FOOTBALL Live

Saturday May 17, 2008 Finished

2 - 1 (5-4)

Rochdale

Ravenhill 43’ (o.g.)
Perkins 78’

Darlington

Keltie 28’ (pen.)

Rochdale seal Wembley final place

Rochdale sealed their place in the League Two play-off final at Wembley with a penalty shootout win over Darlington at Spotland after having won 2-1 in normal time to pull level at 3-3 on aggregate. More

Live Commentary
Time:120'
- Rochdale
- Darlington
- - What a game! Heartbreak for Darlington, joy for Rochdale! Join us again later on to see who join Rochdale at Wembley!
- 5-4 Muirhead to win it for Rochdale... IT'S THERE! ROCHDALE ARE GOING TO WEMBLEY! Cue pitch invasion and wild celebrations!
- 4-4 Kennedy for Darlo... SAVED BY LEE!
- 4-4 Jones coolly puts Rochdale level once again!
- 4-3 Ravenhill steps up... and finds the back of the net!
- 3-3 Le Fondre... scores! Stockdale got closer to that one though!
- 3-2 Wainwright scores! Five super penalties so far!
- 2-2 Kennedy draws Dale level again! There was no stopping that one!
- 2-1 Purdie keeps his cool to put Darlo 2-1 up!
- 1-1 Dagnall equalises for Rochdale!
- Pen Here we go! Ndumbu-Nsungu gets Darlo off the mark with a super penalty past Lee!
- 120' There it is! All over and we're heading to penalties!
- 120' Just one added minute to be played...
- 118' Nearly at penalties... what a cruel way to see your promotion hopes dashed.
- 115' Nelthorpe leaves a boot in on Le Fondre... and the crowd don't like that!
- 114' Off the bar from Le Fondre! He sneaks in at the far post and cushions a neat volley onto the top of the bar!
- 111' Rundle off, Doolan on as Rochdale make a final change.
- 110' Rochdale will have to play out the remainder of the game with just 10 men!
- 109' Perkins and Foster clash in the centre of the park! And Perkins is sent off for his reaction! That's his season over!
- 106' Here we go! A quarter of an hour left!
- 105' There goes the whistle! Just 15 minutes left and still nothing can seperate these two sides!
- 103' Jaochim races clear of the Rochdale defence... chance here for Darlington! But his shot is well saved by Lee!
- 100' Kennedy whips in a lovely ball... Foster is there yet again to hack behind for a Rochdale corner!
- 99' Muirhead gets his head to a deep cross, but his effort floats harmlessly over the bar.
- 96' Oooh! White very nearly gets on the end of Purdie's free kick into the box... in the end the ball runs through to Lee.
- 94' Massive hand ball shout from the Darlington players! Ravenhill strikes the ball goalwards but Jones gets in the way! He didn't really have time to get out of the way of that one...
- 92' Oooh! Rundle is played in by Perkins... he hits it first time across the face of goal... and wide of the far post!
- 91' Here we go! An extra half an hour to be played at Spotland!
- 90'+3 There goes the whistle! And we're heading into extra time, and possibly even penalties! Aaaaggghh!
- 89' A change apiece now... Muirhead on for Higginbotham for Rochdale and Nelthorpe on for Keltie for Darlo.
- 85' Has this tie got a final twist? Time is slowly running out for a normal time winner...
- 80' Both sides are really going for it now! Off the Darlo line from a Rochdale corner!
- 80' Rochdale will fancy their chances of grabbing a winner in these final 10 minutes now! The momentum is certainly with the home side!
- 79' As it stands, we're heading for extra time!
- 78' GOAL! There it is! Rochdale take the lead on the day and draw level on aggregate! It's Perkins who lets fly from outside the box... it takes a slight deflection off Kennedy and flies right into the top corner! Incredible!
- 78' But here's Le Fondre! He bursts through and goes down! Not given!
- 77' Rochdale have lost their way a bit these last ten minutes or so...
- 76' Stockdale takes a Ramsden cross with ease... the Darlo keeper has looked a great deal more confident this half.
- 74' White goes into the book for a trip on Dagnall... he knows he deserves that.
- 72' The tension's building at Spotland...
- 71' The Darlington fans are in full voice now! They're 20 minutes away from Wembley!
- 70' Higginbotham has gone down after a collision with Wainwrigt... and he'll need some treatment.
- 69' Brilliant from Keltie! He's having a great game! He picks up on a loose ball before driving forward... a great step over sends one Rochdale defender the wrong way... but his final shot flies over the bar!
- 66' Just over 20 minutes left... time running out for Rochdale to do something.
- 63' Rochdale are building up a head of steam here... the crowd can sense a goal coming soon.
- 60' Dagnall fires over from distance... he's not been on top form today at all...
- 56' It's a suspected broken ankle for Cummins, who will undergo a scan after the game.
- 55' Rundle gets forward well down the Rochdale left... he looks for a free kick, but the ref's not having any of it and play goes on.
- 52' Darlo are forced into making a change as Cummins hobbles off... Ndumbu-Nsungu comes on to replace him.
- 49' Jones goes into the book for what looks like arguing... and then Ravenhill also goes into the book.
