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  • Kick-off: 15:00
  • Venue: Spotland Stadium
  • Attendance: 2344
  • Referee: Sutton, G

Live Commentary

90mins

That's it, it's all over, the referee has blown the final whistle.

85mins

Alan Goodall is replaced by Paul Tait.

77mins

Rickie Lambert is being taken off, Blair Sturrock has come on in his place.

66mins

John Melligan is being taken off, Ashley Vincent has come on in his place.

65mins

Damian Spencer is replaced by Steve Guinan.

53mins

Goal!! Rickie Lambert scores for Rochdale.

46mins

The second half is under way with the score currently at 0 v 1.

46mins

Rochdale are replacing Tommy Jaszczun with Ernie Cooksey.

45mins

Half time whistle is blown by G Sutton

37mins

Goal!! Cheltenham have scored with Damian Spencer putting it in the back of the net.

28mins

It's red. He's off. Neil Brisco has been sent off.

0mins

It's 3pm on Saturday, August 13th, the match has kicked off.

Match Report

To some extent the game was spoiled by the dismissal of Neil Brisco for a foul on Jamie Victory after 27 minutes. It looked a bit vicious but Brisco went wholeheartedly for what looked like a 50-50 ball, missed the ball and got Victory's shins.

To make matters worse Rochdale conceded a goal nine minutes later when a shot from John Finnigan out on the right was stopped by goalkeeper Matthew Gilks, but the goalkeeper could not hold on and the ball spilled to Damian Spencer who turned it into the net.

Up to this point, and even with only ten men, Rochdale looked capable of getting on the scoresheet with the energetic Grant Holt always in the penalty area action, but forever out of luck, made the Cheltenham defence tremble more than a little.

Cheltenham had their first-half moments too with Kayode Odejayi causing one or two flutters in the home defence and Spencer constantly on the prowl looking for another.

Rochdale's moment of respite came in the second-half when Rickie Lambert did 'a Beckham' and curled the ball into the corner of the net past the clutching right hand of goalkeeper Shane Higgs.

Higgs' work was not yet done as Rochdale went all out for a winner with their depleted front row down to the one-man frontline of Holt.

Several times Holt went close, and several times he was thwarted by Higgs.

There were fun and games at the other end to, and substitute Steve Guinan should have had a couple of goals and Grant McCann also went very close. But some splendid keeping by Gilks kept Cheltenham out.

Rochdale

Cheltenham Town

Corners

26

Fouls

99

Goal attempts

1614

Shots off target

135

Offsides

60

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