Rochdale managed to stay in fourth place last night despite losing their second game on the trott to Lincoln City who did have help from the officials. Full report along with player and official ratings online now.

Dale went into the game having lost their last game and with the hope of getting back on the winning track.  It didn't work out that way, in fact, it was quite the opposite.  Rochdale came off the pitch at 4:50pm with no points, a crowd unhappy, ten men, and a complete and utter idiot walking behind them with the assistance of the Special Events stewards.  Oh and not forgetting a 2-1 scoreline in favour of Lincoln City Hoofball Club.

Steve Parkin made changes to the side that lost 3-1 away at Posh last week and was also without Warren Goodhind.  Rory McArdle started in the place of Jon Boardman with Ernie Cooksey coming back into the side with Jamie Clarke reverting to right back.

They weren't the only changes to match personnel as referee Clive Oliver was replaced the day before by a Mr Russell Booth who didn't have the best of games in fairness.  Actually, when I say he didn't have the best of games, I mean he was one of the worst referees I've had the misfortune of watching.

Rochdale looked a bit rusty right from the first whistle and Lincoln had chances to go ahead even earlier than they did but couldn't take their chances.

With quarter of an hour gone, Lincoln did take the lead and it was far from pleasant if you were a Dale supporter because it was a soft goal that should have been dealt with by Matt Gilks and Tony Gallimore.  Dean Keates crossed in from a corner right into the middle of the six yard box but it went past Tony Gallimore and Gilks wasn't for moving off his line and as a result, Marvin Robinson was left with a free header to make it 1-0.

Ernie Cooksey was lucky to escape a red card when Alan Goodall went in for a tackle with Keates but there seemed to be a stamp on Goodall which resulted in Ernie going over and kicking up a fuss.  A mini-brawl broke out between a few players and Ernie attempted a head butt during it and I feared the worst.  Goodall was booked, Keates only received a yellow and so did Cooksey.  Another showing that the referee hadn't a clue how to referee this game.

Fifteen minutes later and the referee made himself well and truly known, as did his assistant in front of the away supporters.  Gareth Griffiths came up for the corner but his marker had hold of him meaning he couldn't move and Griffiths pushed him away to break free and up went the linesmen's flag.  The referee, Mr Russell Booth, who hadn't seen anything at all, went over to see what he wanted, pulled Griffiths to one side and showed him a red card.  Shock and disbelief was the reaction of all the home supporters and Steve Parkin and Gareth Griffiths.  It beats me how the linesmen can see something from 50 yards away yet the referee saw nothing wrong from 10 yards away.  The other linesman who was also nearer than the one who flagged saw nothing.  The linesman claimed he saw an elbow from Griffiths which is just completely untrue and he's made an absolute howler.  I'm actually boiling with frustration as I write this report when I think about it. 

It wasn't long before it was 2-0 to Lincoln.  Another poor defensive show cost us the goal with Gilks getting some blame again for very slow reactions.  The ball should have been cleared but Dale couldn't get rid and the ball fell to Nat Brown at the back post who managed to prod the ball home somehow.

That was game, set and match as far as I was concerned but Rochdale did try and get back in the game after that and they did have the chances to do so.  Grant Holt went close on several occasions but Marriott was in fine form and kept his first effort out and he narrowly missed the target twice before the break.

The half time whistle blew and it was a half Rochdale would like to forget.

Rochdale made one change for the second half as Scott Warner replaced Lee Cartwright with Dale operating with a three man midfield as Goodall dropped to left back.  The second half belonged to Rochdale though they couldn't quite do enough to get a point out of the game.

Gareth Griffiths wasn't the only one to get sent off for Rochdale as Rochdale's mascot, Desmond the Dragon was even sent to the stands for verbal abuse aimed at the referee.  Desmond came and stood with us in the Sandy Lane but whatever he said, I think he was justified!

Grant Holt was causing all sorts of problems and Rickie Lambert also had an effort which could have gone in but unfortunately for Rochdale they were kept out.

With nine minutes of the half gone, Ernie Cooksey got Rochdale back in the game when he poked the ball past Marriott who was grounded after Grant Holt forced a good save from him.  Suddenly there was a hope of actually getting something out of the game and the Dale fans could sense it was possibly and got behind the team brilliantly.

With fifteen minutes left, Blair Sturrock came on for Rickie Lambert.

Ernie Cooksey tried to get Dale the equaliser they so desperately wanted but Marriott again was on hand to keep his effort out.

The talking points weren't over because Grant Holt was involved in an altercation with Paul Morgan as the two went up for a header.  Morgan all of a sudden realised that the referee would give him whatever decision he wanted and went down holding his face in an attempt to get Grant Holt sent off.  It was quite simply blatant cheating and if Lincoln fans have to witness that every week, I really feel sorry for them because it's a disgrace.  A freekick was given against Holt but no card was given.

It wasn't long before Holt was booked though and YET AGAIN, another horrendous decision from a totally incompetent referee.  Holt chased down the ball stuck his foot out to try and control the ball before the defender got their, never got anywhere near the defender yet the referee booked him for dangerous play.  I'd not seen a worse referee at Spotland in years.  He should be struck off the referee's list like Danson was last season in my view.

The game finished 2-1 with Lincoln time wasting in the corners for the remaining five minutes.  A truly awful set of officials which has seen Dale come away with a defeat, a potential three match suspension for Griffiths when it should NEVER have been a red card and a hugely frustrating day for all Dale supporters and staff at the game.  The referee was so bad, he had to be escorted by four stewards to even get in his car after the game.  As a request to the Football League, can you please make sure we don't have to see him again?!

Player Ratings:

Matt Gilks 5 Looked completely lost with both of their goals and should have done a lot better with both

Jamie Clarke 6 Did alright I thought, not overly bad but was substituted late on for Brown

Tony Gallimore 6 Probably our best defender overall on the day but even he should have done better for both goals

Rory McArdle 5 Came in for Boardman who was dropped after the Posh game but did no better.  Won very little in the air and didn't seem to have any understanding with Gilks

Gareth Griffiths 5 Sent off after 30 minutes but looked a little shaky when he was on the pitch

Lee Cartwright 5 Worked hard but without much success.  Was brought off at half time for Warner

Alan Goodall 6 A hard working performance from Goodall who looked a threat in the second half

Gary Jones 6 Some very wayward passing but he covered every blade of grass

ERNIE COOKSEY 6 Very poor in the first half and could easily have been sent off but the second half was a different story and he was superb.  My M.O.M, just.

Rickie Lambert 6 Didn't do too bad and received a fair bit of undeserved criticism

Grant Holt 6 Worked hard and you could see the frustration at not being able to get us back in the game

Sub:  

Scott Warner 6 Worked hard when he came on and tried to get Dale back in the game

Blair Sturrock 6 Not involved too much other than a lot of running around

Gary Brown 6 Not on long enough to make a judgement really

Officials Ratings:

Russell Booth - Referee 1 How is this guy a league referee?  Never had control of the game and completely lost the plot, I hope he was being assessed!

Nigel Smith - Linesman 1 Got his go go gadget telescopic glasses out and spotted an elbow which no-one else in the ground saw.  He managed to do this from about 6 miles away and got it completely wrong. 

Tony McGee - Linesman 6 Not bad actually, shame this wasn't the case for his mates

Photo: Action Images

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