Bournemouth 0 Rochdale 4 (Dagnall 45, O'Grady 63, 72, Whaley 69) – Full Time

Photo: Jon Coluccio

O'Grady celebrates after doubling Rochdale's lead.

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Third destroyed first as Rochdale dismantled Bournemouth in the second half. The visitors held a slender advantage at the break thanks to Chris Dagnall's ninth goal of the season, but three goals in eight second half minutes saw Dale run rampant. A brace for Chris O'Grady and a fine solo effort from Simon Whaley killed the game.

There was a sour note to the visitor's fine display as Nathan Stanton was sent off late on, but that couldn't wipe the delight away from everyone connected with the club as Dale made the league leaders look distinctly average with their flowing end to end football.

Right on half time Dale's leading scorer latched onto Chris O'Grady's pass and produced a calm finish to put Dale ahead. The home side had their chances, with debutant Josh Lillis making a couple of fine saves to maintain the visitor's clean sheet.

Rochdale made three changes to the side that lost at home to Accrington last Saturday. They signed goalkeeper Josh Lillis on an emergency loan just yesterday after Kenny Arthur suffered an injury in training, and the Scunthorpe man came in to make his Dale debut. Adam Rundle and Marcus Holness were dropped following the defeat last weekend, with Joe Thompson and Nathan Stanton returning to the starting line-up.

In the opening couple of minutes Rochdale had penalty claims turned down as Chris O'Grady was felled by Ryan Garry inside the Bournemouth area. Referee Phil Crossley waved away the claims despite protests from the Dale striker. On 15 minutes the home side had their own claims denied as Alan Connell went down in the box under Tom Kennedy's challenge. The referee might have deemed that he could only award both penalties or neither.

Most of the half chances were coming the way of the visitors and they came closest to an opener midway through the half when Chris Dagnall latched onto Joe Thompson's headed through ball and fired a half volley just beyond the far post. Dale had made a bright start and it took the best of Shwan Jalal to keep things level as he dived at full stretch to keep out Simon Whaley's fine curled attempt from the edge of the box.

The game was half an hour old before Bournemouth first threatened and Lillis did well to deny Brett Pitman after he latched onto Liam Feeney's deep cross at the back post. The in-form striker's shot took a deflection and Lillis did well to readjust and palm the ball down and gather. Lillis continued to do well as he turned Pitman's low free kick around the post just before it hit the net.

Bournemouth were coming more and more into the game as it went on and Jason Pearce should have done better than to put a free header from a corner well over the top.

A linesman's flag then denied Pearce. The centre-half advanced for another set piece and Connell flicked the ball to the back post, from where Pearce headed home but he was the victim of a marginal offside decision by an eagle-eyed linesman.

Right on half time the visitors took the lead. O'Grady threaded the ball through for Dagnall and Dale's top scorer went clear. Jalal advanced and the striker lofted the ball over the keeper to put Dale ahead.

With the last kick of the half Bournemouth came within an inch of leveling as Steve Fletcher controlled the ball on the edge of the box and rifled his shot just past the post with Lillis beaten.

There was a sense that the home side would pile on the pressure in the second half but it was Dale who next came closest to a goal. Joe Thompson could have doubled their lead as the visitors broke, O'Grady again provided the killer pass but the young winger curled his shot over the top.

Bournemouth proceeded to throw everything at the Rochdale defence but a wonderful Rochdale move saw them double their advantage. Thompson fed Dagnall and the striker drove at the heart of the Bournemouth defence. The backline backed off and Dagnall played the ball across for O'Grady, who rifled a first time finish into the top corner.

The second goal stunned Bournemouth and the home side completely fell apart. Within eight minutes it was game set and match as Dale made it three, and then four.

Simon Whaley scored a wonderful solo goal as he burst from the halfway line and made a B-line for the Bournemouth goal. Defenders backed off and backed off, inviting the Norwich loan man to shoot, and Whaley did just that, finding the bottom corner with an expert low finish.

The home side had no answer to Dale's flowing movement up front, and Dagnall and O'Grady went through a passage of play in which they were unplayable. Dagnall's endeavour brought the fourth as he stole the ball from Ryan Garry deep in Bournemouth territory, cut back for O'Grady and the striker's deadly left foot struck again.

With Rochdale coasting to victory the game was soured by a needlessly dirty tackle from Nathan Stanton on Marvin Bartley. All of Bournemouth's players and referee Crossley took exception to the nature of the challenge, which was late at best and outrageously over the top at worst. It took some time for the official to calm things down before he could issue Stanton with his second red card of the season.

It had been an outstanding display from Dale against the league leaders with the sending off the only thing to blot their copy book. Dagnall and O'Grady formed an outstanding partnership and Dale defended manfully to keep Bournemouth out during their periods of pressure. A special mention also for Josh Lillis, who was superb to say that he only joined up with the team yesterday.

Attendance: 6,378

Bournemouth: Jalal, Feeney, Robinson, Garry, Connell, Hollands, Cummings, Fletcher (Bartley 70), Pitman, Pearce, Bradbury.
Subs (not used): Goulding, McQuoid, Thomas.

Booked: Garry, Cummings.

Rochdale: Lillis, McArdle, T. Kennedy, Stanton, Dawson, Stevens, J. Kennedy, Thompson, Whaley (Rundle), O'Grady, Dagnall (Holness 83).
Subs (not used): Taberner, Flynn, Manga, Spencer, Higginbotham.

Booked: T. Kennedy, Whaley.

Sent Off: Stanton.

Attempts (On target): Bournemouth 9 (5) Rochdale 9 (7)
Free kicks: Bournemouth 17 Rochdale 8
Offside: Bournemouth 2 Rochdale 4
Corners: Bournemouth 6 Rochdale 5

Referee: P. Crossley