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Rochdale 4 Notts County 2

Richard Partington
8/ 4/2008

Rochdale went five points clear of eighth-placed Chesterfield with a 4-1 victory over struggling Notts County at Spotland.

An accident on the motorway before kick off meant Keith Hill was forced to make last minute changes to his starting line up. Rory McArdle, Nathan Stanton and Ben Muirhead were all too late to start the match, replaced by Nathan D’Laryea, Marcus Holness and Joe Thompson just minutes before the game kicked off. McArdle was named among the substitutes, the other two missed out completely.

Rene Howe came in for the injured Lee Thorpe, ruled out with a dead leg.

Despite the late changes it was a positive start from Dale, Kallum Higginbotham in particular. He sent Howe driving down the right wing after winning a header against Michael Johnson, and while he missed out on Howe’s centre, the ball ran through to Adam Rundle whose shot was charged down.

Rundle from a freekick and Howe with a 25-yarder were too high while Howe’s clever lay-off for Gary Jones was cut out by Neil Mackenzie.

Howe was close to connecting with a fine Rundle cross on 26 minutes before County had their first attempt of the night, a 30-yard drive from Ryan Jarvis which bounced awkwardly in front of Lee, the goalkeeper making light work of the catch.

Stephen Hunt appeared to handle the ball in clearing his lines in the 34^th minute, referee Whitestone not spotting the foul and waving play on – it was one of several suspect decisions in a poor first half from the official.

County had perhaps the best chance of the half in the 36^th minute. Jarvis’ cross was headed clear of Jason Lee by Marcus Holness, the ball falling kindly back to Jarvis who, eight yards from goal and in a central position, should have done better than strike straight into Lee’s midriff.

Rochdale had another handball decision truned down four minutes from the break when Howe’s shot was blocked by the grounded Johnson with what appeared to be his hand. Again referee Whitestone frustrated the Spotland crowd.

Within a minute of the restart a Jones effort was deflected on target by Howe, but the striker was unable to get any purchase on the shot and Russell Hoult saved.

Rundle hit a decent effort after cutting in from the left, Hoult again saving.

D’Laryea, in his first league start for the club, made a superb interception in the 55^th minute to deny Danny Crow a shooting chance.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 58^th minute when Higginbotham and Kennedy combined, the ball being worked wide left to Rundle who returned it to Kennedy. The fullback cut inside his marker and crossed for Howe, who made the most of Hoult’s hesitation to thump home a header.

Both David Perkins and Rundle, twice, went close to adding a second as County heads dropped in the immediate aftermath of the goal.

Rundle had a third bite of the cherry and succeeded, netting the second goal in the 70^th minute. He cleverly brought the ball under control on the edge of the area, beating his marker in doing so, before striking a low shot that took a defelction on its way into the net.

Notts County got back into the game in the 72^nd minute with a goal from nothing. Substitute Myles Weston took off on a mazy run down the left, drifting into the box before squaring for Lee who slid the ball in at the back post.

Dale’s two-goal advantage was restored in the 78^th minute with the pick of the night’s efforts. Good defending from D’Laryea ended a County break and the ball was worked upfield to Adam Le Fondre. He spread play to Howe on the right and immediately raced into the opposition area for the return ball. Howe’s cross was perfectly weighted, Le Fondre’s run timed to perfection and his header equally so, directed wide of Hoult.

Richard Butcher was close with long-range strike but the game looked up for County and even more so in the 84^th minute when Johnson’s back pass eluded Hoult and rolled into the net.

A foul by Simon Ramsden on Spencer Weir-Daley gave County some consolation in the 90^th minute, Neil Mackenzie scoring from the spot.

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

Notts County: Hoult, Canonville, Edwards, Mackenzie, Hunt, Crow (Weir-Daley 87), Butcher, Johnson, Jarvis, Corden (Weston 65), Lee. Subs not used: McCann, Parkinson, Silk

Attendance: 2,536

Referee: D Whitestone