was superb and the ball through for Etuhu was perfect in both weight and direction. 

Ethuhu raced clear and fired a low shot through Lee Harper's legs for number five with six minutes to go.

The result lifted Rochdale out of the relegation zone and if performances continue in the vein then relegation worries will be something other teams have. 

For now Keith Hill, his players and the supporters can enjoy the result and a performance that many will remember for a long time to come, including the four debutants.

Match Stats

MK Dons

ATTEMPTS

 17

ATTEMPTS

 9

ON TARGET

 12

ON TARGET

4 

FREEKICKS

 18

FREEKICKS

 19

CORNERS

 3

CORNERS

 7

OFFSIDE

 6

OFFSIDE

 1

YELLOW CARDS

 3

YELLOW CARDS

 1

RED CARDS

RED CARDS

POSSESSION

59%

POSSESSION

41%

Star Player

Rochdale

MK Dons

 Adam Le Fondre

 Clive Platt

Two goals and a performance that ranks high amongst debut showings.  Plenty of others up for this award toiday, but two goals shade it for Alf.

Tried hard to make things work for his side, shame for him there was so many others who didn't.

Managers Comments in Brief

Keith Hill

Martin Allen

 "It was a shocking performance and there will be changes for next weekend."

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