Barnet 2 (O’Flynn 42, Bolasie 90) Rochdale 1 (McEvilly 45) - Full Time Report

Barnet hit a last minute winner to condemn ten man Rochdale to a first defeat in five games away from home.

The game was headed for a draw before Yannick Bolasie’s last minute strike trickled into the net despite Frank Fielding getting a firm hand on the shot.

Dale would have taken the point on offer after Chris Dagnall was shown a straight red card for a late tackle with five minutes to play but they could not hang on for a share of the spoils.

The sides went into the break level thanks to Lee McEvilly’s close range strike in injury time cancelling out John O’Flynn’s opener. Ciaran Toner flicked on Nicky Adams’ corner and the Dale striker had all the time in the world to finish at the back post.

It was a crucial goal for the visitors after Barnet had dominated the opening half playing with the wind. Dale keeper Frank Fielding stopped almost everything that came his way, with shots reigning in from all angles, but there was nothing he could do when John O’Flynn ran clear to calmly finish.

Keith Hill made a solitary change to the side that beat Grimsby on Saturday with Lee Thorpe earning a rest in place of Lee McEvilly.

Swirling wind and driving rain made football difficult at Underhill and life was tough for Dale early on playing against the conditions. When they were able to get the ball it enabled them to carve out the first opportunity; Adam Le Fondre cutting in fron the left touchline and angling a curling drive just wide of the angle.

When Barnet first got the ball down it saw them carve out a chance that ricocheted back off the face of the crossbar. Albert Adomah worked himself into a good position on the byline and cut the ball back for John O’Flynn whose shot hit the woodwork before it was cleared to safety.

The home side took joy from playing with the conditions in the first half and the wind reaped havoc from long range shots. A 30 yard effort from Nicky Deverdics had Frank Fielding scrambling across goal to palm clear and when the home side won a free kick from a similar distance it was a similar case of affairs with Matt Lockwood this time forcing Fielding to parry the ball away.

The wind proved to be Rochdale’s undoing when a Fielding kick blew back almost to the edge of the box before Paul Furlong touched the ball on for O’Flynn to beat the offside trap and fire convincingly beyond the Dale keeeper for a deserved Barnet opener.

Barnet made a strong start to the second half, showing few signs that belied their lowly league position, and with Albert Adomah there was a constant threat down the right hand side. When the winger cut inside it brought the first chance of the half, Adomah forcing Fielding into another parry clear.

Dale finally came to terms with having the wind in their favour by twice releasing Le Fondre, who first drew a fine block tackle from Gary Breen, and then a fine save from Ran Kadoch from the resulting corner; Kadoch having replaced Lee Harrison at the break.

Barnet were causing Dale all kinds of problems down their right side with the normally reliable Tom Kennedy given the run around by Adomah. The winger constantly looked to cut inside and it looked all the more likely that if a winner from the home side was to come, it would be through Adomah’s left foot.

Keith Hill introduced Thorpe, Will Buckley and Chris Dagnall but still Dale struggled to make a fist of it in the attacking third. Buckley fired comfortably over with ten minutes to play but Dale offered little else to trouble the substitute goalkeeper.

Dale had to survive the last five minutes with ten men after Dagnall was shown a straight red card for a late tackle on Neal Bishop, the striker having been adjudged to have tackled with his studs showing.

The visitors could not hold out as Yannick Bolasie latched onto an inside pass and his shot somehow found the net, trickling in despite a strong palm from Fielding.

Dale pushed for a late leveller and Simon Ramsden came agonisingly close as Kadoch turned away the centre back’s shot from the edge of the box. 

Attendance: 1332

Barnet: Harrison (Kadoch 45), Hughes, Lockwood, Yakubu, Breen, Adomah, Deverdics, Bishop, Bolasie, Furlong, O’Flynn.
Subs (not used): Gillet, Leary, Akurang, Birchall.

Rochdale: Fielding, Wiseman, Kennedy, Ramsden, Stanton, Adams, Keltie, Toner, Rundle (Buckley 73), McEvilly (Thorpe 71), Le Fondre (Dagnall 78).
Subs (not used): Thompson, McArdle.

Booked: Kennedy.

Attempts (on target): Barnet 12 (6) Rochdale 9 (5)
Free kicks: Barnet 17 Rochdale 15
Offside: Barnet 2 Rochdale 4
Corners: Barnet 5 Rochdale 11