Bury 2 (Bennett 19, Jones 84) Rochdale 1 (Buckley 90) – Full Time Report

Photo: Jon Coluccio

Rochdale manager Keith Hill before kick off.

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Bury claimed local bragging rights and moved above Rochdale into the third automatic promotion spot after goals in each half saw them through against their local rivals.

Mike Jones’ fine goal secured the points after an excellent one touch move was calmly finished off by the winger.

Will Buckley’s calm last minute finish gave the 2792 travelling fans something to cheer but with less than a minute of stoppage time remaining it was to be nothing more then a consolation.

Dale trailed at the break after Elliott Bennett charged down Frank Fielding’s kick and the ball looped up into the net; Dale centre half Simon Ramsden having left a back pass short, enabling Bennett to pressure.

The home side came close to doubling their advantage when Andy Morrell flicked the ball onto the inside of the post before Fielding could gather.

The visitors looked lively early on through Will Buckley but there was not much to trouble Mark Tyler in the Bury goal. The closest Dale came was from Joe Thompson’s header, forcing Efe Sodje to nod the ball off the line.

Dale boss Keith Hill rung the changes from the side that went down at Barnet in midweek. Attacking swaps all of them as Joe Thompson, Lee Thorpe and Will Buckley all returned to the starting eleven.

The home side were able to load the box from a couple of early free kicks that Dale did well to defend and it was the home side who generated the first chance after a bright opening. Mike Jones forced Frank Fielding to turn his low shot around the post.

Dale’s first attempt came from a free kick after Buckley had shown a clean pair of heels to David Buchanan and drawn a free kick from Brian Barry-Murphy. Tom Kennedy hit the set piece well over the bar. Buckley was it again minutes later, beating Buchanan with ease and firing across the box but the ball just evaded Adam Le Fondre and Thorpe at the back post.

Bury gained the lead in needless circumstances. Andy Bishop won a knock down on the edge of the box and Simon Ramsden failed to get enough on a back pass. Fielding got their first but his kick struck Elliott Bennett charging down and looped up into the net.

The visitors looked to hit back straight away, winning a corner that popped up nicely for Thompson to nod at goal. Efe Sodje was on hand to head the ball off the line.

It was end to end stuff and Bury came within an inch of a second when Andy Morrell flicked on Stephen Dawson, the ball coming back off the inside of the post and into the grateful hands of Fielding.

The game finally settled but as the half drew to a close Fielding had to be at his acrobatic best to ensure Dale went into the break just one goal down. The Blackburn loan goalkeeper punched the ball clear right from under Bishop’s nose and then charged out to block tackle Jones on the edge of the box.

Rochdale made a bright start to the second half, with Buckley continuing to get the better of Buchanan down the right flank. Twice the young winger got to the byline, and then Scott Wiseman followed him, but there was no Dale attacker on the end of any of the crosses.

Bury should have doubled their from their first foray forward of the half. Morrell fed the ball into the box from the left and Fielding spilled. The striker followed himself but then missed the sitter of all sitters, blazing over from six yards.

Dale went back on the attack and would have levelled but for Barry-Murphy’s block on Buckley’s pile driving shot from 12 yards.

The introduction of Lee McEvilly finally allowed Dale to open up some space on the edge of the Dale box. Buckley and Adam Le Fondre were both fed decent balls into feet in the box but neither could work a shooting chance.

Buckley continued to thwart the Bury backline, earning a corner from which Le Fondre headed narrowly over and firing in a shot that stung the hands of Tyler, the first real save that the Bury keeper had been forced into.

The home side rode the storm and were looking comfortable with fifteen minutes to go.

The visitors went for a last push and came close when Buckley again got to the byline and cut the ball back for Le Fondre, but Sodje, who had been rock solid throughout the afternoon, was on hand to block the shot out for a corner.

Bury made the points secure with a fine goal, finished off by Jones after an excellent one touch interchange with Bishop.

Buckley scored a deserved goal for Dale deep into stoppage time, controlling Clark Keltie’s deep cross before finishing across Tyler but there was no time left to press for the equaliser.

Attendance: 7,589.

Bury: Tyler, Buchanan, Haslam, Cresswell, Sodje, Bennett, Jones, Dawson, Barry-Murphy, Bishop, Morrell.
Subs (not used): Futcher, Baker, Hurst, Racchi, Rouse.

Rochdale: Fielding, Wiseman, Kennedy, Ramsden, Stanton, Buckley, Toner (Keltie 75), Thompson, Adams (Rundle 58), Thorpe (McEvilly 58), Le Fondre.
Subs (not used): Russell, McArdle.

Booked: Keltie.

Attempts (on target): Bury 7 (3) Rochdale 8 (4)
Free kicks: Bury 17 Rochdale 19
Offside: Bury 4 Rochdale 0
Corners: Bury 2 Rochdale 9

Referee: A Wiley.