End of season marred by post-match violence

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Peterborough United 3 (Boyd 22, 26, Blanchett 54)
Rochdale 3 (Murray 11, Dagnall 63, 69)

Rochdale’s last game of the season ended in ugly scenes with one Dale player floored during a post-match pitch invasion by the Peterborough supporters.

Despite numerous warnings over the tannoy not to do so, Peterborough fans ran onto the field of play at the final whistle, and though most of the fans had simply invaded out of habit to congratulate and shake the hands of their players on the last day of the season, the actions of a couple of mindless thugs meant that the Dale players got caught up in a violent incident as  things got out of hand.

Dale defender Simon Ramsden had to be separated from one fan, whilst on the opposite side of the pitch Rochdale’s Glenn Poole was punched to the ground by a hooligan. The culprit ran away from the incident but he did not escape the attentions of David Perkins and Alan Goodall who ran the length of the pitch to apprehend him and the police promptly arrested him.

The police dragged away a couple of the pitch invaders and regained control of the situation by forcing the fans back into the stands - two police dogs scaring most of them away.

There are sure to be repercussions for Peterborough as the police are bound to file a scathing report of the fans behaviour.

Talking after the police had calmed the situation down, Rochdale manager Keith Hill said he would prefer to talk about the football.

A typical end of season encounter provided an entertaining game that swung to and fro as both sides went all out for goals and three points whilst the two defences had seemingly taken their holidays early. This was no more evident than when Rochdale opened the scoring. Craig Morgan’s attempted back pass evaded young debutant goalkeeper Shwan Jalal, leaving Glenn Murray to run onto the ball and pass into the empty net.

Rochdale looked to be comfortable with their lead and could have added to it but their defence cracked the moment it was tested and the game swung as Peterborough turned up to the end of season party in quite some style - Dale simply could not cope as Peterborough swept forward. There was a distinct lack of bodies to get in the way of Alan White as he advanced all the way to edge of the box from full back and sent in a deep cross, which George Boyd headed back across goal and in at the far corner to give the home side the equaliser.

Peterborough had the lead minutes later. Matthew Gilks in the Dale goal pulled off a spectacular save to deny Adam Newton but when the ball was played back out to Adam Smith from the resulting corner, they scored when he crossed for Boyd to powerfully head home for a quick-fire brace.

Peterborough were rampant and with better finishing they could have been home and dry by half time. Craig Mackail-Smith beat the offside trap to go clear on Gilks’ goal but he produced a tame finish that the goalkeeper saved quite comfortably.

Gilks had to be at his best to deny Boyd a first half hat-trick as he turned the ball round the post from the striker’s low shot. Mackail-Smith was in once more when the ball sailed over Goodall’s head but Gilks was his tormentor yet again as he came out of his goal quickly to save his defence's blushes.

The pendulum had time for one last swing before half time as Rochdale twice slammed the ball against the woodwork. Joe Thompson controlled for Murray to hit a speculative curled shot from the edge of the box, which struck the upright with Jalal completely beaten. Minutes later the frame of the goal was rattled once more as Adam Rundle’s vicious drive slammed against the cross bar.

Peterborough looked to reassert themselves after the break and they looked to have sealed the points when they scored an excellently worked goal. Half time substitute Danny Blanchett got in behind Dale full back Gary Brown and took a couple of touches before slamming an unstoppable shot into the top of the net.

However, if there is one characteristic that sums up Keith Hill’s Rochdale side, it is that they do not know when they are beaten and far from losing this game they could, and perhaps should, have won it.

Dale got right back in it when Chris Dagnall turned in the box and finished comfortably beyond Jalal to score his sixteenth goal of the season.

The visitors went all out for the equaliser but this left further holes at the back and it would have been all over had it not been for Mackail-Smith’s display of ineptitude at finishing off one-on-one situations. He was clear once again when Rory McArdle missed his header but his finish was the weak and Gilks saved again.

Dale were level when Glenn Poole's free kick was met with a poor defensive header by Shane Blackett and the ball found Dagnall; he took a touch before finishing emphatically into the roof of the net from close range.

There was still plenty of time for Rochdale to grab the winner. Louis Dodds raced onto Dagnall’s through ball and composed himself before attempting a low finish across goal, which Jalal did superbly to keep out by diving low to his left. Murray had an even better chance to steal the points when a flowing move ended with Dodds putting Dale’s top scorer for the season clear, again there was time for composure and Murray took his time with the finish only to put the ball wide with the goal gaping.

Man of the match: Matthew Gilks – his defence gave him little to no protection but Gilks formed a one-man barrier to keep the score down on what might well have been his last appearance for the club. Craig Mackail-Smith will be having nightmares about how difficult Gilks is to beat in one-on-one situations, whilst George Boyd will be cursing the Dale keeper for denying him his hat-trick.

Attendance: 6,011

Peterborough: Jalal, Morgan (Branston 77), White, Blackett, Newton (Low 46), Strachan, Hyde, Butcher (Blanchett 46), Smith, Boyd, Mackail-Smith
Subs not used: Tyler, Richards.

Rochdale: Gilks, Brown, Ramsden, McArdle, Goodall, Thompson (Dodds 68), Perkins, Crooks (Bates 59), Rundle (Poole 55), Dagnall, Murray.
Subs not used: Rigby, Reet.

Attempts (on target): Peterborough 12(9) Rochdale 13(10)
Freekicks: Peterborough 9 Rochdale 16
Offside: Peterborough 7 Rochdale 2
Corners: Peterborough 6 Rochdale 1

Referee: P Miller.