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Rochdale 2 Bradford City 1

Richard Partington
1/ 4/2008

Having scored the winner against Bradford at Valley Parade earlier this year, Adam Le Fondre came off the bench to repeat the act at Spotland and earn Dale the three points in a high tempo clash against Bradford City.

Injured Rene Howe was replaced up front by Saturday’s goal hero Lee Thorpe while Adam Le Fondre dropped down to the bench and Kallum Higginbotham returned from injury, starting up front.

It was an amazing start for Dale and as early goals go, they don’t come any quicker than David Perkins’ effort just 29 seconds into the match. The midfielder worked a yard just inside the Bradford area after good work from Adam Rundle and Gary Jones on the left. Perkins sent a low angled shot across Scott Loach and into the far corner to raise the Spotland roof on what was already a charged atmosphere inside the stadium.

A wonderful freekick routine from the visitors unzipped the Dale defence in the seventh minute, Eddie Johnson collecting a chip forward over the backline and shooting wide of Tommy Lee only to see his effort strike the woodwork.

It was high tempo stuff from both teams in the opening 15 minutes, Dale going close again when Thorpe glanced a header just off target from Simon Ramsden’s freekick.

Intricate passing moves and pacy breaks forward bore testament to the confidence with which Dale were playing, though their second almost came courtesy of a stroke of luck, Ben Muirhead’s cross taking a deflection off Paul Heckingbotham and forcing Loach to back-peddle and tip over the bar.

Perkins was over the top with a couple of strikes from outside the area while Rundle was causing all kinds of problems to the Bantams on the left. On the half hour mark he cut inside and had a decent shot deflected wide of the far post.

Ramsden earned a booking for a bodycheck on Kyle Nix but this time the set-piece was less than impressive, Johnson blasting high and wide.

Tom Kennedy was on target with a 25-yard freekick while Rundle wasted a good opportunity when he met Higginbotham’s lofted pass with a volley but was unable to keep it down.

Jones made a great block to protect Lee’s goal from a Joe Colbeck shot just before the break as Bradford ended the half stronger, though Dale came close to a second when a breakaway led to Muirhead shooting across the face of goal but wide of Loach upright.

City’s came close to a leveller late on in the half when Colbeck’s cross was headed narrowly wide by Barry Conlon.

Dale had a reasonable penalty claim six minutes into the second period when Ramsden’s low cross towards Thorpe was blocked by the grounded David Wetherall, apparently with the hand, but referee Andy Haines waved play on.

Not so at the other end when Kennedy’c challenge on Colbeck just inside the area was mis-timed and rightly penalised. Peter Thorne calmly levelled from the spot on the hour mark, punishing a rare rash challenge from the fullback.

Chris Dagnall, who came on just before the City equaliser, had his first sight of goal in the 63^rd minute, Rundle’s pull back setting him up for a strike at goal that flew over the crossbar.

Thorpe almost turned in Perkins’ pass to the near post but was unable to wrap his foot around the ball.

Rundle had a great chance to edge Dale ahead again when he raced on to Ramsden’s deep cross but shot the wrong side of the post from a tight angle.

Perkins was a whisker away from goal of the season when he collected the ball 25 yards out, flicking it into the air and volleying inches wide of Loach’s top corner – a fine effort.

The winner came in the 86^th minute when a throw-in from the right was flicked on by Thorpe and substitute Adam Le Fondre was on to it in a flash, whipping a snapshot across Loach into the bottom corner.

City almost levelled again in time added on when Mark Bower's header thundered against the bar and Conlon almost scored when the ball was returned into the area. Dale held out, though, and moved into seventh place in League Two.

Rochdale: Lee, Ramsden, McArdle, Stanton, Kennedy, Muirhead (Dagnall 57), Jones, Perkins, Rundle, Thorpe, Higginbotham (Le Fondre 80). Subs not used: Holness, Basham, Button

Bradford City: Loach, Heckingbottom, Wetherall, Bower, Johnson (Moncur 91), Nix (Rhodes 74), Penford, Colbeck, Thorne (Medley 80), Conlon, Starosta. Subs not used: Williams, Evans.

Attendance: 3,811

Referee: Andy Haines