Brentford 0 Rochdale 2
Two second half goals gave Dale a hard fought victory and kept alive the Play off dream.
You cannot always win by playing pretty and against a physical long ball side this was a victory built on the solid foundations of a top quality defensive display with Nathan Stanton and his young apprentice Rory McArdle winning every battle and behind them Tommy Lee showing exemplary handling when called upon.
Brentford manager Andy Scott had called the game a six pointer in his programme notes hinting that this was a game that his side had to win and they certainly worked hard, getting the ball forward as quickly as they could at all times looking for Nathan Elder a big powerful striker. Elder won lots of ball in the air but lacked direction with his headers time and again and when chances fell to him on the floor and they did twice he completley fluffed his lines.
The first chance of the game fell, on 9 minutes, to Elder as the ball was played over the top to him but having got away he let it bounce before miscuing horribly wide.
Then five minutes later the visitors created a chance of their own as Adam Rundle skipped away down the left and produced a near perfect cross for Rene Howe but from close range the big striker thudded a header against the upright. On 25 minutes from an Elder cross on the right Tommy Lee reacted well to keep a Connell out and at the other end on 33 minutes Gary Jones saw his effort saved by Bees keeper Simon Brown.
Early in the second half Dale made 2 substitutions with former Bee Lee Thorpe and Ben Muirhead replacing Adam le Fondre and Chris Basham but still chances remained at a premium with Rundle shooting wide off balance,Lee showing good hands to hold on to a Glenn Poole free kick and Connell firing over from the edge of the box.
On 77 minutes though Dale took the lead. Thorpe held the ball well in midfield before feeding it out to Simon Ramsden on the right. Then as the full back floated in an excellent cross Thorpe timed his run to perfection and sent a looping header over Brown and into the net. Another example of a player returning to haunt a former club.
By now Mondays hero Chris Dagnall had also been introduced and from a Thorpe flick to a Ramsden throw in he sent a looping header onto the roof of the net
Desperate to salvage something and keep their season alive Brentford continued to bomb the ball forward. They should have equalised in the 90th minute as Lee saved well from Connell but with the goal at his mercy Elder smashed the ball high and wide from 5 yards.
In their very next attack Dale interchanged a series of passes before Jones sent Muirhead scurrying away down the right. Te winger got to the byline looked up and pulled it back to Adam Rundle and though his first touch was poor his second, with his right foot, sent the ball into the bottom corner and the 357 travelling fans into delirium.
Every game is massive now and everyone can look forward to the visit of fallen giants Bradford City on Tuesday evening.
