Hone goal to give Lincoln win

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Lincoln City 2 (Forrester 45, Hone 81)
Rochdale 1 (Howe 56)

Daniel Hone condemned Rochdale to only their second away defeat of the season. The defender prodded home after Rochdale failed to clear a throw-in in the 81st minute.

Earlier in the second half Rene Howe had cancelled out Lincoln’s opener with his first goal for the club. Lincoln had led at half time after Jamie Forrester pounced on a Sam Russell error; the Dale keeper failing to hold on to a well struck Lee Frecklington drive.

Rochdale remain on the verge of the play-offs with games in hand after other results went their way but the defeat means they have lost consecutive for the first time this season.

The first half had been a tight affair on a difficult Sincil Bank playing surface. Ex-Rochdale loanee Louis Dodds struck the outside of the post with a freekick for the home side and Howe squandered Rochdale’s best opportunity when one on one with Alan Marriott, striking the ball at the legs of the Lincoln. It looked as the teams would be tied at the break before Russell’s error let Forrester in.

Rochdale emerged the better side in the second half and their fine equaliser was well deserved. Howe raced onto a fine long pass from David Perkins and did as he should have done in the first half, producing a fine finish beyond Marriott.

Rochdale were dominant for ten minutes after they had scored and the looked the more likely side to go on and win it until Hone prodded home late on.

“Our second half performance was superb,” said Dale boss Keith Hill. “We should have won the game on that performance but it is not always about how you perform and our mistakes cost us. Sam Russell has made two mistakes in two games. Regular mistakes will cost players their place in the side.”

Opposition boss Peter Jackson said: “Credit to Rochdale, most people would have thought that when they got back into it they would go on and win it but we dug in and got the win.”

Jackson said, after a fine performance from match winner Hone, that the young centre back was one of the best defenders outside the Premiership. “That was the worst goal celebration I’ve ever seen,” joked the Lincoln boss. “Hone was man of the match and that was coupled with the winning goal.”

Making his 300th League appearance for the club, Gary Jones was by far Rochdale’s best player, at times dominating the midfield and making the driving runs that the Rochdale fans have become accustomed to. However, the Dale skipper could drive his side to victory and all the plaudits went to Hone rather Jones at the end of the game.

Rochdale made two changes to the side that was beaten by Peterborough last week. Howe returned after being unable to play against the club that owns him last week and his confidence clearly grew with his goal, in the ten minutes after it came the Lincoln defence simply could not get the ball off him. Adam Rundle came in for Kallum Higginbotham on the wing but Dale could not take advantage of some of his finer moments.

Lincoln’s decent move up the league continues, this win being their fifth in seven matches, a ran which has taken in two victories over Dale. Lee Frecklington came back into their starting line-up after injury and it was his vicious drive that led to Lincoln’s opener after Russell could not hold on.

Dany N’Guessan was brought into the starting eleven after scoring the winner at Macclesfield in midweek and he could have made sure of victory in the closing stages but he blazed over after latching onto Forrester’s pass.

Earlier in the half Lee Beevers should twice have added to Lincoln’s tally. From identical Dodds corners Beevers stole a march on his marker but failed to direct two free headers on target from inside the six yard box, the latter of which was almost converted by Forrester at the far post. Keith Hill pointed out that his team’s defending of set pieces had left a lot to be desired and Lincoln’s winner came when they failed to deal with Nat Brown’s long throw. The Dale defence was not helped by an early injury to Rory McArdle and he may now miss Tuesday’s game against Hereford as he may have suffered concussion following a nasty blow to the head.

Rochdale remain eighth in the table after the defeat. They did not lose ground on their immediate play-off rivals with Wycombe and Chesterfield both losing, while just below them Morecambe lost at home to Macclesfield and Stockport could only draw with Notts County. They have an immediate chance to bounce back with a game at home to Hereford on Tuesday night, a game that is looking increasingly like a must-win fixture to get them back on track.

Attendance: 3955

Lincoln: Marriott, Brown, Beevers, Hone, Ridley, N’Guessan (Ryan 86), Frecklington, Kerr, Dodds, Stallard (Wright 79), Forrester.
Subs not used: Duffy, Moses, Hand.
Booked: Dodds.

Rochdale: Russell, Ramsden, Kennedy, McArdle (Holness 21), Stanton, Rundle (Thorpe 82), Jones, Doolan, Perkins, Howe, Le Fondre (Higginbotham 71).
Subs not used: Spencer, Basham.
Booked: Higginbotham, Stanton.

Attempts (on target): Lincoln 12 (4) Rochdale 12 (5)
Freekicks: Lincoln 18 Rochdale 18
Offside: Lincoln 4 Rochdale 7
Corners: Lincoln 4 Rochdale 4

Referee: A Woolmer