Lincoln City 1 Rochdale 1 - Full Time Report

Photo: Jon Coluccio

Lincoln vs Rochdale

17 More Image(s) In Gallery

Rochdale and Lincoln shared the spoils at Sincil Bank as Daniel Hone deservedly equalised Adam Rundle’s wonder strike late in the second half.

Despite Lincoln being the better side and having far more chances, Rochdale should have secured the three points with the last kick of the game as Adam Le Fondre, with all the time in the world, fired straight at Rob Burch from just seven yards out.

Rochdale took the lead into half time at despite Lincoln having by far the better of the chances.

The visitors had only one shot on target in the whole half but the quality of that shot from Adam Rundle deserved a goal, as the Dale winger rifled in a volley from 25 yards.

Keith Hill reflected after the game on two points dropped. He said: “It was a battling performance tonight in tough conditions. I think we should have won it, we got an ugly point when it should have been an ugly three points.

“Their goal was a very good goal but for me it was defendable, and we had defended very well up to that point, and then after the goal we still had chances to win it.

“We could have scored and we should have won on another night.

“We scored a superb goal and then I think we should have scored more on the counter in the second half.”

The home side dominated the opening stages and Sam Russell in the Dale goal had to be at his best to deny them an opener.

A Scott Kerr free-kick from fully 35 yards was well struck and the keeper was forced to push the ball round the post and then Russell did well to push Danny N’Guessan’s drive over the bar after Lee Beevers got the better of Marcus Holness to get to the by-line and cut back.

Beevers himself was guilty of a couple of Lincoln misses as he twice got the end of Imps corners to power free headers over the cross bar when he should have done better.

Dale’s first attack brought a goal to grace any game, at any level. Adam Rundle struck a wonder volley to give Dale the lead from what was their first real venture into the Lincoln box. As Dale attacked the ball was half cleared to Rundle 25 yards out and the winger hit a dipping volley over Rob Burch, who had absolutely no chance.

Lincoln picked up from where Rundle’s goal hurt them to continue their bombardment of the Dale goal. Beevers was allowed another free header, which was this time on target but straight at Russell.

The Dale keeper had been bar far the busier of the two as Russell was again tested by N’Guessan with a powerful shot towards his near post as Burch, at the other end, had to watch an excellently struck Gary Jones drive whistle inches above his crossbar but nothing more.

Lincoln remained in the ascendency in the second half but the chances seemed to dry up as the Rochdale defence tightened in the knowledge that they were doing very little at the other end.

As the home side continued to press Dale looked to play on the counter attack and Keith Hill introduced both Chris Dagnall and Adam Le Fondre to try an utilise the counter to its full potential.

It should have seen Dale double their lead as Dagnall put Jones in the clear but the finish from the skipper was woeful, blazing high wide and not very handsome from ten yards out.

Dale came on strong in the latter stages and finally began to enjoy some extended time in possession. The improved play brought a chance for Le Fondre to make sure of the win as he latched onto Rundle’s pass but the striker fired straight at Burch.

The visitors were made to pay as Lincoln got the equaliser that they had fully deserved. A deep cross from Imps substitute Stefan Oakes travelled all the way to Daniel Hone at the back post who, unmarked, produced a fine volleyed finish back across goal and beyond Russell.

Dale were probably the more disappointed with the draw as they looked to have weathered the home side’s storm and then, deep into stoppage time, Le Fondre should have snatched the win from the jaws of stalemate. He held the ball up inside the Lincoln box and found Dagnall, who turned back inside to return the pass to Le Fondre, who fired straight at Burch when a goal looked the easier option.

Attendance: 4,510

Lincoln: Burch, Green, Kovacs (Brown 90), Hone, Beevers, Frecklington, Kerr, Clarke (Oakes 68), N’Guessan, John-Lewis (Gall 68), Patulea.
Subs (not used): Wright, Duffy.

Booked: John-Lewis.

Rochdale: Russell, Holness, Kennedy, Stanton, McArdle, Buckley (Le Fondre 71), Jones, Toner, Rundle, Thorpe, Rhodes (Dagnall 65).
Subs (not used): Keltie, Wiseman, Spencer.

Booked: McArdle, Thorpe. 

Attempts (on target): Lincoln 13 (8) Rochdale 7 (3)
Free kicks: Lincoln 26 Rochdale 12
Offside: Lincoln 2 Rochdale 11
Corners: Lincoln 8 Rochdale 2