Swindon Town 1 - 1 Rochdale

A stoppage time equaliser by Swindon’s Elliot Benyon denied Rochdale a first ever win over Swindon in a game affected by a very strong wind throughout.

Craig Dawson gave Dale the lead when he swept home from close range but Hill’s men couldn’t hold out for the points.

Keith Hill made two changes to the side that drew with Tranmere in mid week, Nicky Adams and Josh Thompson dropped to the bench with Brian Barry-Murphy and Will Atkinson starting.

In very tricky conditions, the game began with Dale playing into the wind, making clearing their defensive lines difficult. Many of Dale goal keeper Owain Fon Williams’ clearances were barely crossing the half way line but many Swindon balls forward carried over the line for goal kicks.

With the wind assistance, it was to be expected the home side would start better and the pressure was firmly on the Dale back-line.

Swindon captain Jonathan Douglas and Alan O’Brien both had shots that flashed off target.

Dale started to get to grips with the conditions midway through the half and came close breaking the deadlock when Jason Kennedy whipped in a right wing cross but Will Atkinson’s near post header brushed the bar and over.

Just a minute later and Dale came close again when a sweet reverse ball inside the full back by O’Grady picked out Thompson who laid the ball back to Jones but the Skipper saw his drive deflected wide.

From the corner Kennedy connected just inside the area but his volley was blocked, with the Dale players appeals for a spot kick waved away by referee Horwood.

Keith Hill’s side continued to press with Kennedy agonizingly close to reaching a Thompson centre but he couldn’t quite stretch enough.

As the clock ticked down, it was Danny Wilson’s men who finished the half stronger.

An innocuous cross from the Swindon right had to be pushed away as the wind blew the ball goal wards whilst seconds later another more direct cross from the right was tipped onto his own bar by Fon Williams.

With the wind behind their backs in the second half, Hill’s men set about the Swindon back-line and they almost took the lead within two minutes of the restart. Holness sent a long ball from the back which sailed over the home defence with O’Grady racing onto but as he tried to lift the ball over the on rushing keeper, the stopper touched the ball wide.

From the corner, Will Atkinson used the wind to float the ball in but his effort skimmed just over the bar direct from the flag kick.

The instructions at half time from Keith Hill must have been to shoot on sight as Jones and Kennedy went close with long range efforts.

O’Grady had a low drive saved by Smith, whilst Atkinson picked the pocket of Frampton on the edge of the area but the ball fell kindly to Smith.

With Dale on top Liam Dickinson was introduced replacing Joe Thompson.

It had been all Dale since the break but the home side began to use home advantage and pressured the visitors around the 75 minute mark.

Substitute David Prutton flashed a volley over but the home faithful will rue a missed opportunity moments later.

Matt Ritchie forced Fon Williams into a fine save but the ball fell to fellow substitute Jon Paul McGovern who drilled a shot towards the virtually unguarded net but Widdowson blocked brilliantly on the line to deny him.

The home fans sensed victory but it was Rochdale who took the lead through defender Craig Dawson. Brian Barry-Murphy swung in a deep free kick from the right which was flicked on by Dickinson with Dawson sweeping home from seven yards for his third of the season.

After edging ahead so late in the game, the travelling supporters were in fine voice as they urged their team towards the finishing line but after netting a 95th minute equaliser themselves in midweek it was Hill’s men who had to suffer the heartbreak of conceding a late goal. With four minutes added by the referee, David Prutton hooked a ball into the area and home debutant Elliot Benyon pounced to head the ball beyond the despairing dive of Fon Williams.

The point continued Dale’s unbeaten start to 2011 and moved them up one place to ninth, seven points above the drop zone and six points from the top six.

Keith Hill said: “I’m reasonably happy with a point but that’s not letting the lads get out of jail free, we should have closed it out and got the three points, especially when you’re getting to those stages of the game. But I can’t take anything away from the lads; it was an excellent performance in very tricky conditions. People talk about the wind being a problem; they land planes in this weather so to be asked to play football it should be quite simple!

"I thought we were solid in the first half when they had the wind in their favour.

"They caused us a couple of problems from long throws.

"I thought Fon Williams kicked through the ball really well.

"We tried to get the ball down and play football how we like to play it.

"I think the lads possibly deserved the three points when you see Joe Widdowson throw himself at the ball like he did on the line.

"I think Craig is back to being awesome Dawson. On Tuesday he wasn’t at his best but today he has been an ultimate professional.

"Marcus Holness was superb today too and he is turning into the type of player that we thought he would.

"Is it realistic that we could get into the playoffs? No it isn’t realistic because when you consider the type of money being spent by clubs that are below us, never mind above us, it’s highly unrealistic. We have got to make sure we don’t over spend and turn the club into a Conference side.

"When you look at Swindon who brought a player of the calibre of David Prutton and bought Elliot Benyon then you can see how well we have done today”

-----------------------------------------------

Swindon Town 1-1 Rochdale
Benyon 90 +2 - Dawson 81

Att:7386 (276 away)

Rochdale: Fon Williams, Widdowson, Dawson, Holness, Wiseman, Jones (c), J Kennedy, Barry-Murphy, Joe Thompson (Dickinson 63), Atkinson (Done 79), O'Grady.

Subs (Not Used): Edwards, Josh Thompson, Akpa-Akpro, Williams, Adams.

Swindon Town: Smith, Rose, Douglas (c), Frampton, Caddis, Timlin (McGovern 67), Amankwaah (Prutton 57), Flint, O,Brien (Ritchie 4), Dossevi, Benyon.

Subs (not used): Scott, Cuthbert, Ferry, Sheehan.

Referee: Mr G Horwood
Assistant Referees: Mr E Kaye and Mr J O’Brien
Fourth Official: Mr C Knowles