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Rochdale 0 Chesterfield 1

Richard Partington
4/ 3/2008

THE unhappy hunting ground that is Spotland at present staged a fifth successive defeat for the hosts on Saturday as Rochdale’s play-off bid suffered another blow.

Of the recent run of home losses, this was perhaps most painful, for Dale were positive throughout and deserved a clean sheet at the very least. Keith Hill does not like to talk about luck, but it seems his side are as short on good fortune as they are on confidence before their own supporters.

A controversial freekick in the 89th minute led to Peter Leven’s winner, David Perkins penalised for what appeared a fair challenge on the edge of the box. From the resulting freekick, Jamie Winter rolled the ball into Leven’s path and his left-footed drive found the bottom corner of James Spencer’s goal.

A draw would have been a fair reflection of an evenly contested match, but Dale’s inability to find the net is leaving them open to smash and grab raids such as this. They put just three efforts on target, barely troubling goalkeeper Barry Roche.

Dominant in possession, lacking cutting edge where it counts – that has been the all-too-familiar story of late and it comes as some relief to read the next two fixtures are away from home at Mansfield and Stockport. Short-term fix it may be, but an injection of confidence is required from those two games ahead of the Accrington match at Spotland on Sunday 16 March.

Dale started positively, full debutant Chris Basham showing up well with a willingness to get forward. Both Kallum Higginbotham and Lee Thorpe went close in the opening 20 minutes, but the early goal Dale so desperately need proved elusive once again.

Things could have been much worse had Jack Lester finished the best chance of the half. He fired on target from 12 yards following David Dowson’s pull back, but Spencer was down quickly to make the save.

Within a minute of that opening, Dale went close themselves. Higginbotham’s great cross was glanced over by Thorpe and just before half time Rene Howe’s overhead kick flew the wrong side of the upright.

Lester’s chance apart, Chesterfield showed little in the opening period, struggling to get into the game. They were much brighter in the second half.

Lester had another clear cut opening when he escaped Rory McArdle’s attention and had just Spencer to beat. He tried to take the ball around the goalkeeper but Spencer did superbly, driving him too wide and the opportunity vanished.

Lester put a shot on target in the 57th minute when he got ahead of McArdle to flick Dowson’s cross goalward, Spencer alert enough to spot the danger at his near post and save.

On came Le Fondre in place of Howe and Dale roused themselves – Adam Rundle’s freekick from the left finding its way through to McArdle at the back post, and though he knew little about it he managed to divert the ball goalward, Aaron Downes clearing the ball off the line.

Spencer was called into action again when substitute Jamie Ward controlled a freekick from Phil Picken, turned and shot on target. Nathan Stanton’s double block from Lester and then Jamie Lowry was top-rate defending and while Dale looked less and less likely to score, their defence at least appeared destined for a well deserved clean sheet until Leven provided a heartbreaking finale for the home side.

Teams

Rochdale: Spencer, Ramsden, Stanton, McArdle, Perkins, Higginbotham (Muirhead 86), Jones, Basham, Rundle, Howe (Le Fondre 58), Thorpe (Buckley 86). Subs not used: Doolan, Holness

Chesterfield: Roche, Picken, Hartley, Kovacs, Downes, Lowry, Kerry, Winter, Leven, Dowson (Ward 67), Lester. Subs not used: Niven, Fletcher, Cooper, O’Hare

Match facts

Attempts at goal: Dale 8 Chesterfield 9

Attempts on target: Dale 3 Chesterfield 5

Corners: Dale 3 Chesterfield 2

Freekicks: Dale 11 Chesterfield 16

Booked: Dale: Stanton; Chesterfield: Downes, Hartley, Ward

Referee: C Oliver

Attendance: 3,108

Man of the match: Nathan Stanton’s defending deserved a clean sheet