Rochdale travelled to Swansea City and managed to come back with a point thanks to Rickie Lambert's last minute equaliser. Dale remain in 10th place and just 2 points outside the playoffs. Full match report and player ratings online now.

Rochdale looked to have been beaten, 2-1 down, creating few chances with both teams down to 10 men, that was until of course, Rickie Lambert stuck one up the jacks-ies!!! (Credit goes to messageboard user R17ALE!).  Rochdale managed to sneak a point right at the end thanks to a scruffy Rickie Lambert goal making it 2-2 after Holt had put Dale ahead in the first half.  Swansea equalised early on in the second half with a Grant Holt own goal then making it 2-1 to Swansea.  Both teams were reduced to ten men though when Lee Trundle and Paul Tait were both sent off in the first half.

Steve Parkin had Wayne Evans back from suspension and Neil Brisco and Neil Edwards both back from injury but he didn't make any changes to the team that beat Northampton Town on Tuesday night.  Matt Gilks was in goal, we had a back four of Jamie Clarke, Tony Gallimore, Gareth Griffiths and Alan Goodall.  We had a three man midfield of Scott Warner, Gary Jones and Rickie Lambert and the usual forward line-up of Leo Bertos, Paul Tait and Grant Holt.  Neil Edwards, Wayne Evans, Neil Brisco, Ernie Cooksey and Leighton McGivern were on the substitutes bench.

Swansea started the game very well and looked to attack a nervous looking Rochdale side from the start and could have taken the lead early on.  With around 12 minutes gone, Paul Connor took advantage of a poor pass by Scott Warner and he put Lee Trundle in who looked odds on to score but Matt Gilks pulled off a superb save to stop Mr "I love DVD's."  The ball went out for a corner and one of the Swans defenders almost put the home side in front with a header from the corner but it just went over.

Just 5 minutes after that and former Dale front man Paul Connor had a chance to put the Swans ahead.  Trigger tried his luck with a shot that Matt Gilks did well to save and keep the scores level and ten minutes later Swansea went close yet again in what seemed to be all one way traffic when Adrian Forbes went close with an effort that Gilks again managed to save and just a minute after that, Swansea had a great chance and in truth, it should have been 1-0 without a doubt as he went through one on one with Gilks but the Dale stopper yet again kept the scores level with a first class save!

Rochdale then broke for their first real attack of the game on the half hour mark and guess what, we went 1-0 up through it!  The ball was played up to Paul Tait who nodded the ball onto Grant Holt who beat the offside trap and went through one on one with Gueret in the Swansea net and he got to the edge of the box before pulling the trigger and smashing the ball past Gueret and into the back of the net for his 22nd goal of the season sending the Dale fans into mass celebration!  "Same Old Holty, Always Scoring!" was the cry from the away fans and the message to the Swansea fans was a Bullseye style "Lets see what you could have signed!"

Just 7 minutes later and there was more to cheer about for Rochdale as Swansea's best player and leading marksman Lee Trundle was given a red card for going in two footed on Dale utility player Jamie Clarke and then he seemed to kick out as well leaving the referee with no real option but to send him off.

That wasn't the last time the red card would emerge from Trevor Parkes' pocket as he showed the red card to Dale striker Paul Tait and for a period of about 10 minutes after it, we were still none the wiser as to why he'd been sent off!!!  It finally came through that he had been sent off for "Slapping" a defender though I saw absolutely nothing and Mike Brookes on BBC GMR was going mad at the decision as well.  Nonetheless, he'd been given his marching orders and it was 10v10.

Dale's leading scorer was lucky not to be sent off when he pushed over a Swansea player just a minute after two had been sent off.  Luckily, he didn't pick up anything by the joke of a referee.  He was later booked for something that was never ever a bookable offence but that summed up Parkes' reffing performance!

Grant Holt went close just before the half time whistle with a header but he failed to increase the scoreline and the teams went in for the half time break.

Whatever Kenny Jackett said at half time, it worked for Swansea as within a minute of the second half, they were level thanks to a good strike by Andy Gurney.  He ran from his right back position and from around 20 yards out he smashed it across Gilks and it flew into the far corner to make it 1-1.  It did seem to go through Gilks rather than have him stretching but we were a long way from the other end.

