Le Fondre’s sweet revenge in thriller

Adam Le Fondre soaks up the elation after his last minute winner

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Shrewsbury Town 3 (Hibbert 38, Drummond 62, Hunt 88)
Rochdale 4 (Rundle 46, Murray 80, Jones 85, Le Fondre 90)

Rochdale ended Shrewsbury’s 100% record at their New Meadow stadium by hitting three goals in the last ten minutes in game that the 438 travelling fans will not forget in a hurry. Trailing 1-0 at the break, the visitors quickly pulled one back just a minute into the second half and by the end both sets of supporters had endured a rollercoaster ride.

The first half gave little insight into the explosion that was to occur after the break. With Chris Dagnall out for the season for Rochdale, Keith Hill went for five across the middle in the hope of giving Dale some solidity against a Shrewsbury side that have made a bright start to the season. Dale were indeed solid but their style did little to make a spectacle of the fixture.

What it did do was frustrate the home side and Shrewsbury’s supporters grew increasingly impatient the longer the game remained goalless. The home side struggled to create chances but Hill’s game plan was upset on forty minutes after James Spencer saved superbly from Drummond’s header only for Dave Hibbert to fire in the re-bound.

Dale had been punished for missing the only real goal scoring opportunity of the half after Kelvin Lomax threaded a delightful ball to lone-striker Glenn Murray who beat the offside trap but could not beat Glynn Garner in the Shrewsbury goal. An awful touch from Murray sent the ball out of play without a shot being registered.

Even going into the break a goal down Rochdale were still well in the game against a Shrews side that were misfiring and the interval brought a blessing in disguise for Keith Hill. The Dale boss will be rueing the number of injuries his side is picking up but the one suffered by Lee Crooks here, a thigh strain, allowed Adam Le Fondre to come on and partner Murray up front and that swung the game Rochdale’s way.

Le Fondre was influential in the Dale equaliser when he hooked the ball back across goal from the by-line and Adam Rundle was on hand to nod home.

The change brought the best attacking football that Rochdale have played this season and all of a sudden they seemed capable of scoring at will, playing with the attacking flare and 4-4-2 formation that brought them so many good results last term. The solid first half tactics had been stagnant in terms of attack, Dale failing to register a shot on target.

Le Fondre was involved in the next major incident of the game. The event had the Dale players, fans and management in shock as Le Fondre skipped past Kelvin Langmead in the box before the defender lunged in and appeared to send Le Fondre to ground. Whilst the Dale fans stood expectant of the penalty, the referee, Mr Steven Cook, had a different opinion, awarding a free kick to Shrewsbury and booking Le Fondre for diving.

Keith Hill said: “I can’t understand the referee’s decision there. It’s Adam’s [Le Fondre] job to be in the box and looking for penalties and that was a definite penalty and to be honest I thought the referee tried his best to help Shrewsbury win the game. I don’t want to keep talking about referees because it seems to be the same every week, today is about the win.”

Dale continued to attack, determined not to let the decision get to them, but Shrewsbury were next to find the net against the run of play. Some indecision between Dale’s Tom Kennedy, now playing at centre half after Crooks’ injury, and David Perkins led to the ball bouncing up off Perkins for Drummond to drill an excellent low shot into the far corner from 18 yards.

Still Dale were not for lying down and although Colin Murdock and Marc Pugh spurned chances to extend Shrewsbury’s lead, both firing straight at Spencer from tight angles, it was Rochdale playing the football and it was no surprise when they equalised. Dale sub Rory Prendergast hit an inch perfect cross to the far post and Murray nodded home a crucial goal for Dale and a crucial goal for the striker who has been suffering a lack of confidence of late.

Murray’s goal began the rollercoaster of emotions that was the last ten minutes of the game. Gary Jones thought he had won it for Rochdale on 85 minutes when his well struck volley from thirty yards was deflected into the corner, giving Garner no chance, but by no means did that end the drama.

It spelled danger for Rochdale when Shrewsbury were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box due to the set-piece prowess of David Hunt. It looked as though Spencer would go some way towards earning Rochdale the win when he kept out Hunt’s low deflected effort with a fine save on the line. The referee however spotted some encroachment by Kallum Higginbotham on the free kick and he was booked and the free kick re-taken. Hunt was delighted at the second bite of the cherry, drilling a similar shot into the bottom corner.

Higginbotham was soon to turn hero from villain, and Le Fondre was to have what he would term revenge on the referee’s earlier diving decision. After a lengthy run from Prendergast, he fed Higginbotham who knocked a cross over for Le Fondre who had the simple task of heading home with not a Shrewsbury defender in sight.

A sickener for the Shrews, cue scenes of wild celebration from the Dale fans behind the goal, Rochdale had won another thriller.

Attendance: 6,262

Shrewsbury: Garner, Herd, Langmead, Murdock, Tierney, Humphrey (Ashton 48), Drummond, Hunt, Pugh, Hibbert, Nicholson (Symes 56).
Subs not used: Kempson, Hall, Esson.

Booked: Langmead, Nicholson, Drummond, Hunt.

Rochdale: Spencer, Lomax, McArdle, Crooks (Le Fondre 51), Kennedy, Jones, Doolan, Perkins, Muirhead (Higginbotham 75), Murray, Rundle (Prendergast 67).
Subs not used: Thompson, Russell.

Booked: Murray, Muirhead, Le Fondre, Jones, Higginbotham.

Attempts (on target): Shrewsbury 11 (7) Rochdale 9 (4)
Freekicks: Shrewsbury 19 Rochdale 8
Offside: Shrewsbury 2 Rochdale 3
Corners: Shrewsbury 3 Rochdale 2

Referee: S Cook