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Brentford 0 - 2 Rochdale

Richard Partington
1/ 4/2008

FOLLOWING on from Chris Dagnall’s Easter Monday hat-trick heroics, another substitute came off the bench to earn the plaudits and steer Rochdale towards another valuable victory.

Lee Thorpe’s Dale career began in earnest on Saturday when he headed home Simon Ramsden’s cross in the 77th minute, slamming the roars of ‘Brentford reject’ back down the throats of Griffin Park supporters as he hammered a nail in the Londoners’ faint play-off hopes.

As for Dale’s ambitions, they remain firmly on track. With competition for places as hot as it’s been for several months, the hangover from Glenn Murray’s departure is clearing.

The sight of Dagnall back in Dale colours has given the squad a genuine pick-me-up, and while he played a quieter cameo role here, there were heroes aplenty to see Dale home.

Rochdale came under the cosh in the opening minutes as the Bees looked to strike early.

Gary Jones cleaned up at the back when Brentford broke forward two minutes in through Glenn Poole and John Mousinho, while Tommy Lee came a long way out of his area to stop Nathan Elder in his tracks when the striker broke clear.

Elder wasted a clear scoring opportunity in the eighth minute when Poole’s lofted pass forward beat Nathan Stanton, the Brentford man snatching at his shot and slicing it wide.

How Brentford would rue that wasted opening.By the 13th minute Dale had settled, and they went close to an opener when Adam Rundle’s cross was met by Rene Howe whose header from a tight angle struck the crossbar.

Lee pulled off a terrific reflex save when Elder’s deep cross was volleyed on target by Poole. The shot was deflected off Ramsden and Lee reacted well, palming the ball to safety.

Alan Connell’s attempted lob over Lee, on the half-hour mark, lacked quality, the striker feeding on a flick on from Elder but sending a weak effort into the arms of the Dale keeper.

Rochdale kept plugging away themselves and as ever looked strong on the counter-attack, Jones having a decent effort from the edge of the area saved by Simon Brown.

But Brentford shaded the first half.

Lee got under a freekick from Poole and spilled possession inside his own six-yard area, retrieving the situation by quickly smothering the loose ball.

Into the second half, and there was an increasing sense that the first goal would be decisive.Poole had the first effort of note, striking a shot along the ground from just outside the area that Lee dealt with comfortably.

Rundle sliced a shot high and wide, while Poole tested Lee with a long-range freekick in the 66th minute, and Connell volleyed over after a neat turn on the edge of the area.

The contest was in something of a lull and in need of a spark – and Rochdale provided it in the 77th minute.

Substitute Lee Thorpe spread play with a fine pass out to Ramsden on the right and the fullback picked out the striker’s run into the area with a top-class cross, Thorpe looping a header over goalkeeper Brown from 12 yards.

Chris Dagnall almost scored a second, glancing Ben Muirhead’s cross just too high from six yards.

Elder had a late chance to level when a goalmouth scramble ended with Lee grounded and the ball at his feet four yards out, the Bees man blazing over the crossbar.

Rundle wrapped up the win in time added on when he miscontrolled Muirhead's pullback but recovered to slide the ball past Brown.

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

Rochdale: Lee, Ramsden, Stanton, McArdle, Kennedy, Basham (Muirhead 53), Perkins, Jones, Rundle, Howe (Dagnall 67) Le Fondre (Thorpe 53). Subs not used: Holness, Button

Match facts
Attempts at goal: Brentford 11 Dale 5
On target: Brentford 4 Dale 4
Corners: Brentford 1 Dale 3
Freekicks: Brentford 11 Dale 10
Referee: S Attwell
Attendance: 4,896 (371)