Thorpe helps sink former club

Brentford v Rochdale

8 More Image(s) In Gallery

Brentford 0
Rochdale 2 (Thorpe 76, Rundle 90)

Lee Thorpe scored his first goal for Rochdale to send them on the way to victory over his former club Brentford.

Thorpe came on as a second half substitute and swung the game in the visitor’s favour when he rose to head home a Simon Ramsden cross.

Adam Rundle sealed the points and boosted Dale’s play-off aspirations with a last minute goal.

The match was quite a poor spectacle and seemed destined for a draw until Thorpe’s intervention. Brentford missed a host of chances but it was Rochdale who emerged victorious for a record-breaking 12th away win of the season.

Both sides cancelled each other out for long periods, with driving rain making the conditions difficult.

Rochdale made a sluggish start to the game and Brentford enjoyed a fair amount of possession in and around the Dale box but they were unable to carve out any clear openings.

Brentford’s main attacking threat came through Nathan Elder, who won almost every header and brought team mates into play. Elder’s downfall came when he was presented with goal scoring chances – he simply never looked like taking them.

“You’ve got to win those type of games,” said Rochdale manager Keith Hill. “It was a fight and you can not always win the fight in the first round, sometimes it goes the distance.

“The players showed a desire, drive and fighting spirit and that was what won it on the day.”

Brentford had had more of the chances by half time but Rochdale squandered the most presentable opportunity of the half. Rundle produced a deep cross to find Rene Howe at the far post, who headed against the upright from a tight angle.

Brentford brought a fine save out of Dale keeper Tommy Lee when Elder crossed for former Dale player Glenn Poole to head powerfully towards goal. Lee palmed the ball out and it was hacked to safety.

Elder had earlier beaten the Rochdale offside trap and gained space inside the Dale box but he got the finish horribly wrong, screwing the ball well wide of Lee’s goal.

An Elder flick on gave strike partner Alan Connell a chance but he could only shoot straight at the keeper from the edge of the box.

Elder was again at the heart of the home side’s next chance but he could only steer a header wide from a dangerous Poole cross.
Elder picked up where he left off in the second half; creating chances but never looking likely to convert them.

He stole a yard on Nathan Stanton early in the half but the pacey Rochdale centre-half got back to produce a fine blocking tackle.

Poole’s well struck free kick was well held by Lee and Connell fired just over the bar after he controlled John Mousinho’s header and shot on the turn.

Aside from Howe hitting the post Rochdale struggled to create anything of note. By the end of the game they had only had four attempts on target but two of them resulted in goals to set up the perfect snatch and grab away win.

Thorpe’s contribution proved to be decisive. He answered the boos and jeers of his former supporters by scoring a fine goal. Thorpe spread the ball out to Ramsden and then made a late run into the box to get on the end of the cross. The big striker was free to aim a looping header over Brentford keeper Simon Brown and into the net.

Chris Dagnall, the hero of Rochdale’s win over Rotherham on Bank Holiday Monday, came to loud cheers from the away end and he had a chance to seal the points for his side. Thorpe flicked on a throw-in to the replacement striker but he could only fire his header onto the roof of the net.

Brentford should have equalised shortly after and only Elder will know how he squandered the chance. Connell stole in between Stanton and Tom Kennedy and drew a fine save from Lee at close quarters. The ball broke for Elder who somehow put the ball over the bar when faced with a virtual open net just six yards from goal.

The miss cost Brentford dear. Rochdale sealed the points on the counter attack when Gary Jones fed Ben Muirhead down the right hand side. Muirhead got the cut back for Rundle spot on but the winger made the finish look a lot more difficult than it actually was. Rundle’s first touch was poor but he got a lucky break when his shot was blocked and he was able to finish at the second attempt.

Attendance: 4,896

Brentford: S. Brown, Pead, Bennett, Heywood, Dickson, Shakes (W. Brown 77), O’Connor, Mousinho, Poole, Connell, Elder.
Subs not used: Hamer, Sankofa, Smith, Reid.

Rochdale: Lee, Ramsden, Stanton, McArdle, Kennedy, Basham (Muirhead 53), Jones, Perkins, Rundle, Le Fondre (Thorpe 53), Howe (Dagnall 68).
Subs not used: Button, Holness.

Attempts (on target): Brentford 15 (8) Rochdale 6 (4)
Free kicks: Brentford 18 Rochdale 15
Offside: Brentford 4 Rochdale 3
Corners: Brentford 1 Rochdale 3

Referee: S Attwell