Rochdale 1 (Dawson 58) Bradford 2 (Flynn 74, Neilson 79)

Photo: Jon Coluccio

Dawson celebrates his first goal in professional football.

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Rochdale fell at the first hurdle in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy as they surrendered a lead against Bradford.

Craig Dawson grabbed a first professional career goal but Dale tired and allowed Bradford to come onto them. Michael Flynn's rocket of a free kick brought them level and then Scott Neilson's heavily deflected effort looped over Kenny Arthur.

Both sides hit the crossbar in the opening half as Luke O'Brien's cross skimmed the woodwork and later Chris Dagnall cannoned a volley off the face of the bar, but for the most part the goalkeepers had a quiet time of things.

With the game only a few minutes old Bradford struck the woodwork in freak circumstances. The Dale backline prepared itself for a deep cross from an advancing Luke O'Brien and the ball sailed menacingly over Kenny Arthur and hit the frame of the goal before falling behind.

Having survived the scare the home side pushed on and Will Buckley brought the best out of Simon Eastwood as he sent a looping header towards a Bradford top corner. The keeper was at full stretch to turn the ball behind.

Bradford again came within inches of an opener as substitute James Hanson, on for the injured Peter Thorne, drove a shot come cross through the Dale six yard box, with Gareth Evans inches away from a vital touch.

There was little pattern to the proceedings but plenty happening in front of both goals. Dale almost opened the scoring in equally fortunate circumstances to O'Brien's effort as Buckley's corner evaded everyone across the face of the Bradford goal. It looked as though Eastwood had been forced to turn the ball behind but the referee gave a goal kick.
Dale pressed towards the end of the half. Chris Dagnall came close with a well struck angled drive from twenty yards, and then the striker looked to turn on Buckley's low cross into the six yard box but couldn't quite bring the ball under his spell.

Dale's highlight of the opening period came after a flowing move ended when Dagnall's volley cannoned back off the face of the crossbar. Tom Kennedy, Buckley and Adam Rundle were all involved before the ball came back to the Dale striker, who rifled his shot against the woodwork.

Into the second half and Arthur was called into action for the first time in the evening as he gathered Evans' low shot comfortably. Scott Nielson should have given the Dale stopper more to think about after dancing into the box down the right touchline. The wide man beat three men before hitting a weak shot wide of the near post.

Bradford were offering a lot more in the second period and Evans started to cause more and more problems. He cut inside from the left to again test Arthur, with the keeper again equal to the well hit drive at his near post.

On the hour Dale caught Bradford with a sucker punch. The visitors half cleared a Dale free kick, Jason Kennedy nodded the ball back into the danger zone and Craig Dawson chested the ball down like a striker, and then finished like one too with a low drive across Eastwood; the first goal of the impressive centre half's professional career.

Substitute Scott Spencer had a golden opportunity to double Dale's lead as Dagnall drove at the heart of the Bradford defence and then played in his strike partner. The ball seemed to get caught under Spencer's feet and Eastwood was out quickly to make an impressive block.

Arthur had to be at his best to keep Dale ahead as Steve Williams got a head on a corner and the ball was destined for a top corner before Arthur palmed it out. The Dale goal was beginning to lead a bit of a charmed life as Neilson scuffed a low shot just past the far post. Bradford probably deserved their equaliser when it came, but a refereeing error had a large hand in proceedings. The official correctly brought play back for a foul on the edge of the box, but then the resulting free kick was taken from where the ball was when the game was stopped. None of which concerned Michael Flynn as he rifled an unstoppable drive that hit Arthur en route to the top corner.

Flynn was at it again minutes later as another wicked shot came back off the post. Bradford laid siege to the Dale goal and found a winner with some fortune as Neilson's shot hit Marcus Holness and left Arthur helpless as the ball sailed over him into the net.

Attendance: 1800.

Rochdale: Arthur, Flynn (Wiseman 82), T. Kennedy, Holness, Dawson, Rundle, J. Kennedy, Flitcroft (Brown 86), Buckley (Spencer 58), Thompson, Dagnall.
Subs (not used): Edwards, Higginbotham.

Booked: Rundle.

Bradford: Eastwood, Bateson, O'Brien, Williams, Ramsden, Neilson, Flynn, Bullock, Brandon, (Osborne 69) Thorne (Hanson 18), Evans.
Subs (not used): McLaughlin, Clarke, Sharry.

Booked: Williams.

Attempts (on target): Rochdale 9 (3) Bradford 13 (7)
Free kicks: Rochdale 14 Bradford 14
Offside: Rochdale 2 Bradford 0
Corners: Rochdale 3 Bradford 5

Referee: G Eltringham