Rochdale 2 (O'Grady 49, Dawson 52) Chesterfield 3

Photo: Jon Coluccio

Loanee Tom Heaton warms up for the second half

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Former Rochdale player David Perkins came back to haunt his former club by netting the winner in an enthralling encounter at Spotland.

Dale manager Keith Hill was again forced into changes after more injuries ravaged his side. Making his debut in between the sticks was Manchester United loanee Tom Heaton as Kenny Arthur is still sidelined. Joe Thompson and Adam Rundle were missing after picking up injuries during the midweek cup defeat although better news surrounded Scott Wiseman who has missed the last three games but started today. The change in personnel meant a change in formation as Hill opted for a 4-3-3 formation with McArdle preferred at centre back to Holness whilst Stephens came into the midfield three. Whaley started up front alongside Dagnall and O’Grady. Will Buckley was named on the bench after missing training this week. The visitors named two ex-Dale players in their starting XI with playoff semi-final hero Tommy Lee in goal and David Perkins in midfield.

Prior to the kick off, amid torrential downpours, referee Mr Gibbs was concerned about the Spotland pitch which seemed to be holding water in certain areas which sent the ground staff scrambling for anything they could to mop up the problem areas. Their hard work paid off as the referee was satisfied the pitch was playable and in wet and windy conditions, Rochdale kicked off looking for the 3 points that could have seen them leapfrog Bournemouth into top spot of League 2. As is becoming the norm for Hill’s teams, they started the game on the front foot with Dagnall picking out Wiseman with a sweet reverse ball down the right in the opening 60 seconds. The Dale full back whipped in a delightful cross but O’Grady’s header went straight up into the air and was cleared by the visiting defence.

The wet surface wasn’t causing too many problems although it provided added zip which meant the game was played at a fairly hectic pace. Whaley went close when O’Grady fed a great ball through for the on-loan Norwich winger but he fired over the bar from 18 yards. Chris Dagnall was the first to draw a save from Lee when he turned beautifully in the box and drilled a ball goalwards but Lee was equal to it as he tipped it wide. The opening 15 minutes belonged to the home side and when Jones played a great ball in for O’Grady you thought the big striker would notch his first Rochdale goal at Spotland but he got it all wrong and fired horribly high and wide.

The Spireites had threatened very little up to this point, but with Jack Lester in their side they were always going to be a threat. It was 18 minutes in before Lester found his feet in the game and after holding off Dawson, found his strike partner Small who fired across goal and wide. At the other end Dale were looking the more likely to score but Dagnall saw his left footed effort tipped over and from the corner Dawson’s header was cleared but only to McArdle who defied his role as defender to acrobatically fire a shot at Lee but missed the target.

Just as Hill’s men were looking to take the lead it was the visitors who found the back of the net. A Perkins free kick from the right had the Dale defence stood like statues as Breckin rose unchallenged at the far post to nod the ball to Lester who from 2 yards was never going to miss for 1-0. Straight from the kick off, Whaley sent a dipping drive agonisingly over the bar with Lee beaten. Things got worse just 3 minutes after falling behind when a long punt up field was flicked on in midfield and the ball took an almighty skid off the wet surface which left Dawson the wrong side of Lester who raced away to slot past Heaton in the Dale goal for his 2nd of the game. The home side looked shell shocked and with the visitors pressing it was they who now looked more likely to add to their lead. They should have had a 3rd when Talbot skipped away down the right and squared the ball for Small but McArdle’s timely interception took the ball away from the striker as he was about to pull the trigger. The Spireites looked to be at ease and were shooting at will, with Small and Lester firing wide of Heaton’s goal. Gary Jones tried to drive his side forward and after crossing from the right, O’Grady took the ball on his chest and shot first time but Lee was relatively untroubled. With 4 minutes left before the interval, Dale boss Keith Hill decided the formation wasn’t working and replaced Stephens with Will Buckley and the youngster didn’t take long in making a nuisance of himself when he strolled past Little and Talbot like they weren’t there but didn’t have a final ball.

