Rochdale 1-0 Blackpool

Att 4,186

Jones 79'

After a slow start Blackpool started to create a few half chances, the best coming to Paul Simpson on 6 minutes. Simpson couldn't recreate the magic of last week and saw his free kick comfortably saved by Rochdale keeper Neil Edwards. Before that Tony Ellis tried his luck against his former club with an early shot on goal. Like his Spotland counter-part Pool Keeper Phil Barnes matched the shot with an easy save.

However the ball was in the net for Rochdale around the 20-minute mark. Defender Mark Monington headed past Barnes from a cross from the left hand side. But Monington was denied by the referee, disallowing the goal for a foul on Brian Read.

Minutes after Pool could easily have taken the lead themselves. A cross from the right hand side by Steve Bushell was won by top-goal scorer John Murphy in the box. And when the ball dropped to Paul Simpson you would have bet him to smash the ball into an almost empty net. But Simpson's guided chip was just over the bar and Rochdale survived.

Around the hour mark, perhaps it should have been 1-0 to Blackpool when Brett Ormerod failed to finish the chance of the match. After picking the ball up 40 yards out, Ormerod skipped past Mark Monington and should have done better when he slid the ball wide of the post with the keep to beat.

Eventually the break-through was made by Rochdale on 79 minutes. Veteran midfielder Mark Ford delivered a perfect cross toward the penalty spot for Gary Jones to rise and head past Barnes. After hanging on for so long, the question now was whether Pool could create a goal of their own in the remaining 10 minutes and steal a point.

But unfortunately for Pool, they didn't find an equaliser and a few half chances was as close as they got. In-form Rochdale carry on their impressive run and climb up the table whilst Pool drop back into the bottom half of the table and have it all to do.

Team: Barnes, Coid, Hills, O'Connor, Reid, Clarkson, Bushell, Simpson, Collins, Ormerod, Murphy. Subs (non used)Kennedy, Jaszczun, Newell, Wellens Thompson