Lambert’s goal is Dale-ite robbery

Rochdale 0
Bristol Rovers 1 (Lambert 54)

Bristol Rovers goalkeeper Steve Philips was in inspired form to keep out a Rochdale attack that threw everything, kitchen sink well and truly included, at his team on an afternoon that could not have been more frustrating for Dale after a performance that had everything but a finishing touch. The home side dominated proceedings from start to finish but not one of their twenty-three attempts registered a goal.

Rochdale followed up two inspired 4-0 victories with a hard earned and well deserved draw at Wycombe last week and they did more than enough to extend their unbeaten run here against Rovers but a quite major part of any win is the victor’s ability to stick the ball in the back of the net. Rochdale for all their chances, couldn’t, Bristol, against the run of play, did and then relied on Philips to ensure victory.

The Bristol Rovers stopper kept Dale at bay single-handedly with ten minutes remaining, his side clinging onto their lead for dear life with Sammy Igoe having been sent off late on for two poor challenges. For ten years Rovers would not have cared much for Philips, the keeper having spent the majority of his career across town at rivals Bristol City but that final ten minutes had the small band of travelling supporters on their grateful feet; Philips deserved and took the plaudits and was the last man to leave the pitch after the final whistle, with even the remaining frustrated home fans applauding as the keeper went down the tunnel.

In that final period alone Philips superbly stopped a Glenn Murray header that looked to be a goal the moment it left the strikers’ head. The keeper blocked substitute Joe Thompson’s volley and the final action of the match saw Philips dive at full stretch to tip Alan Goodall’s drive over the crossbar.

In the first half the Bristol keeper showed signs of how he was a more-than capable incumbent in a role that seemed solely designed to aggravate Dale. He tipped Chris Dagnall’s audacious chip over the bar and denied Gary Jones’s low shot that seemed destined to sneak into the bottom corner before Philips intervened once more.

“In boxing terms, today we’ve lost a round but I think if it had gone to a decision we would have won the game by half-time!” said Dale boss Keith Hill. “We created enough chances to win at least one game, maybe two games.”

Rochdale should have had a two goal cushion in the first half but a combination of fine last ditch defending, solid goalkeeping and, most of all, poor finishing saw the sides go into the break level and Rovers snatched their goal early into the second period.

It seemed somewhat inevitable that it would be Rochdale’s top-scorer of last season that would give his new club the lead. In the first half Lambert had seen his low drive stopped by the feet of Matthew Gilks but he could not miss when Craig Disley’s attempted overhead kick fell for Lambert to slot home.

Lambert scored twenty-two goals for Rochdale last season but that form has eluded him since his £200,000 move to Rovers in August. Lambert had netted just once in over twenty appearances but his second was vital in giving his side a first away win in four attempts to boost Bristol’s play-off aspirations.

Rochdale are not thinking so highly with this defeat keeping them in the thick of things at the opposite end of the table but, if they can add goals, relegation needn’t be a worry. They outplayed Rovers with some, at times excellent football and looked more like the side challenging to extend their season beyond May 5, but then their finishing summed up why that is not the case.

Dale haven’t struggled for goals recently with twelve having been scored in Keith Hill’s short tenure and they should not have been so hard to come by here but in the first half they were twice denied by the woodwork; Murray’s near post drive pinging off the inside of the upright and Adam Rundle’s twenty-yard curler cannoning down off the crossbar.

When the woodwork did not stop them the finish was either wayward or found the hands of the inspired Philips. Murray was the most guilty of the former, he flashed a header from a Gary Jones cross past the post with the target easier to hit and a trickier near-post attempt from the impressive Kelvin Etuhu’s cross also avoided the goal. Murray’s display summed up his side’s afternoon, generally excellent but finishing poor; only nine shots hit the target and those that did had Philips to contend with.

Man of the Match
Steve Philips – For the second game in a row a Rochdale opposition goalkeeper gets the award. Rickie Lambert will get the headlines for his goal against his former club but, that aside, the reason Rovers won this game was down to the keeper with consistently fine saves throughout and coming to the rescue as his side clung on with ten minutes to go.

Attendance: 2,547

Rochdale: Gilks, Ramsden, Goodall, Stanton, McArdle, Jones, Doolan (Crooks 68), Rundle (Cooksey 81), Etuhu (Thompson 73), Dagnall, Murray.

Subs Not Used: Rigby, Brown.

Booked: McArdle, Crooks.

Bristol Rovers: Philips, Lescott, Hinton, Elliott, Carruthers, Igoe, Campbell, Disley, Sandell (Haldane 63), Lambert (Ryan Green 86), Walker (Nicholson 68).

Subs Not Used: Mike Green, Rigg.

Booked: Igoe, Nicholson, Campbell.

Sent Off: Igoe.

Attempts (on target): Rochdale 23 (9) Bristol 7 (5)
Free kicks: Rochdale 19 Bristol 19
Offside: Rochdale 3 Bristol 3
Corners: Rochdale 11 Bristol 6

Referee: K Hill