Rochdale 1 (Buckley 36) Port Vale 0 - Full Time Report

Photo: Jon Coluccio

Buckley celebrates his goal.

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Rochdale got back to winning ways thanks to Will Buckley’s winner against Port Vale.

Buckley fired home after fine work by Chris Dagnall to get to the byline and cut back for the young winger, who could not miss from two yards out, to leave Dale fifth in the league and upwardly mobile once more.

Dale played all of the football in the opening period but they could have been behind when John McCombe latched onto a corner only to see his header cannon back off the crossbar.

The home side made a bright start, earning a couple of early corners before Chris Martin in the Port Vale goal was tested for the first time when Tom Kennedy’s looked to be dipping under the bar before Martin appeared to intervene, although the referee gave a goal kick.

The visitors responded with a corner of their own that tested Frank Fielding as the ball flew all the way across goal before the keeper could palm the ball out somewhat unconvincingly before Clark Keltie could hook the ball more firmly away.

Two more corners came Dale’s way before they could carve out another meaningful chance. Rory McArdle played an excellent knock over the top for Chris Dagnall to latch on to and the striker controlled well before drilling a low shot just past the far upright.

More good work from Dagnall to beat two men and get into the box saw the striker test Martin with a low shot before a couple of pieces of sublime control from first Will Buckley and then Adam Le Fondre saw Dale create another chance for Dagnall, with Le Fondre’s cross arrowed narrowly over the striker’s head.

The home side did not have things all their own way in the opening stages despite playing all of the football. A warning shot came across the Dale bows when John McCombe latched onto a Dave Brammer corner and his header cannoned back off the face of the crossbar.

Dagnall summed up Dale’s improvement from the disaster at Bournemouth last week, with his hard work matched by an ability to try something a bit different and keep the Port Vale backline guessing. The striker came close again when he got onto Will Buckley’s deep cross but he couldn’t get enough power on the header to test Martin.

If Dale were going to get a goal in the first half it seemed certain that Dagnall would be involved and so it proved when he carried Simon Ramsden’s throw-in to the byline and his cut back evaded both goalkeeper and defenders for Buckley to finish comfortably from two yards out.

Dagnall’s first half play had deserved a goal and he came close again when he nodded another Buckley cross towards goal but again there wasn’t enough power in the header and Martin gathered with ease.

The second half failed to live up to the verve of the first, with very few chances falling the way of either side. Buckley had half-hearted penalty shouts turned down when Buckley fell in the box before Vale came close at the other end when James Lawrie’s strike was deflected narrowly over the bar by McArdle.

The lack of opportunities meant it would always be a nervous finish for the home side and Vale had their moments when looking for the equaliser. Substitute Danny Glover broke clear from the halfway line and it was only thanks to a superb covering tackle from Ciaran Toner that Fielding wasn’t tested.

The game was in injury time before Dale had their first real chance to grab a second. Man-of-the-match Dagnall twice burst through on goal but twice he was denied a much deserved goal thanks to superb saves from Martin.

Attendance: 3,100.

Rochdale: Fielding, Ramsden, Kennedy, Holness, McArdle, Toner, Keltie, Higginbotham (Thompson 38), Buckley (Rundle 90), Dagnall, Le Fondre (Madine 74).
Subs (not used): Wiseman, Newey.

Port Vale: Martin, Stockley, Taylor (Glover 76), McCombe, Howland, Marshall, Edwards, Dodds, Lawrie, Collins, Brammer (Richman 64).
Subs (not used): Weston, Griffiths, Thompson.

Booked: Brammer.

Attempts (on target): Rochdale 11 (7) Port Vale 8 (2)
Free kicks: Rochdale 18 Port Vale 11
Offside: Rochdale 1 Port Vale 3
Corners: Rochdale 8 Port Vale 5