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Southport 1 - 2 Rochdale

by Jim Wilkinson
5/ 8/2008

A stunning last-minute strike from Lee Thorpe gave Rochdale a victory they barely deserved in this Haig Avenue friendly.

But an ultra-competitive work out on a fine playing surface in warm early-August conditions was just about what the fitness doctor would have ordered for Keith Hill’s side a mere seven days ahead of the stuff which really matters.

And it was perhaps encouraging that the visitors, strangely lethargic early on and possibly fortunate to come off only one down at half-time, upped the ante and showed renewed aggression by equalising soon after the break and finished strongly to seal the win.

Apart from an early Adam Le Fondre effort which curled wide of the far post after a clever pass from new man Ciaran Toner, Southport had much the better of the first half chances.

An unfamiliar defensive pairing of Scott Wiseman and Raphael Evans struggled and it was no great shock in the 11th minute when the home side’s Mark Duffy slipped a neat pass inside to Tony Gray and Sam Russell could only parry his shot directly upwards, Southport’s Michael Powell reacting quickest to collect amid the melee and stroke home through the bodies from eight yards.

Evans did well to eventually thwart Gray when a Craig Noone cross from the left initially caused him some discomfort but he was substituted shortly after, Nathan D’Laryea replacing him Evans having appeared to have picked up an injury in the incident.

Former Spotland favourite John Doolan, having a fine game, fed Noone for another wicked Cross which Gray volleyed narrowly over.

But other than a solo run into the box by Kallum Higginbotham which was blocked and a flashing drive which flew wide by triallist Gavin Rothery (ex-Leeds United), playing right midfield, Rochdale had little joy.

Rothery was replaced by Kyle Lambert for the second half and at last Rochdale started to move the ball quicker and inject more urgency into proceedings.

Clark Keltie was influential and on 52 minutes he won a loose ball and found Adam Le Fondre on the right.

The diminutive striker instantly played a clever chip inside which gave the perfectly-positioned Chris Dagnall time and space to plant past Tony McMillan from penalty-spot range for the equaliser.

But the seaside outfit from the Conference North were still in no mood to surrender any ground and largely matched their League Two opponents until the introduction of a bit more height up front in the form of Will Buckley and Lee Thorpe, on for Higginbotham and Le Fondre on 65 minutes, and Rochdale’s superior fitness began to tell.

The new front duo linked up well a couple of times and Buckley missed a couple of decent chances to notch. But despite a Robbie Booth effort testing Russell at the other end, it was a Buckley-Thorpe combination which brought the winner.

Buckley turned athletically to rifle in a shot from Simon Ramsden’s chipped pass and when Southport keeper McMillan could only beat the effort out, Thorpe coolly but expertly side-footed into the roof of the net from the most acute of angles.

Injury time saw Keltie head a corner to safety from under his bar but Dagnall might have had a flattering third but bent an effort wide.

Rochdale: Russell, Ramsden, Wiseman, Evans (D’Laryea 18), Kennedy, Rothery (Lambert 46), Keltie, Toner, Higginbotham (Thorpe 65), Le Fondre (Buckley 65), Dagnall