Wycombe 0 Rochdale 1 (Le Fondre 90) – Full Time Report

Photo: Jon Coluccio

Le Fondre wheels away, ecstatic at earning his side the late win.

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Rochdale hit an injury time winner to take a deserved three points away from promotion rivals Wycombe.

Top-scorer Adam Le Fondre struck in the dying stages after Dale had dominated the game. It appeared as though they might have to settle for a share of the spoils but the travelling support, dugout and players were sent into raptures when the striker rifled the ball home after good work from Carlisle loan man Gary Madine.

The sides went into the half time break goalless after an action packed opening period at Adams Park.

The visitors played some excellent stuff and carved out numerous chances during the half, the best of which fell to Adam Le Fondre, who put a free header wide. But Frank Fielding, in the Dale goal, had to be in fine form to somehow deny Matt Phillips from six yards and then, later in the half, produce a wonderful sliding challenge just as Matt Harrold looked to slide the ball home.

The visitors made a bright start in the Wycombe sunshine, enjoying a couple of moments in and around the Wycombe box, the most troublesome of which saw Adam Le Fondre go shoulder to shoulder with Leon Johnson and collapse under the centre-half’s challenge. The referee waved away any claims for a free kick, and what would have subsequently been a sending off, despite Le Fondre’s protests.

Dale continued to press into the Wycombe box and Lee Thorpe forced a firm parry away from Marek Stech before Le Fondre arrowed a diving header straight at the Wycombe keeper. Johnson’s defending was much more convincing when he produced a fine block tackle on Chris Dagnall as he looked to march through on goal.

Johnson was making an indifferent start to proceedings to say the least and his error gifted the ball to Thorpe twenty-five yards out but the defender recovered to make an excellent tackle when Thorpe tried to slot the ball through for Dagnall.

Dale had made by far the brighter start but they needlessly conceded a chance when the backline failed to deal with a punt over the top and John Akinde should have done better than knock his finish into the hands of Frank Fielding.

Fielding had to be at his absolute best to keep Dale on level terms. Akinde broke into the box before his deflected shot forced Fielding to parry and then the Blackburn loan man, and former Wycombe loanee, made an unbelievable stop to palm out Matt Phillips’ effort from point blank range on the rebound.

The entertaining nature of the encounter continued and Dale took the scare as a sign that they should advance further, with Thorpe coming close from a looping back post header.

The hearts of the travelling Dale support were in collective mouths when a Fielding kick was charged down by Matt Harrold and the striker got past the goalkeeper to bare down on goal with only Rory McArdle to protect the gaping goal. Harrold could have squared for Akinde but just as he looked to slide the ball into the net Fielding appeared as if from nowhere to slide tackle Harrold and eventually the ball was hacked clear.

Dale ended the half as they began it and it was they who should have gone into the break ahead having survived a couple of scares. Stech saved well from a Scott Wiseman drive towards to the top corner and then blocked a Thorpe back post volley with his legs before Le Fondre should have opened the scoring. The Dale top-scorer had a free header from which to bury Tom Kennedy’s cross but the chance was nodded wide.

A couple of early Wycombe chances were the result of a calmer opening to the second half with Gary Holt drilling narrowly wide at the near post and the lively Akinde hitting a well struck shot straight at Fielding.

Dale enjoyed the lion’s share of the possession but it looked as though it was going to take something truly special to beat Stech, who produced another excellent save to deny substitute Adam Rundle, who turned well inside Lewis Hunt to fire a low curling strike that Stech turned away at full stretch.

The visitors were camped in the Wycombe half but clear chances were hard to come and Dale were mostly reduced to scrambled shots from the edge of the box that did little to trouble to Stech.

In the final minute Dale got what they had deserved from the afternoon. A poor kick from Stech was seized by Rundle, who fired in a low cross early. Substitute Gary Madine tangled with Johnson at the near post and the ball broke to Le Fondre, who rifled the ball emphatically home. After three defeats in four, Dale’s promotion credentials were confirmed after outclassing their rivals from first minute to last.

Attendance: 6055

Wycombe: Stech, Hunt, Woodman, Johnson, Antwi, Holt, Spence (Mousinho 45), Sawyer, Phillips (Zebroski 60), Harrold, Akinde (Pittman 77).
Subs (not used): Young, Oliver.

Booked: Woodman, Spence.

Rochdale: Fielding, Wiseman, Kennedy, Ramsden, McArdle, Keltie, Jones, Adams (Rundle 63), Dagnall (Thompson 90), Thorpe (Madine 70), Le Fondre.
Subs (not used): Stanton, Toner.

Booked: Keltie, Adams, Thorpe.

Attempts (on target): Wycombe 5 (4) Rochdale 19 (8)
Free kicks: Wycombe 12 Rochdale 12
Offside: Wycombe 0 Rochdale 1
Corners: Wycombe 1 Rochdale 8