Rochdale 1 (Le Fondre 67) Bournemouth 1 (Bradbury 44 pen)( Full Time Report)

Photo: Jon Coluccio

Adam Le Fondre fires in an early shot.

19 More Image(s) In Gallery

Rochdale had to settle for a point against League Two strugglers Bournemouth as Adam Le Fondre cancelled out Lee Bradbury’s first half penalty.

Bournemouth led at half time after a hotly disputed penalty award from referee Graham Laws. Laws adjudged Marcus Holness to have dragged down Matt Tubbs inside the Dale box and pointed to the spot to award a soft penalty. Lee Bradbury fired in the kick.

Dale were level thanks to Le Fondre’s fine finish but they could not push on and get a winner.

Dale had had earlier chances from Lee McEvilly and Adam Le Fondre but there was nothing to really test Shwan Jalal in the Bournemouth goal.

Shwan Jalal was tested by a well struck Adam Le Fondre shot early doors, the keeper forced to turn the ball over his crossbar, and Lee McEvilly, on his return to Spotland, had a close range effort blocked on the line after Will Buckley’s cross was deflected into the big striker’s path.

Good link up between the two Dale strikers brought another couple of half chances for each, while a touch of class from Buckley brought Dale another opportunity to open the scoring. The young winger beat a man on the half way line to scamper clear, took the ball inside another, but he could not put the gloss on a fine run with an equal finish.

Bournemouth had offered very little going forward but Sam Russell in the Dale goal was forced into the save of the half when Shaun Cooper’s well struck shot travelled at pace through a sea of bodies to reach the keeper’s outstretched right arm.

The visitors took the lead from the penalty spot as Matt Tubbs won the softest of spot kicks against Marcus Holness. Tubbs looked to turn inside the box and went to ground, the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Lee Bradbury tucked home the penalty.

Bournemouth looked to sit on their lead in the second half and for large parts of it it was defence against attack, with the visitors hoping to hit Dale on the break. The tactic almost reaped instant benefits as Bradbury latched onto a through ball, only for Holness to get in a last ditch challenge.

For the most part the second half was played out in the Bournemouth half and, after introducing strikers Jon Shaw and Chris Dagnall from the bench, it was starting striker Le Fondre that got the equaliser. It came via fine build up play and a one two between Keltie and Le Fondre allowed the striker some space to rifle the ball into the roof of the net.

Dale searched for the winner, with Dagnall and Le Fondre both coming within inches of curling shots inside the far post, the former’s coming via an excellent tip from Jalal. Meanwhile Bournemouth were somewhat fortunate to keep eleven men on the field after Mark Molesley’s shockingly late tackle on Tom Kennedy.

There was only the home side likely to win it, Shaw going close with a late header and Buckley tested Jalal at full stretch, but they had to settle for a point. 

Attendance: 2235

Rochdale: Russell, Ramsden, Kennedy, Stanton, Holness, Rundle (Dagnall 64), Toner, Keltie, Buckley, Le Fondre, McEvilly (Shaw 57).
Subs (not used): Evans, Jones, Spencer.

Booked: Ramsden, Stanton.

Bournemouth: Jalal, Guyett, Cooper, Bartley (Partington 75), Holland, Ward, Mcquoid (Igoe 73), Tubbs, Molesley, Bradbury (Pitman 85), Cummings.
Subs (not used): Connell, Pitman, Partington, Igoe, Garry.

Attempts (on target): Rochdale 14 (7) Bournemouth 8 (6)
Free kicks: Rochdale 14 Bournemouth 15
Offside: Rochdale 1 Bournemouth 3
Corners: Rochdale 5 Bournemouth 3

Referee: G Laws.