Another fine display by Dale in dreadful conditions saw Dale return North with a vital point, despite being reduced to ten men during the second half.

Another fine display by Dale in dreadful conditions saw Dale return North with a vital point, despite being reduced to ten men during the second half. Things weren't helped by an incompetent referee who lost control of the game a long while before the final whistle.

This game had everything that last weeks game didn't. We had bookings, controversy, goals, sendings off, and a nine foot swan! Dale were at their batting best against a team who had won their previous five matches. Dale were full value for their point, as they coped with a confident Swansea side, an incompetent referee, adverse conditions and a home crowd baying for blood.

Dale made a couple of changes from the previous game. Holt started the game replacing mark Stuart, Andy Barlow came in for the suspended Paul Sparrow. The game started at a blistering pace, with the home side keen to take an early lead. Keith Hill was booked within the first minute for a full blooded tackle. Obviously he wasn't helped by the very wet pitch, which dictated that if you slid in for a challenge, you kept sliding. The Dale players were certainly getting stuck in. However the first chance went to the Swans who had a couple of shots blocked, but the ball fell to a player at the edge of the box who fired a shot to the left hand side of the net. There looked little doubt that it would be a goal, but Neil Edwards produced one of those saves. He flew to tip it round the post. If there were any representatives there from the Welsh FA, surely they could have been in little doubt that he should be in the national squad. Maybe we should investigate whether he has any English heritage so we can have him for England.

Dale took their time to settle, playing fairly defensively as usual, and looking for the breaks. There were a few chances for Dale as the Swansea defensive struggled with the high balls over the top, but the ball never quite fell right for the Dale forwards.

It was not long before the referee showed his incompetence. He allowed a good advantage to the home side after a Paul Carden challenge. Somehow, when the ball was out of play he decided that it was Mark Williams who was the guilty offender and produced the yellow card. This despite Carden seemingly approach the referee and admit his wrongdoing. You always felt that in the conditions that this decision would come back to haunt us.

Dale took the lead soon after following an excellent bit of play. They were knocking the ball about with some classic passing looking for the opening. The ball found its way to Jason Peake who through a mixture of battling and control knocked it past the last remaining defenders to finish it off.

Dale survived through to half time, looking quite comfortable. It was felt that the first ten minutes of the second half would dictate the rest of the game, as had been the case at Cardiff earlier in the season when we lost despite leading at half time. We started brightly enough but Swansea equalised following a cross into the middle and the ball was headed home.

After this the referee did his best to ruin the match. The main incident occurred when loanee Michael Holt tackled their left back with a strong challenge. The conditions determined that he kept sliding and he took the players legs. Fair enough it was a yellow card, but it lead to a brawl, in which he was pushed over. He made a meal of it, going down faster than a White House aide, but the rules say that if you raise your arms you have to go. The Swansea locals incensed at the tackle were throwing all sorts on to the pitch, mostly plastic bottles and baseball caps, amongst many other things, much to the apathy of the local constabulary.

The Swansea player only got booked. After that it was open season, with both teams going in for hard challenges, and players falling to the ground as soon as they were touched. Inevitably, Mark Williams was amongst the number of Dale players to get booked which lead to his dismissal for two yellow cards. He should never have been sent off, following the farce that produced the first yellow card. To be fair, Paul Carden was amongst the other players who got booked, so he should have been sent off, but would he have acted so, if he had been already been on a yellow? Who knows. Michael Holt was substituted late on for Mark Bailey following the dismissal, and was the object of attention from the fans behind the dugout, which lead to the Police surrounding the Dale bench.

Anyway, as has been the case on other times, Dale coped remarkably well with ten men and held on for a well deserved point. This sort of passion and performance should see Dale progress easily on Tuesday. Can we follow it up? We shall see.

Dale: Edwards, Williams, Barlow, Hill, Monington, Farrell, Carden, Painter (Jones), Holt (Bailey), Bryson, Peake. Sub not used LANCE KEY!

Photo: Action Images

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