Doncaster Rovers 1 - 1 Rochdale

Doncaster Rovers 1 - 1 Rochdale

Rochdale stayed in League One play-off contention after coming from behind to earn a point against mid table Doncaster. Kyle Bennett controversially fired the hosts into the lead with referee Gavin Ward overruling his assistant’s flag after Curtis Main blocked off Jamie Jones. Ian Henderson restored parity just shy of the hour mark when he tapped home a Michael Rose cross to keep Rochdale just four points outside the top six with a game in hand of most teams around.

On a bright but breezy day and on a very uneven surface, Dale had a very early shout for a penalty turned down by the referee after Joe Rafferty appeared to be bundled over inside the opening 60 seconds.

Leading scorer Ian Henderson will feel he should have done better when he planted a free header well off target; a miss that he would live to regret as soon afterwards Doncaster scored.

Reece Wabara sent a cross in from the right which evaded everybody except Kyle Bennett at the back post. The former Bury man then scuffed his shot across goal and inside the far post but huge appeals from the Dale players of an infringement by Main eventually led to the assistant raising his flag. Referee Ward, after consulting his assistant, awarded the goal much to the displeasure of the Rochdale players and staff.

The goal spurred Dale on and they thought they had levelled just six minutes later but a flag cut short the celebrations. Rose’s shot was well saved by keeper Stephen Bywater with the loose ball finding Jamie Allen who forced another fine stop out of the former Dale keeper. Despite the save, the ball fell to Henderson who tapped home but the goal wouldn’t stand.

Rochdale came out looking much better after the break and got their deserved equaliser on 59 minutes. Rose’s low cross from the left was tucked away at the near post by Henderson for his 19th of the season.

The striker almost made it 20 minutes later when he beat the offside trap but fired harmlessly into the hands of Bywater from close range.

The Dale boss sent on Easter Monday’s hero Calvin Andrew and he almost netted with his first touch when he powered a header which forced Bywater into a flying save. From the corner, Peter Vincenti volleyed against the post as Dale pushed for the winner.

Rose saw his long range free-kick spilled by Bywater with Doncaster slamming the ball away before any Dale player could react.

Vincenti had a couple of late chances to seal the points but he headed over after an intelligent header across goal by Andrew and with virtually the last kick of the game he fired over when he had Andy Cannon and Henderson well placed either side.

Other results elsewhere means Rochdale are just four points adrift with five games still left to play but they welcome automatic promotion chasing Swindon Town to Spotland on Tuesday evening.

Attendance: 5,695 (517 from Rochdale)

Rochdale: Jones, Rafferty ( Camps 53), Eastham, Kennedy, Cannon, Rose, Bennett, Allen, Logan (Andrew 67), Vincenti, Henderson (c)
Subs: (not used) Lillis, Bunney, Brandy, Hery, Noble-Lazarus

Doncaster: Bywater, Wabara, Butler, McCombe, Stevens, Coppinger (c), Furman (Forrester 73), Wellens, Bennett, Tyson (Mandeville 80), Main ( Clarke-Harris 67)
Subs: (not used) Evina, Jones, Marosi, Middleton

Referee: Mr G Ward
Assistant Referees: Mr W Grunnill & Mr P Wright
Fourth Official: Mr R Wootton