Morecambe 3 (Jevons 33, 42 Craney 38) Rochdale 3 (Dagnall 48, Thompson 64, Stephens 76)

Photo: Jon Coluccio

Stephens celebrates his goal with Higginbotham.

18 More Image(s) In Gallery

Rochdale came from three goals behind in a remarkable ninety minutes at Christie Park. A woeful defensive display towards the end of the first half led to goals from Ian Craney and a brace for Phil Jevons.

In the second half it was all change and scenes of bedlam among the visiting supporters as goals from Chris Dagnall, Joe Thompson and Dale Stephens brought Dale back from the death.

Both sides could have won it late on, and there was barely time to draw breath, as chances came and went by the minute. Michael Twiss put a one on one with Kenny Arthur wide, while deep into injury time Dagnall drilled a low shot at the legs of Barry Roche.

After a quiet start Dale had a golden chance to take the lead. Will Buckley exchanged passes with Chris Dagnall and drove into the Morecambe box. With only Barry Roche to beat the winger's finish was weak and the goalkeeper was able to turn the ball behind.

Morecambe offered a threat of their own as they utilised the height of Paul Mullin and built from his knocks and flick-ons but the finishing of his colleagues was wayward and there was nothing to test Kenny Arthur early on.

Mullin was at the heart of everything Morecambe had to offer and whilst it wasn't exactly easy on the eye, it certainly gave the Dale defence plenty to think about as the ball was pumped high into the box time after time.

The backline coped until, ironically, the one bit of football that the home side did play on the ground led to the opening goal. Laurence drove in from the left and laid the ball in for Mullin, who let it run for Phil Jevons to finish beyond Arthur.

Dale looked completely out of sorts and half time couldn't come soon enough for Keith Hill. Morecambe tore a shoddy Dale back line to shreds and one suddenly became three. Ian Craney strolled all too easily beyond Marcus Holness and Craig Dawson and tucked a finish right into the corner across Arthur. Minutes later Dawson dawdled to let Jevons get the wrong side of him and latch onto Craney's through ball and rifle a finish over the advancing keeper.

Hill hauled off Chris O'Grady and Matt Flynn at half time, replacing them with Scott Wiseman and Kallum Higginbotham, and within minutes of the re-start there was hope as Chris Dagnall waltzed into the Morecambe box and finished with ease.

Scott Drummond should have restored the home side's three goal advantage but blazed over when completely free at the back post and suddenly there were nerves among the home throngs. The nerves went into overdrive when Joe Thompson's glanced header from Buckley's corner found the net and reduced the deficit to one.

With fifteen minutes to play it was pandemonium behind the Dale goal as substitute Dale Stephens brought Dale level. Dagnall, Thompson and Higginbotham all had chances to turn the ball, somehow Morecambe kept it out, until it fell to Stephens on the edge of the box and the Oldham loan man rifled it home.

Both sides could have won as Morecambe somehow rallied after surrendering the lead. Michael Twiss missed when one on one with the keeper and right at the death Dagnall spun in the box but rifled his shot straight at the legs of Roche.

Morecambe: Roche, Moss, Adams, Artell, Bentley, Jevons, Craney (Hunter 72), Panther, Drummond, Wilson, Mullin.
Subs (not used): Davies, Stanley, Twiss, Hunter, Curtis, Wainwright, Duffy.

Rochdale: Arthur, Flynn, T. Kennedy, Dawson, Holness, Jones, J. Kennedy, Thompson, Buckley, O'Grady, Dagnall.
Subs (not used): Edwards, Wiseman, Stanton, Spencer, Rundle, Stephens, Higginbotham.

Attempts (on target): Morecambe 7 (4) Rochdale 2 (2)
Free kicks: Morecambe 5 Rochdale 5
Offside: Morecambe 2 Rochdale 1
Corners: Morecambe 3 Rochdale 4

Referee: N Swarbrick.