Rochdale 0 Bournemouth 0

Rochdale v Bournemouth

18 More Image(s) In Gallery

The top of the table clash between Rochdale and Bournemouth ended goalless after a tense and tight affair at Spotland.

It was a game of few chances. Bournemouth failed to register a shot on target in the whole of the 90 minutes while Chris Dagnall failed to score from one of Dale's clearest chances, Shwan Jalal gathering his low shot across goal.

The result means Rochdale strengthen their position within the top three after Rotherham and Chesterfield were both beaten but they are now just five points ahead of Notts County, who have a game in hand on Dale, after the Magpies won at Shrewsbury.

Three shots on target in the whole of the ninety minutes tells its own story as the two sides huffed and puffed on a difficult pitch, with the two defences winning out. Bournemouth came to do a job at Spotland, clearly arriving with the intention of stifling the home attack and they were good value for their point after keeping Chris O'Grady and Dagnall quiet for the majority.

There were no chances in the opening quarter of an hour as the two high flying sides assessed each others strengths and weaknesses. It was certainly a full blooded affair with one or two strong challenges in the early stages, culminating when Kallum Higginbotham flew in late and earned a booking.

Three chances arrived in a flurry. Bournemouth had the first when they earned another free kick from a cheap Ciaran Toner foul. Brett Pitman seemed a mile out but trying his luck, drilling his shot comfortably wide. Dale responded, a fine move ending with Higginbotham's lay off for Gary Jones to shoot narrowly wide from 20 yards. The home side might have made more of a fist of it when Chris Dagnall slipped his marker a minute later and made a B-line for goal, cutting the ball back for Chris O'Grady, who miscued his shot as it bobbled up off the surface.

Dale had been largely on top in the first half hour but Bournemouth carved out the clearest of the half's opportunities. Jason Pearce should have done better than to miscue his header wide when latching onto Alan Connell's cross and then Connell himself missed his kick six yards out after Pitman had cut the ball back for his strike partner.

The home side started the second half brightly and Jalal had doubled his workrate within the opening couple of minutes as he gathered O'Grady's low drive. Dagnall and O'Grady were beginning to link well and a sharp interchange between the pair allowed O'Grady to release Tom Kennedy into the box. The full back's low shot was not the crispest but it may have found the corner had it not cannoned off a Bournemouth leg.

With 20 minutes to go the visitors started to get a stranglehold on proceedings and the Dale defence was severely tested for a five minute period. They survived the brief scare with Nathan Stanton in particular coming through with flying colours.

Both sides pushed for a winner right to the death. Frank Fielding still had not had a shot to deal with time running out but he almost had to pick the ball out the back of his net when Sammy Igoe's shot dipped an inch over the crossbar.

At the other end Dagnall had Dale's best chance for a winner after he turned in the box and found room for a left foot shot across goal, Jalal getting down well to make the save.

Attendance: 5027.

Rochdale: Fielding, Wiseman, T. Kennedy, Stanton, McArdle, J. Kennedy, Jones, Toner, Higginbotham (Obadeyi 72), O'Grady, Dagnall.
Subs (not used): Arthur, Dawson, Flynn, Holness, Haworth, Lea.

Booked: Higginbotham, Dagnall.

Bournemouth: Jalal, Wiggins, Bartley, Connell (Fletcher 74), Pearce, Robinson, Pitman, Feeney, Hollands, Bradbury (Igoe 32), Garry (Partington 57).
Subs (not used): Cummings, McQuoid, Stockley, Thomas.

Booked: Bartley.

Attempts (on target): Rochdale 6 (3) Bournemouth 3 (0)
Free kicks: Rochdale 15 Bournemouth 16
Offside: Rochdale 3 Bournemouth 3
Corners: Rochdale 5 Bournemouth 2

Referee: C. Boyeson.