Another second half show gives Dale five in a row

Man of the match Adam Rundle

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Rochdale 4 (Howe 58, Rundle 70, Le Fondre 78, Johnson og 84)
Notts County 2 (Lee 72, Mackenzie pen 90) 

Rochdale once again turned on the style in the second half to record a fifth victory in a row.

Adam Rundle, far Dale’s most inventive player, ran the second half and got a goal for his efforts, smashing in his side’s second.

Rene Howe nodded the home side in front and although Jason Lee pulled one back for the visitors the result was never really in doubt.

Adam Le Fondre made sure with the goal of the game and then Notts County’s misery was complete when Michael Johnson put the ball beyond his own goalkeeper.

The visitors ended the scoring with a goal from the penalty spot but the result was well beyond them.

Dale boss Keith Hill said: “All our players want to win games and they know how to do that. They were exceptional again tonight and they have been all season. Who knows where it ends? I don’t know, it maybe May 3, it maybe beyond that.

“It was good football, it was creative and I’m very pleased with the club, I’m pleased with the players because really we’ve only spent a short time together. Now we’ll see if they’ve got the cahoonas to see the job through.”

There was drama at Spotland even before the game had kicked off. Nathan Stanton, Rory McArdle and Ben Muirhead were all named in the Rochdale starting eleven but the team sheet had to be changed minutes before kick off. The trio had been stuck in traffic after a heavy smash on the M62 but the club hoped that they would arrive on time.

Joe Thompson, Nathan D’Laryea and Marcus Holness had to come into the starting line-up once it became clear that the three were not going to make it off the motorway.

Rochdale made a bright start against their struggling opponents but there were no clear chances for either side. Rochdale had two shots and six corners to show for their early work but Russell Hoult was never troubled in the County goal.

Chances were few and far between despite Rochdale playing the vast majority of the football. They had handball appeals inside the County penalty area turned down when the ball appeared to strike Wayne Corden’s hand.

Ryan Jarvis squandered the chance of the half for Notts after the ball bounced out to him twice to shoot after a combination of D’Laryea and Tommy Lee had cleared the ball off the Dale goal line. Jarvis should have scored with the second attempt but his shot was straight at Lee.

Rochdale had further penalty claims turned down when Rene Howe’s shot was clearly blocked by the hand of Michael Johnson inside the penalty area. Howe’s follow up attempt was deflected inches wide for a corner.

Dale made an equally bright start to the second period and again it came thanks to their liveliest player Adam Rundle. His skill tight to the by-line enabled Dale to dig out a chance for Gary Jones. His shot was deflected towards goal by Howe but Hoult saved comfortably.

Rundle was at the heart of almost all of Dale’s forays forward. He chanced his arm himself minutes later after cutting inside two defenders but his right-footed shot was weak and easily saved.

With more than half an hour to play Keith Hill looked to add to Dale’s attacking impetus with the introduction of Adam Le Fondre up front in place of Thompson, with Kallum Higginbotham moving out to the right wing.

The change worked. With Higginbotham allowed more space out wide Dale were able to stretch the play. Rundle was again involved in Dale’s opener. He took the ball by the by-line and he knocked it back for Tom Kennedy to cross. Howe rose highest and looped his header into the far corner.

Dale were well on top. David Perkins drilled a well struck low shot to the near post that had Hoult scrambling across to clear for a corner and Hoult was tested once more when Rundle popped on the right hand side and hit a low shot that the keeper could only gather at the second attempt.

Rundle was everywhere. He next preyed on a deep Ramsden free-kick and drilled a shot-come-cross along the six yard box that only needed a touch for two-nil.

Rundle had to be the man that doubled Dale’s lead and when he collected a Howe flick-on on the edge of the box there was an inevitability that a goal would result. Rundle took a touch inside the defender and drilled his finish beyond Hoult.

As soon as the ball hit the net Keith Hill asked for discipline from his side to hold onto their lead. It didn’t work out. Substitute Myles Weston got the beating of Perkins down the left channel and Dale were short of secondary defences. Tommy Lee scampered from his line but Weston calmly found another Lee, Jason, to slot home at the far post.

Unlike on Saturday Rochdale didn’t show nerves once they had conceded. They hit back with the goal of the game. Le Fondre spread the ball out wide for Howe and then the Dale substitute himself got on the end of Howe’s pinpoint cross to power a header beyond Hoult.

Notts’ misery was complete when Hoult failed to connect with a Michael Johnson pass back and the ball bobbled into the back of the net.

The scoring still was not complete. Simon Ramsden pulled back Notts sub Spencer Weir-Daley inside the area for a clear penalty and Neil Mackenzie deposited the spot kick.

Attendance: 2,536.

Rochdale: Lee, Ramsden, Kennedy (McArdle 83), D’Laryea, Holness, Thompson (Le Fondre 53), Jones, Perkins (Basham 87), Thompson, Howe, Higginbotham.
Subs not used: Button, Dagnall.

Notts Co: Hoult, Canoville, Hunt, Edwards, Johnson, Jarvis, Mackenzie, Butcher, Corden (Weston 65), Lee, Crow (Weir-Daley 87).
Subs: McCann, Parkinson, Silk

Booked: Hunt.

Attempts (on target): Rochdale 13 (6) Notts Co 9 (7)
Free-kicks: Rochdale 21 Notts Co 14
Offside: Rochdale 4 Notts Co 8
Corners: Rochdale 14 Notts Co 1

Referee: D Whitestone.