With 50 minutes gone, Swansea were 2-1 ahead.  It seemed bizarre at the time and I mentioned it to someone I was stood with who also heard it but the fans behind the goal at the opposite end were chanting what sounded like "Holty! Holty!" and from the cross that came in immediately following that, he scored an own goal when he deflected the ball past Gilks at the near post with his attempted headed clearance!!!

Paul Connor had a great chance to widen the gap further when he was put through but he couldn't control the ball properly and had to make do with an effort on the turn which he ballooned high into the stand.

Rochdale were struggling to get back into the game but did create a few late chances, the first of which fell to Dale skipper Gary Jones.  Rickie Lambert crossed to the edge of the box where Jones was left unmarked and Jones attempted the first time volley which he got wrong and the ball went wide of the post.

With 10 minutes to go, I thought we'd equalised but it somehow managed to stay out leaving all Dale fans in disbelief.  Ernie Cooksey had been introduced for Scott Warner and the Marty from Shameless look-alike managed to get a cross in from the left but his cross took a big deflection which steered the ball goalwards and over the head of Gueret but the ball came off the post and straight to Gary Jones who was about 3 yards out and he headed goalwards but it was brilliantly blocked by Gueret and the 2-1 scoreline remained!

Leighton McGivern was brought on for Leo Bertos who had once again been poor away from home.

I thought that was our last chance to get something from the game but I was wrong.  Another goalmouth scramble ended up with Ernie Cooksey having a clear shot on goal with a volley that seemed destined for the bottom corner but he somehow missed the target and hit the side netting instead which again left the travelling Dale support with their heads in their hands.

Steve Parkin made a final substitution and it saw someone called Neil Brisco come on.  We were informed that he was actually a signing that Parkin made at the beginning of the season and had been abducted by aliens or something, anyway, he replaced Tony Gallimore as Dale looked to attack.

Swansea had a very good chance at the end when a powerful shot came in from the edge of the box but Gilks produced another excellent save to keep it out!

As far as I was concerned we'd lost from then on, that was our last chance and luck was totally against us.  WRONG!!

With the board for stoppage time about to be held up, Dale sneaked an equaliser!  Holt broke down the left for Dale and squared to the substitute Brisco who should have shot but he didn't have a clue what to do and it ended up with him taking the ball wide and scrambling a cross in which Lambert attacked and bundled over the line to send the Dale supporters into absolute madness!!!!  The final whistle sounded and the game was drawn 2-2 thanks to Lambert's last minute goal.  A point was a great result and the journey back was a much more pleasant one that the one there!

Dale face two very tough games now as they host Scunthorpe United on Saturday and then travel to Southend on Good Friday and if we come through those games in a decent position, well who knows, Cardiff may be on the Holiday list this season!

Player Ratings:

Matt Gilks 7 Made several excellent saves but his kicking was awful and nearly cost us a couple of times

Jamie Clarke 6 Not bad but I'd prefer Evo back

ALAN GOODALL 8 Superb I thought.  Showed great full-backery (word courtesy of R17ALE!) and bombed forward very well though his crossing was a little off at times

Tony Gallimore 7 Not bad at all from Galli on the whole though he gave away possession a few times

Gareth Griffiths 7 Battled very well but was up against a very strong attack

Scott Warner 6 Battled as usual but didn't have much luck

Gary Jones 7 Better from Jones but he should have scored at the end

Rickie Lambert 7 Another goal and a decent performance from Lambert

Leo Bertos 5 Poor, didn't get into the game at all

Paul Tait 6 Only on for 38 minutes before he was sent off

Grant Holt 7 Good game for Holt who scored one (two if you count the O.G) and help set up Lambert!

Subs:  

Ernie Cooksey 7 Had a big impact when he came on and created two clear cut chances

Leighton McGivern 6 Don't think he touched the ball after he came on

Neil Brisco 6 Put the final cross in for Lambert's equaliser

Photo: Action Images

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