Rochdale 0 Darlington 2 (Kennedy 4, McArdle o.g. 66) – Full Time Report

Photo: Jon Coluccio

Adam Rundle takes on Rob Purdie.

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Darlington dented Rochdale’s promotion hopes thanks to Jason Kennedy’s early wonder strike and Rory McArdle’s scrappy own goal.

Former Middlesbrough midfielder Kennedy lashed the ball into the top corner on the volley from fully twenty-five yards out and the ball struck McArdle and went in after Pawel Abbott’s header came back off the crossbar.

Dale had their chances while the score remained at 1-0 but the game was over as a contest when the visitors grabbed their second, with the home side unable to penetrate a solid backline.

Chris Dagnall came the closest to finding an equaliser for the home side in the first half, firing over after manufacturing some space in the box, and then drawing an excellent save from the Darlington goalkeeper just before the break.

The game started brightly and Rochdale came close in the opening minutes as Adam Le Fondre gathered Tom Kennedy’s deep cross and lashed the ball into the six yard box inches from the boot of Chris Dagnall.

Then from out of nowhere Darlington took the lead. Dale needed no reminder about Jason Kennedy’s ability to shoot from range, after he scored a block buster against them in the play-offs last season, and once again he struck the sweetest of strikes to give Darlington the opener. The ball popped up for the midfielder twenty-five yards out and he needed no second invitation to volley it into the top corner.

The goal rocked the home side and they had to sustain a period of pressure before they could regain their composure and threaten the visitors. Slowly they started to create chances. Will Buckley blazed over with a volley that sought the top corner before Le Fondre forced Przemslaw Kazimierczak to turn the ball over the top with a shot on the turn.

Dagnall created an excellent opening for himself but squandered the best of Dale’s chances for the equaliser. Latching onto the Le Fondre’s cross, the striker squirmed past three defenders to gain a yard in the box before lashing his finish over the top.

As the half ran out Dagnall came close again. This time he drew a fine save from Kazimierczak after former Darlington man Clark Keltie had made a superb burst from midfield and threaded a wonderful ball over the top for Dagnall to latch onto. The striker took a touch to steady himself before firing across goal for the Darlington keeper to turn the ball behind.

Dale continued to press for the equaliser in the second half and Buckley hit the post, more through luck than judgement, as Kazimierczak misjudged Rundle’s cross and the ball sprung up off Buckley’s knee and onto the post with the winger unable to bundle it home.
As Dale’s search for the equaliser grew more desperate the visitors were able to spring more counter attacks and from a corner they doubled their lead. The goal was as scrappy as the first was spectacular. The corner was half cleared to Ricky Ravenhill, who nodded it back into the box for Pawel Abbott to flick it over Fielding and onto the crossbar. The ball bounced down and as Fielding flapped in front of Rory McArdle, the ball hit the defender and trickled over the line.

Dale huffed and puffed in search of a way back into the game but they had no real opportunities from which to do so and Darlington saw proceedings out with relative ease.

Attendance: 3,789

Rochdale: Fielding, Ramsden, Kennedy, Stanton, McArdle, Toner, Keltie, Rundle, Buckley (Thorpe 59), Dagnall, Le Fondre.
Subs (not used): Russell, Jones, Madine, Newey.

Booked: Keltie.

Darlington: Kazimierczak, White, Miller, Kennedy, Abbott, Purdie, Valentine, Ravenhill, Poole, Burgmeier, Main (Hulbert 89).
Subs (not used): Fortune, Griffin, Pocklington, Groves.

Booked: White, Valentine, Ravenhill.

Attempts (on target): Rochdale 11 (3) Darlington 8 (3)
Free kicks: Rochdale 17 Darlington 9
Offside: Rochdale 2 Darlington 1
Corners: Rochdale 9 Darlington 2