Rochdale 2 - 2 Brighton & Hove Albion

Rochdale took a fully deserved point from Champions elect Brighton at a sunny Spotland. The home side led through Will Atkinson who poked home a Robbie Williams free kick that hit the post but were pegged back when Craig Dawson felled former Dale striker Glenn Murray in the box. Chris Wood slotted home the resultant spot kick before Gus Poyet’s side took the lead early in the second period. Gary Jones rescued a point when he netted his 19th of the season from the spot after Chris O’Grady was hauled to the floor by Kishishev.

In his 200th league game as manager, Keith Hill named an unchanged side from the one that beat Charlton in midweek. The visitors named Glenn Murray in their starting 11 on his first return to Spotland since his move to Brighton back in 2008.

The Seagulls arrived at Spotland 13 points clear at the top of League One and on the back of an 8 game winning run. They started the game very brightly, taking the game to their hosts. Elliott Bennett sent the first warning shot over the bar inside 2 minutes.

Poyet’s side continued to look dangerous and striker Chris Wood really should have put the visitors into the lead on 3 minutes when Elphick lofted a perfectly weighted ball over the Dale defence with Wood timing his run to perfection but shot wide under pressure from Holness.

Dale responded well to the early pressure and when Jones and O'Grady exchanged passes in the area,

Jones lifted the ball over Ankergren but Adams couldn't turn the ball home at the back post.

Fon Williams pushed Bennett’s free kick into the feet of Murray inside 6yard box but he couldn't react to turn the ball home.

Brighton, who will no doubt gain promotion to the Championship in the next couple of weeks were backed by a large following from the South coast and many thought they had opened the scoring on the 20 minute mark. Noone, on for the injured Bridcutt, saw his shot blocked away with Calderon’s follow up shot cleared off line by Holness.

For all the chances they had created, The Seagull’s were shocked on 22 minutes when Hill’s men took the lead. In the words of Keith Hill, Robbie Williams has a wand of a left foot, and it was his free kick that set up the opener. His sweetly struck deadball came back off the post with Will Atkinson reacting quickest to prod the loose ball beyond Ankergren for 1-0.

Dale had to be resilient at the back as Albion piled forward with the home side throwing bodies in the way of Brighton pressure and it wasn’t long before the pressure told. Dawson tangled with Murray in the area with the former Dale striker going to ground rather easily but Chris Wood blocked out the jeers from the home faithful to send Fon Williams the wrong way to level the game.

With the home fans incensed, Brighton went forward and when Dawson slipped, he allowed Murray through on goal but Holness went across forcing Murray in field and his shot was charged down.

As the half came to a close it was Rochdale who looked more likely to add to the score. Matty Done crossed for O’Grady who juggled the ball before turning and firing a volley that Ankergren somehow got down to push up onto the cross bar in a save reminiscent of Gordon Banks.

O'Grady caused problems for the visiting defence all game and when he was brought down right on edge of area, Williams sent another left footed free kick which had Ankregren rooted to the spot but the ball whisked wide.

Just as the near 4000 crowd were settling down after the half time interval, the visitors took the lead. Gary Dicker headed a Noone cross past the despairing hand of Fon Williams.

Jason Kennedy saw a 20 yard volley blocked but when Adams sent the loose ball deep into the area, the home fans were incensed that referee Webb didn’t award a spot kick after Dawson appeared to be wrestled to the ground.

The rumblings around the ground were still ringing in the ears of the official when Brighton had the ball in the back of the net again but this time it was ruled out by an assistant’s flag. Bennett’s shot was parried by Fon Williams straight to Wood who had strayed offside.

Wood had another chance but he saw his curling effort pushed away by Fon Williams, with Dawson putting in a perfect tackle on Murray to deny former Dale man in the 6 yard box.

With 20 minutes left on the clock, Hill’s team got back on level terms. Jones & Done’s intricate passing saw the ball into the feet of O'Grady who was hauled to ground by Kishishev. Gary Jones stepped up to fire past Ankregren for 2-2.

Rochdale were well on top towards the last minutes and again the Rochdale public were screaming for a penalty when an Adams cross appeared to hit the hand of Calderon, but Webb, who was right on the spot waved away the claims.

Jones thought he had won it for Dale when he fired a ferocious drive into the side netting after a great lay off by O'Grady but all in all a great point against a side that are by far and away the best in the division.

Dale boss Keith Hill spoke after the game, he said: “The players are a reflection of myself and Flicker (Dave Flitcroft) and what we are trying to achieve at this football club, they gave every ounce of effort today to match what are the outstanding team of the division.

“We more than matched and except for a few minor mistakes that we made, we could have won the game. You can’t take anything away from Brighton, I think they are an excellent side with an excellent manager and I just thought it was a great advertisement for League One football. Two teams trying to win the game, the match went to-and-fro and I think both managers will be satisfied I know I was.

“The opposition are the best team in the League, I can’t go out and spend £500,000 on a player, I can’t even spend that on my entire squad. We are talking about 2 different ends of football and we are out their challenging. We have kept clean sheets in the last 4 games, we have conceded 2 goals against a very good side but being resilient at the back is part and parcel of winning football matches or at least not losing them. We deserve to ride our luck a little because we are brave and we wear our hearts on our sleeve.

Hill added: “ I think it was a penalty. As soon as Craig (Dawson) allows Glenn Murray have any contact, Glenn is very good at that. He may have bought the penalty but it is a penalty and I thought ours was too. We perhaps should have been awarded another; some decisions didn’t go in our favour today.

“Gary Jones is everything to Rochdale Football Club, he was here as a player when myself and Flicker were teammates and since I took over he has been a leader in the changing room and out on the pitch. He knows that if he isn’t performing he won’t be out on that pitch but he is performing and he has got a bright future, not only as a player but as a coach as well. In the end, it could have gone either way. Gary Jones has had a snap shot just wide, Chris O’Grady has hit the woodwork but to keep their strike force quiet I’m happy.

“I wasn’t really expecting a clean sheet today; I was hoping for one but not expecting it. The point takes us closer to where we want to be, other teams around us have lost. We have got a very tough game on Tuesday but we take each game as it comes, some people are trying to add pressure saying we can make the playoff’s but if don’t then people will see that as a failure but it hasn’t been”


Attendance: 3959

Rochdale: Fon Williams, Wiseman (Widdowson 80) , Dawson, Holness, Williams, Atkinson, Jones (c), Kennedy (Barry-Murphy 73), Adams, Done, O'Grady.

Subs (not used): Edwards, Akpa-Akpro, Joe Thompson,
Josh Thompson, Dickinson

Brighton: Ankergren, Greer (c), Elphick, Bennett, Calderon, Murray, Dicker, Bridcutt (Noone 14), Painter, Kishishev (Navarro 72), Wood (Sandaza 83)

Subs (not used): Brezovan, Sparrow, Taricco, Dunk

Referee:    Mr D Webb
Assistant Refs:    Mr GP Johnson & AJ Scregg
4th Official:    CN Harwood