Rochdale 3 - 2 Dagenham & Redbridge

Rochdale 3 - 2 Dagenham and Redbridge
Gary Jones scores Dale's third goal

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Rochdale ended a run of three straight defeats with an impressive performance against a Dagenham side that find themselves rooted to the foot of the table. Despite a late comeback, Dale claimed the three points that the performance deserved.

The home side were dominant throughout and could have been four or five up at the break, but goals from O’Grady and Elding gave Hill’s men a 2-0 lead.

Gary Jones fired his seventh of the season just before the hour mark and then a shaky five minutes allowed the Daggers a lifeline as they reduced the deficit to one goal.

Manager Keith Hill opted for the same starting 11 that were narrowly defeated last weekend, meaning Nicky Adams made his home debut after signing from Brentford on loan. Jean Louis Akpa-Akpro took his place on the bench after shaking off a thigh problem; Andrew Tutte missing out.

After three defeats on the bounce, Dale could have been forgiven a nervous start in front of the Spotland faithful but there were no signs of any nerves as Hill’s charges took the game to the visitors.

In the opening 15 minutes, the Daggers could hardly get a touch as the home side totally dominated proceedings with some crisp incisive football that John Still's men just couldn’t live with.

A front three of Elding, O’Grady and Adams were proving real handful and if it wasn’t for the agility of ageing keeper Tony Roberts in the Daggers goal, Hill’s men would have been out of sight before the game had really got going.

Elding crossed for O’Grady but the striker was denied the opening goal when Roberts tipped the ball away.

O’Grady was again foiled by Roberts when he and Adams linked up well on the edge of the box but his effort was blocked.

O’Grady was all over the final third of the pitch and when he picked out Widdowson with a sweet reverse pass inside the full back, the Dale defender placed a delightful ball onto the head of Elding but the former Stockport man's header was well saved by Roberts.

It was all one way traffic and a goal was almost certainly coming, and it was no surprise that it was Rochdale that took the lead midway through the first period. Quick feet by O’Grady on the right corner of the box gave him space to lay a pass to Jones whose reverse pass again found O’Grady who fired past Roberts from 18 yards for his first goal in three games.

The tide continued to flow in favour of the home side as they looked to pull further away and when Elding raced onto a neat through ball the Dale fans thought he would make it two but Roberts saved.

It wasn’t long though before Dale did double their advantage. The tricky Nicky Adams jinked down the right before fizzing the ball across to the unmarked Elding who slotted past Roberts.

As the half entered the final five minutes the pressure was all coming from Rochdale.

Adams again tried to play in Elding from the right but his cross was almost deflected past the wrong footed Roberts who managed to recover.

O’Grady was unlucky not to net his second of the game when he picked up on the edge of the box, dropped his shoulder and sent a curling effort beyond the out stretched Roberts but Scott Doe had got back and cleared off the line.

Jones brought the best out of the Daggers keeper once again when his lofted shot across the face of goal looked destined for the top corner but somehow the 41 year old got a hand to it and tipped away.

As the half entered one minute of added time, the Daggers had their first shot when a speculative 25 yard effort was at fumbled by Lillis but grabbed at the second attempt.

The second half started in much the same vein as the first with Widdowson flashing a shot over from 20 yards, whilst Craig Dawson’s penalty appeal was turned down by referee Waugh when the defender felt he was hauled to the ground.

Dale made it three just before the hour mark when more good work from man of the match O’Grady inside the box gave him time to pick out Jones to slot home from six yards.

With Dale seemingly cruising, they took their foot off the gas a little and allowed the visitors some possession; a succession of corners causing Hill’s men problems.

Just after the hour, a long ball into the box from a flag kick resulted in a block by Holness but the ball found Scannell who managed to squeeze the ball between goalkeeper and post to give Still’s men a glimmer of hope.

Dale looked nervous as more corners were pumped into the box and four minutes later Dagenham’s captain Mark Arber made it 3-2; Danny Green's corner found Arber who nodded home to set up a nervy last 20 minutes.

Adams could have sealed it for Rochdale with 12 minutes left when a Barry-Murphy corner wasn’t cleared by the Daggers defence but fired over from 18 yards.

Even though they had nearly been pegged back, Hill’s men continued to play the football and went in pursuit of more goals.

O’Grady saw his shot from a tight angle saved and substitute Akpa-Akpro fired inches over a little later.

The visitors almost snatched an unlikely point in the dying moments when Dawson was uncharacteristically caught in possession inside his own half but the danger was snuffed out by Holness.

After the game Dale Manage Keith Hill said: "Three points, some excellent football and the type of style that we want to play and be successful in.

"We failed to deal with set plays from Dagenham and they nearly had a chance to salvage something from the game, and I would have been really annoyed and angry had we thrown it away.

"I'm confident in my players and I believe in them and a lot of other people have to believe in what we're doing at this football club instead of moaning and groaning about it."

Rochdale Scorers: O’Grady 22, Elding 35, Jones 58 

Dagenham & Redbridge Scorers: Scannell 64, Arber 68

Attendance:2650

Rochdale: Lillis, Wiseman, Holness, Dawson, Widdowson, Adams, Barry-Murphy, Elding (Akpa-Akpro 77), Jones (c), Kennedy, O'Grady
Subs (not used): Edwards, Done, Goodall, Josh Thompson, Joe Thompson, Smalley

Dagenham: Roberts, McCrory, Doe, Arber(c), Green, Tomlin, Ifil, Scannell, Savage (Scott 76), Vincelot, Gain.
Subs (not used): Lewington, Nurse, Currie, Bingham, Gwillim, Pinney

Referee: Mr J Waugh
Assistant Referees: Mr P Banks & Mr R J West
Fourth Official: Mr M J Denton