Rochdale 1 (Dagnall 45) Bradford 3 (Clarke 10, Threlfall 80, Evans 87)

Photo: Jon Coluccio

Gary Jones looks to spread the play.

11 More Image(s) In Gallery

Rochdale's promotion charge stuttered with a first home defeat in four months. Robbie Threlfall's excellent free kick put Dale on the back foot late in the second half and Gary Evans' wonderful strike supplied the gloss for a Bradford side rejuvenated under new manager Peter Taylor.

Chris Dagnall's equaliser right on half time saw the sides go in level at the break. The home side spluttered through the opening period, conceding to Matt Clarke's close range stab and struggling to contain a lively Bradford frontline. Dale improved towards the end of the half and scored through Dagnall's finish in off the post.

Dale got off to the worst possible start as Bradford found the net from an early corner. Frank Fielding saved Michael Flynn's header with his feet but Dale could not clear and Clarke stuck out a leg among the bodies and the ball was fired in via a deflection.

Rochdale struggled to settle but could have been level as Dagnall broke from away after another Bradford corner was this time fully cleared. The striker drove beyond halfway and found the rampaging run of Gary Jones, who went clear on goal, but the aging captain's lack of pace forced him to hurry the finish and he drilled his left foot drive well wide.

Buoyed by the chance, Dale pushed for a way back into the game and Matt Glennon was forced into his first action of the night as he stretched to turn Tom Kennedy's curling free kick over the top. A succession of corners followed but Glennon dealt with them all comfortably.

The chances kept on coming for the lively visitors against a backline that, for no apparent reason, looked shaky. Flynn slipped the ball in for strike partner James Hanson, who should have done better than poke the ball wide on the stretch when well placed inside the penalty area.

The visitors looked capable of getting a shot away every time they entered Rochdale territory and Hanson and Luke O'Brien came close to extending their lead with drilled efforts just over the top.

It had been a half for the league leaders to forget but right on the whistle they were level. A five minute improvement paved the way for the equaliser as O'Grady spun off Steve Williams and cut the ball back for Dagnall to fire in low off the near post.

Dale made a much livelier start to the second half but chances were few and far between for both sides. The introduction of Kallum Higginbotham gave the home side some added impetus and they came close when Will Atkinson flicked on a corner and O'Grady nudged the ball over at the back post.

The clearest chance of the opening 20 minutes came Dale's way, Higginbotham releasing Scott Wiseman overlapping down the right. Dagnall got ahead of former colleague Simon Ramsden but the defender did just about enough to force the striker into a weak finish straight at Glennon.

Bradford were mostly content to clear their lines but they were by no means out of it and Hanson should have done better when he exposed Craig Dawson, turning under a long ball to get the wrong side of the defender. Hanson had more time than he thought and fluffed a hurried finish wide.

It had been all Dale in the second half but Bradford got a break when Luke O'Brien drove at the heart of the defence. He ghosted past two men before Nathan Stanton was forced to bring him down right on the edge of the box. Robbie Threlfall stepped up to take the set piece and despatched a beauty. It would be a harsh critic that denied Threlfall the goal, although the ball appeared to come off the crossbar and hit the back of Fielding before finding the net.

From then on Dale had an uphill task and Bradford condemned them to a first home defeat in four months with a goal of sublime quality. The ball was hung up for Hanson to chest back to the edge of the box, from where Gary Evans unleashed a deadly first time finish into the top corner, giving the Dale keeper no chance.

Attendance: 3055.

Rochdale: Fielding, Wiseman, T. Kennedy, Stanton, Dawson, Jones, Taylor, Atkinson (Haworth 69), Obadeyi (Higginbotham 59), O'Grady, Dagnall.
Subs (not used): Arthur, Flynn, McArdle, J. Kennedy, Toner.

Booked: Obadeyi, Stanton.

Bradford: Glennon, Ramsden, O'Brien, Flynn, Clarke, Bullock, Evans, Williams, O'Leary (Boulding 75), Hanson, Threlfall (Rehman 89).
Subs (not used): McLaughlin, Thorne, Bateson, Osbourne, Neilson.

Booked: Bullock.

Attempts (on target): Rochdale 7 (4) Bradford 15 (6)
Free kicks: Rochdale 15 Bradford 6
Offside: Rochdale 1 Bradford 2
Corners: Rochdale 7 Bradford 6

Referee: C. Sarginson.