Fleetwood Town 1 - 1 Rochdale

Fleetwood Town v Rochdale

Rochdale had to settle for a point away at Fleetwood after Ian Henderson’s stoppage time penalty was saved by goalkeeper Chris Maxwell. Maxwell pushed away Henderson’s spot kick to earn his side a point after substitute Jamille Matt cancelled out Peter Vincenti’s opener.

In a first half lacking in any kind of spark, there were limited chances for either side.

Tyler Forbes dragged a shot wide for the hosts before Dale started to build into the game.

Donal McDermott off target on a couple of occasions.

Fleetwood started the second half the better of the two teams but it was Dale who opened the scoring. McDermott’s quickly taken throw in caught out the Fleetwood defence with Henderson able to cross perfectly for Vincenti to nod in his second in as many games.

Clear cut chances weren’t as often as either side would have liked with Jamie Proctor heading straight into the hands of Lillis and a 35 yard freekick from McDermott warming the hands of Maxwell the closest they came in the minutes after the goal.

Fleetwood rattled the post after Dale failed to clear a corner as they pressed for the equaliser.

Matt looked like he had netted the leveller with 11 minutes left, his header wonderfully pushed over the bar by the acrobatic Lillis.

Dale threw on Joe Bunney and he almost made an immediate impact. The striker flashed a shot narrowly wide after good work from Henderson.

That miss would prove crucial with Matt finally getting the better of Lillis with a free header. The substitute rose unmarked to head home a Bobby Grant corner.

With both sides now looking for the winner it was Dale who got the best opportunity, from the penalty spot in the fourth minute of time added on. Eggart Jonsson tripped Vincenti in the area but Maxwell guessed the right way to push Henderson’s spot kick away.

In the end a point was probably just about right, although the stoppage time penalty made it feel like a defeat for those of a Dale persuasion.

Attendance: 3,511

Rochdale: Lillis, Cannon, Lancashire, McNulty, Kennedy, Rafferty, Allen (c) (Noble-Lazarus 75), Vincenti, McDermott (Bunney 81), Henderson, Andrew
Subs: (not used) Collis, Eastham, Alessandra, Rose, Camps

Fleetwood: Maxwell, Andrew, Jonsson, Nirennold, Bell, Forbes, Ryan, Della-Verde, Sarcevic (c) (Haughton 72), Proctor (Grant 72), Ball (Matt 63)
Subs: (not used) Jordan, Wright, Sowerby, Arestidou

Referee: Mr G Eltringham
Assistants: Mr K Mulraine & Mr A Clayton
Fourth official: Mr K Mattocks