Dagenham 3 (Arber 8, Ritchie 74, Southam 79) Rochdale 2 (Kennedy 16, Adams 21) – Full Time Report

Photo: Jon Coluccio

Nicky Adams celebrates his debut goal.

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Dagenham came from behind at half time to beat Rochdale thanks to two goals in five second half minutes.

Poor Dale defending, after they had appeared to stem the Dagenham threat, enabled Matt Ritchie and Glen Southam to rifle the goals that condemned Dale to defeat.

Key moments came both before and after Dagenham had turned the game. Gary Jones hit the post when he had the chance to give Dale a two goal advantage and then Lee McEvilly should have equalised when he had all the time in the world to beat Tony Roberts.

Sam Saunders was sent off late on for Dagenham but Dale could not press home the advantage and failed to create any further chances.

Rochdale came from behind to lead at half time. Goals from Tom Kennedy, a splendid free kick, and a debut strike for Nicky Adams, turned the game on its head after Mark Arber had stolen in front of his marker to nod Dagenham into the lead from a corner.

Rochdale should have had the lead within the first couple of minutes. Will Buckley broke into the box and hit a deflected shot wide. From the resulting corner the ball eventually came back to taker Nicky Adams who put it back over into the Dagenham box. Tony Roberts could only palm it out as far as Will Buckley, who set up Joe Thompson but the young winger sliced his shot horribly wide when he should have hit the target at worst.

Frank Fielding was the first of the keepers to be tested when Sam Saunders hit a low snap shot from the edge of the box. Fielding got down early and his touch on the ball was weak but it was enough to turn it past the post.

From the resulting corner Dagenham had the lead. The goal came in simple fashion, Saunders took the kick, Mark Arber got in front of his man and his glancing header took the ball comfortably beyond Fielding.

Given confidence from their goal, Dagenham had one chalked off minutes later by the referee. Paul Benson’s looping header sailed over Fielding into the net but the referee gave a free kick for a push by Benson on Rory McArdle.

Dale were level when Gary Jones broke from midfield and was hauled down by Soloman Taiwo on the edge of the box. Ex-Bury men Tom Kennedy and Adams stood over it and it was Kennedy who whipped a side footed shot around the wall and beyond Roberts.

It was not long before Adams was in on the act as excellent Dale football saw them turn the game on its head. Thompson got to the byline to fire in a low cross, Adam Le Fondre back-heeled it on and Adams was in to finish for a debut goal.

The shaky nature of both defences meant there was never a shortage of action in either penalty area. Dale’s marking from set pieces left a lot to be desired and Paul Benson should have drawn Dagenham level when he got in front of Rory McArdle from a free kick but he glanced his header wide.

The Dagenham backline, meanwhile, were not having any luck combating Dale’s play on the ground. Taiwo unwisely tried to shield the ball out against the pace of Adams and Buckley. Adams picked his pocket and allowed Buckley to take the ball and he should have extended Dale’s lead but his shot was smothered by an onrushing Roberts.

The start to the second half was not as lively as the first but Fielding was called into action in unlikely fashion as Kennedy had an aberration and almost notched a second own goal in as many games. Kennedy tried to nod the ball back to Fielding in a tight situation but his nod was way too strong and the goalkeeper had to turn the ball over the bar.

Dagenham had started the half strongly but the visitors came within inches of extending their lead when a loose ball fell to Gary Jones, whose low left foot shot came back off the foot of the post.

Dale began to get back on top of things with twenty minutes to go and through Buckley they always had chance to grab a third. As the space opened up Buckley was able to find more and more of it. When he got to the byline and cut the ball back for Lee McEvilly Dale looked certain to get a match clinching goal but the striker’s shot was deflected wide.

Dale seemed to have quelled the Dagenham attacks but they managed to concede in all too familiar circumstances; when there were not under much pressure. A loose ball dropped for Matt Ritchie to fire convincingly home and the Dagenham heads were up once more.

For the second time in the game the fixture was turned completely within a couple of minutes. The Dale backline failed to cope with a high bouncing ball and Glen Southam rifled it beyond Fielding.

The half had exploded into life and McEvilly missed a gilt-edged chance to bring Dale level once more. The chance evolved from a wonderful Dale move which saw Buckley chip the ball over for Thompson to collect inside the box and produce a reverse pass leaving McEvilly completely open just eight yards out. The striker hit his shot straight at Roberts when the keeper should have had no chance.

Dagenham made life difficult for themselves when Saunders needlessly and somewhat pathetically stamped on Buckley as they were trotting back towards the half way line in full view of the referee but their one man advantage had no bearing on the result. 

Attendance: 1808

Dagenham: Roberts, Okuonghae, Ritchie, Saunders, Southam, Griffiths (Uddin 23), Benson (Nurse 90), Strevens, Foster, Taiwo, Arber.
Subs (not used): Hogan, Nwokeji, Tejan-Sie.

Booked: Benson

Sent Off: Saunders

Rochdale: Fielding, Ramsden, Kennedy, Stanton, McArdle, Thompson (Rundle 81), Jones, Keltie, Adams (McEvilly 64), Buckley, Le Fondre (Dagnall 69).
Subs (not used): Toner, Wiseman. 

Attempts (on target): Dagenham 10 (7) Rochdale 16 (6)
Free kicks: Dagenham 17 Rochdale 14
Offside: Dagenham 3 Rochdale 5
Corners: Dagenham 4 Rochdale 4

Referee: S Hooper