Bradford City 0 Rochdale 3 (Dagnall 12, 28, O'Grady 58)
Date published: 01 December 2009
Rochdale dismantled Bradford to go top of League Two. Dale led by two Chris Dagnall goals at the break and it could have been five or six. It was the same story in the second half but the visitors could only add a Chris O'Grady tap in and by the end the scoreline completely flattered a lacklustre Bradford outfit.
Simon Eastwood, the Bradford goalkeeper, was the home side's best player by a country mile as he kept the score down with at least four top notch saves as time and time again the visitors cut through an awful backline at will.
Dagnall had already had two clear chances before slotting the ball under Eastwood early on, and he could have had two more before doubling Dale's lead with a scrappy finish. A linesman's flag denied Joe Thompson what looked a perfectly good goal just before half time and after the break it became Rochdale vs Eastwood as Dale pushed for more against a dead and buried home side.
The game got off to a bright start with both sides looking to take the game to their opponents. Dagnall had two early chances to put the visitors ahead but both times couldn't get a shot away. The in-form striker took a touch rather than hit Thompson's cross first time and defenders closed him down, while minutes later Dagnall did the hard work to beat Zesh Rehman and get into the six yard box but the ball got caught under his feet and he was challenged.
Bradford themselves looked tidy going forward and Tom Heaton had to be alert to a couple of long range attempts and crosses but as lively as they looked up front, the home side were at sixes and sevens at the back and Dagnall didn't waste a third chance to give Dale the lead. Eastwood's goal kick went straight to the feet of the striker, he again beat Rehman with ease and this time supplied the finish beneath the keeper.
All of Dale's chances were coming Dagnall's way and he had the perfect chance to double Dale's lead as he blocked Rehman's attempted tackle on half way and burst clear. Eastwood looked to be in no man's land but Dagnall couldn't find the top corner with his rising driving.
The Dagnall show continued and Bradford kept on gifting him chances. He didn't waste his seventh after getting a second bite of the cherry from the sixth. O'Grady crossed low to the far post where Dagnall loitered with intent. His first shot was blocked, his second scuffed but the ball still found its way into the corner.
An unlikely linesman's flag denied Dale a third as Thompson tapped in Will Atkinson's cross at the back post. The young winger looked at least level with the full back and the flag came late to deny him.
As the half came to a close Eastwood made two superb saves to keep his side in the game. Dale cut Bradford to ribbons once more as Dagnall cropped up on the right channel and cut the ball back for O'Grady to fire. Eastwood palmed the ball out onto Atkinson's head and the Hull winger's looping effort was destined for goal before the keeper turned it over.
Dale kept at it right up to the whistle as Thompson showed his full back a clean pair of heels and cut the ball back again for O'Grady, he scuffed his finish when a goal looked certain.
In the second half the visitors played against the blustery conditions and a Bradford side clearly buoyed by what must have been a rocket of a team talk from Stuart McCall. Dale weathered both forms of storm and simply cut through the Bradford backline at the next opportunity they had to score a third. Substitute Kallum Higginbotham seized possession and released Dagnall and the striker burst through. He cut back inside the last defender, Eastwood saved with his feet and O'Grady was on hand to fire home.
Eastwood prevented a complete rout with two wonder saves in the space of a minute. O'Grady brought the ball down and turned his man to shoot and the ball looked to be in the net before the keeper stuck out a hand to turn it away. Eventually the ball came back to Higginbotham, who hit a rasping drive destined for the top corner before Eastwood intervened to turn it behind.
Bradford never looked like scoring and with the third goal having killed the game it was simply a case of whether or not Dale would add to their tally. Higginbotham and Dagnall both put half chances wide and the former should have made it four with a minute to go as he went clear but missed the target.
Attendance: 11,472.
Bradford: Eastwood, Ramsden, L. O'Brien, Flynn, Rehman (Bateson 45), Bullock, Evans (M. Boulding 72), Williams, Hanson, J. O'Brien (Neilson 57), Whaley.
Subs (not used): McLaughlin, Clarke, Brandon, R. Boulding.
Rochdale: Heaton, Wiseman, T. Kennedy, Stanton, Dawson, Atkinson, Taylor, J. Kennedy, Thompson (Higginbotham 53), O'Grady, Dagnall.
Subs (not used): Taberner, Toner, Glover, McArdle, Flynn, Gray.
Booked: T. Kennedy.
Attempts (on target): Bradford 7 (3) Rochdale 15 (8)
Free kicks: Bradford 11 Rochdale 9
Offside: Bradford 1 Rochdale 1
Corners: Bradford 5 Rochdale 5
Referee: D. Foster
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