Captain Gary Jones didn’t emerge after the interval after complaining of a strain in his troublesome hamstring and was replaced by defender Matt Flynn. It was typical of Hill’s luck at the minute that just before the break he had brought off a central midfielder in Stephens so Flynn had to adapt to the central midfield role alongside Jason Kennedy. Rochdale started the 2nd period as they had started the 1st and Buckley almost got Dale back into the game just two minutes in after he skipped down the left and fired at Lee who parried the ball for a corner. Tom Kennedy whipped the ball in and McArdle rose highest but the ball was scrambled away. Roared on by the home support, Rochdale pressed and got their reward 4 minutes into the 2nd half when another Dale corner was only partially cleared and the ball fell to O’Grady in the edge of the box who fired in an unstoppable shot across Tommy Lee to make it 2-1. Chesterfield were rocking and 3 minutes later Dale levelled matters when yet another corner was driven in from the left and Dawson powered a header towards goal and in the scramble appeared to be cleared off the line. But the assistant referee on the far side saw the ball had crossed the line and signalled to Mr Gibbs to award the goal.

The game then entered a period when neither side really pressed, but just on the hour mark the visitors opened up and almost re-took the lead when Lester lined up a free-kick but his cleverly disguised pass to Small saw the diminutively named forward strike goalwards but McArdle bravely blocked and the ball looped up and back off the cross bar. John Sheridan’s side seemed to have the bit between their teeth and it was inevitable that former Dale player David Perkins would pop up and net what turned out to be the winner. Lester was unchallenged on the edge of the box when he squared for ‘Perks’ to side foot the ball, via a couple of deflections past Heaton. The former crowd favourite at Spotland who had received a rapturous reception from the Dale faithful pre-match, didn’t celebrate the goal.

The goal was tough luck on Hill’s men who had fought bravely to get back into the game and they themselves went on the offensive trying to get back onto level terms. Buckley was again causing problems down the flanks and was up-ended on numerous occasions giving the home side the opportunity to get bodies forward. One such free kick set up Whaley whose effort was blocked whilst another saw Lee punch away from another Whaley drive. As the game petered out, Hill’s men seemed to have run out of steam and so the three points headed back to Saltergate.

It’s another tough game next week when Rochdale travel to Dagenham to take on the new league leaders at Victoria Road. Hill will be hoping for some luck with injuries with the list growing longer by the week. No fewer than 7 of his first team squad missing, he will be hoping some of those players are available in 7 days time.

Rochdale assistant manager Dave Flitcroft spoke to the media afterwards: “It was an ultimately disappointing afternoon after fighting back but getting nothing. The boys have got that fight back in them but what we have just said to them in there is its disappointing that we have to fight back again from a 2 goal deficit and last week from a 3 goal deficit. It’s a re-occurring theme that we are worried about and that we will definitely address. We give the lads the freedom to express themselves as individuals and as a team, we get numbers forward and we are expansive which can lead to the back door being left open but they (Chesterfield) have some good players and took full advantage of that. We pressed forward and attacked them but they punished us at the back. We had a game plan to shut the door on Jack Lester but certain players have gone missing and you can’t allow him to gain a yard. We need to get back in the workshop, sharpen the tools and make sure the small details are finalised.”

On Gary Jones: “His hamstring has tightened up again, he got through a massive work shift on Wednesday and fully recovered so as a precaution we brought him off.”

On Dagenham next week: “They have gone to the top and are a great force going forward and score lots of goals. They attack with great verve and it is something we will have to be wary of.”

Attendance: 3011

Rochdale: Heaton, Wiseman, McArdle, Dawson, T Kennedy, Jones (Flynn 46), J Kennedy, Stephens (Buckley 41), Whaley, O’Grady (Spencer 90), Dagnall.
Subs (not used): Taberner, Magna, Higginbotham, Holness.

Chesterfield: Lee, Little, Page, Breckin, Picken, Allott, Perkins, Talbot, Small (Boden 88), Djilali, Lester.
Subs (not used): Crossley, Gray, Currie, Austin, Hall, Niven.

Attempts (on target): Rochdale 20 (12)  Chesterfield 11 (5)
Corners: Rochdale 7 Chesterfield 5

Referee: P. Gibbs.