Darlington 1 (Abbott 60) Rochdale 2 (Le Fondre 27, Rundle 62) – Full Time Report

Photo: Jon Coluccio

Rundle is mobbed by his team mates as Dale fans celebrate.

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Rochdale recorded a memorable victory against ten man Darlington to fully recover from a couple of disappointing home results last week.

Fine goals from Adam Le Fondre and Adam Rundle, sandwiched between Pawel Abbott’s equaliser, saw Dale record a fourth consecutive away win.

Darlington’s plight was not helped when Ricky Ravenhill was sent off for a horror tackle not long after Dale had grabbed their second.

Rochdale led at half time thanks to Adam Le Fondre’s wonderful goal.

Dale weathered an early storm and took the lead when Le Fondre turned from a wide position in the box and rifled a finish into the far corner of the Darlington net.

Darlington came close to goals through Jason Kennedy and Pawel Abbott twice, while a couple of scrambles from Darlington set pieces could easily have landed in the back of the net.

Keith Hill made wholesale changes to the side that came unstuck against Brentford at the weekend. A new look strike force of Lee Thorpe and Adam Le Fondre replaced Chris Dagnall and Will Buckley, while former Darlington man Adam Rundle came onto the wing in place of Joe Thompson. A final change was enforced due an illness to Rory McArdle, Simon Ramsden deputised.

Dale made an edgy start and the home side came closest to an opener. As anyone that was at the Darlington leg of the play-offs last year will remember, Jason Kennedy needs no second invitation to shoot from range and when the ball sat up nicely for the midfielder on the edge of the box, the former Middlesbrough man tried his luck, the ball flying inches over the cross bar.

The margins were similar with Darlington’s next couple of chances as Pawel Abbott twice found room in the box to shoot. His first attempt came within a foot of the far top corner while his second flashed across goal with Alan White inches away from getting a vital touch.

The home side continued to press and Dale didn’t manage a shot of their own until they survived a goal mouth scramble after Frank Fielding had spilled a dangerous Liam Hatch free kick. A combination of Tom Kennedy and Ramsden hacked the ball clear before David Poole could turn it in.

Dale sprung a counter through a rampaging Gary Jones, who ran from inside his own half before firing a dipping shot from the edge of the box which Dean Gerken was adjudged to have turned just over the crossbar.

Dale gathered momentum and the warning signs were there for Darlington when Le Fondre found space on the edge of the box from Thorpe’s knockdown. The striker arrowed his shot well wide but minutes later and Dale’s top scorer had scored a wonderful goal. Collecting Scott Wiseman’s low ball in, the striker turned 12 yards out and fired an unstoppable shot beyond Gerken.

The visitors looked to have weathered the early Darlington storm but set pieces were always going to be a problem against an outfit of Darlington’s height. There was another scramble when Ricky Ravenhill whipped in a corner. Kennedy’s header was somehow deflected out and then a second chance was palmed out by Fielding before Dale could clear.

Things became more difficult for the visitors in the final minute before half time when captain Jones was forced off holding his groin to be replaced by former Darlington man Clark Keltie.

The opening minutes of the second half were taken up by a severe injury to Liam Hatch after Fielding collided with the midfielder when coming out well to punch clear a Darlington free kick. Hatch lay on the ground receiving treatment for several minutes before he was taken off on a stretcher. Danny Carlton replaced him.

Dale were more than holding their own but inevitably it was a set piece that proved to be their undoing. Ryan Valentine’s corner dipped over the man at the near post and hit Abbott more than anything to squirm into the corner.

Dale hit back immediately and regained the lead thanks to superb play from Le Fondre. The striker scampered to the byline on the right hand side of the Darlington box and clipped a perfect ball back for Adam Rundle to volley comprehensively home.

Things got worse for the home side as Ricky Ravenhill lost his head on the Darlington left touchline and piled into an appalling tackle on ex-Darlington man Wiseman. Ravenhill promptly received his marching orders for the two footed shin high tackle.

Dale played largely on the counter from then on. They came close to a third as Gerken spilled the ball under pressure from Le Fondre and Lee Thorpe tried to loft the ball over the two men on the line. Neil Austin was on hand to nod the ball from under the bar and out for a corner.

The visitors continued to probe for a killer third and Thorpe and Le Fondre came close to finding it through a couple of half chances. Darlington were by no means out of it, especially with Abbott’s presence up front, but with a man light they struggled to find the crucial pass and were restricted to long range efforts that were so difficult to keep down on the bobbling turf.

Dale were looking comfortable but the home side were buoyed when the fourth official held up the board to indicate the inevitable hefty sum of injury time for Hatch’s injury.

Darlington won free kick after free kick from which they could load the box and Dale had to defend manfully to the last.

Attendance: 2858

Darlington: Gerken, Austin, White, Foster, Kennedy, Abbott, Valentine, Ravenhill, Poole (Ryan 67), Burgmeier (Main 77), Hatch (Carlton 53).
Subs (not used): Oakes, Tremarco.

Booked: Hatch, Carlton.

Sent Off: Ravenhill

Rochdale: Fielding, Wiseman, Kennedy, Ramsden, Stanton, Rundle, Jones (Keltie 44), Toner, Adams, Le Fondre, Thorpe.
Subs (not used): Dagnall, McEvilly, Buckley, Thompson.

Booked: Thorpe, Stanton.

Attempts (on target): Darlington 10 (3) Rochdale 10 (4)
Free kicks: Darlington 22 Rochdale 18
Offside: Darlington 3 Rochdale 6
Corners: Darlington 5 Rochdale 6

Referee: K Friend