skip to content

  • Kick-off: 17:35
  • Venue: Darlington Arena
  • Attendance: 8057
  • Referee: Armstrong, P

Live Commentary

90 mins

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

90 mins

Goal!! Darlington have scored with Ian Miller putting it in the back of the net.

90 mins

The referee has booked Gary Jones.

87 mins

Alan White is being taken off, Ian Miller has come on in his place.

82 mins

Chris Dagnall is being taken off, Adam Le Fondre has come on in his place.

79 mins

Darlington are replacing Ben Parker with Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu.

74 mins

Adam Rundle is being taken off, Ben Muirhead has come on in his place.

70 mins

Goal!! Rochdale have scored with Chris Dagnall putting it in the back of the net.

66 mins

Nathan D'Laryea is replaced by Marcus Holness.

64 mins

Tommy Wright is replaced by Neil Wainwright.

46 mins

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

45 mins

The ref has blown his whistle for half time.

28 mins

Goal!! Darlington have scored with Jason Kennedy putting it in the back of the net.

0 mins

It's 5:35pm on Saturday, May 10th, the match has kicked off.

Match Report

Darlington substitute Ian Miller grabbed a vital last-gasp winner for Dave Penney's side as the Quakers edged out Rochdale 2-1.

But Dale will still fancy their chances of making the League Two play-off final after a blistering display in the north-east heat.

Despite the importance of the game neither side showed any nerves in a busy opening to the match. Darlington attacked from the first whistle, but a cross from defender Ben Parker was too deep.

Rochdale keeper Tommy Lee had to be at his best in the seventh minute when saving a shot from Scott Wiseman and he then denied Rob Purdie three minutes later.

In between those two efforts, Dale striker Chris Dagnall had seized possession from Alan White and from 20 yards saw his curling shot beat keeper David Stockdale and then crash against the crossbar.

The game settled down after the frantic start and, in the 28th minute, the deadlock was broken when Quakers midfielder Jason Kennedy fired a curling right-foot drive into the top corner of the net from the edge of the area.

There were further chances for both sides in a pulsating opening 45 minutes. Darlington defender White headed a corner from Parker narrowly wide in the 33rd minute and then, two minutes later, Dale captain Gary Jones fired well wide from a good position.

Darlington striker Tommy Wright headed over in the 47th minute as the hosts looked to increase their lead and give themselves a cushion going into the second leg at Spotland.

Dagnall again went close in the 54th minute when he burst into the area but failed to hit the target and then Darlington were unfortunate when Wright hobbled off in the 64th minute.

Six minutes later Rochdale were level when Dagnall's shot took a wicked deflection which left Stockdale wrong-footed.

In the final ten minutes Darlington lost two more players when Parker and White went off with leg injuries.

However, substitutes Neil Wainwright and Miller combined in stoppage time. Miller headed in Wainwright's free-kick from six yards to give Darlington a narrow advantage.

Darlington Team

Rochdale Team

Darlington

Rochdale

Corners

8 5

Fouls

9 8

Goal attempts

9 10

Shots off target

4 4

Offsides

1 3

advertisment

advertisement