- 47' Oooh! Off the bar from Keltie! What a strike from the Darlo man! Lee was beaten all ends up there!
- 46' Rochdale have sounded their intent loud and clear... Adam Le Fondre is on for Rene Howe.
- 46' Back underway at Spotland!
- 45'+2 There goes the half-time whistle! And there's all to play for after the opening 45 minutes! 1-1 at the break!
- 45' Rochdale have the wind in their sails now... they're looking like scoring another before half time!
- 44' Rochdale are right back in it now! Darlington's aggregate lead cut to 3-2!
- 43' GOAL! There it is! Perfect timing! Rochdale pull level on the day! Stockdale can't hold on to a free kick... the ball spills loose and Ravenhill is forced into putting into his own net under pressure from Ramsden and Dagnall!
- 42' That's better from Dagnall though! He harries White into losing possession... still a threat, and if the hosts can get a goal back before half time, this one is far from over!
- 40' And how Howe is penalised for a foul on Wiseman... it's not going Rochdale's way at the moment.
- 39' Stockdale again makes a hash of a clearance... straight to Dagnall! But again the Rochdale striker can't make anything of it!
- 33' Wainwright will go into the book here... for a pull on Perkins as the Rochdale man looked to break.
- 32' Wiseman gets forward well and wins a corner for Darlo... they're playing well at the moment!
- 30' The Darlington fans are in full voice now! And so they should be! Wembley is inching closer.
- 29' Rochdale will have to score two now if they are to keep their hopes of promotion alive.
- 28' Keltie steps up... and fires into the top right hand corner! GOAL! Darlington take the lead on the day and extend their aggregate advantage!
- 28' Penalty to Darlo! Kennedy is pulled back by Howe in the box and the ref points to the spot! Yellow card for Howe!
- 27' Just over 25 minutes played at Spotland and Darlington still have that first leg advantage.
- 26' At the other end, Kennedy lets fly from distance! But the ball ends up in the stands as well...
- 25' Chance for Dagnall as Stockdale makes a real hash of a clearance! He's well off his line and can only stretch out a leg and divert the ball into Dagnall's path! Must be! No! He blazes into the stands behind the goal!
- 23' Someone's got a klaxon horn in the crowd, but it's obviously on its last legs and can't quite make a full rendition of the tune its owner is trying to play... it fizzles out without any fanfare...
- 21' A few 'oles' go up from the Darlo fans as they pass the ball around nicely...
- 20' Darlo doing well now to sustain a little bit of pressure in the Rochdale half...
- 18' Kennedy bursts through from midfield.... great challenge from Stanton to nip the danger in the bud!
- 14' Rochdale making most of the running early on... understandably, given they are 2-1 down from the first leg.
- 13' Rundle and Kennedy link up well down the Rochdale left now... but the eventual cross into the box wrong foots Howe and the ball is cleared to safety!
- 12' Darlington fans are heard now... it's been all-Rochdale fans so far...
- 10' Rochdale break down the other end and Rundle wins a corner! But there's a bit of pushing and shoving and the ref blows up for a free kick to Darlo.
- 8' Corner now to Darlington... it's headed clear before being pumped back in by Purdie... Lee takes withhout too many problems!
- 5' There's a great atmosphere in Rochdale today! Should be a cracker!
- 2' Real chance for Dagnall early on! But his header flies over the bar!
- 1' Here we go! Underway at Spotland!
- - Referee: Richard Beeby (Northamptonshire)
- - Darlington: Stockdale, Wiseman, Foster, White, Ravenhill, Purdie, Cummins, Keltie, Wainwright, Joachim, Kennedy - Subs: Kazimierczak, Miller, Abbott, Nelthorpe, Ndumbu-Nsungu
- - The teams are in... Rochdale: Lee, Ramsden, Stanton, McArdle, Kennedy, Higginbotham, Perkins, Jones, Rundle, Dagnall, Howe - Subs: Doolan, Muirhead, Le Fondre, Thompson, Holness
- - Hello and welcome to eurosport.yahoo.com's LIVE coverage of today's crucuial play-off semi-final second-leg clash at Spotland!
Summary
- 5-4 Muirhead to win it for Rochdale... IT'S THERE! ROCHDALE ARE GOING TO WEMBLEY! Cue pitch invasion and wild celebrations!
- 4-4 Kennedy for Darlo... SAVED BY LEE!
- 4-4 Jones coolly puts Rochdale level once again!
- 4-3 Ravenhill steps up... and finds the back of the net!
- 3-3 Le Fondre... scores! Stockdale got closer to that one though!
- 3-2 Wainwright scores! Five super penalties so far!
- 2-2 Kennedy draws Dale level again! There was no stopping that one!
- 2-1 Purdie keeps his cool to put Darlo 2-1 up!
- 1-1 Dagnall equalises for Rochdale!
- Pen Here we go! Ndumbu-Nsungu gets Darlo off the mark with a super penalty past Lee!
- 114' Off the bar from Le Fondre! He sneaks in at the far post and cushions a neat volley onto the top of the bar!
- 109' Perkins and Foster clash in the centre of the park! And Perkins is sent off for his reaction! That's his season over!
- 103' Jaochim races clear of the Rochdale defence... chance here for Darlington! But his shot is well saved by Lee!
- 92' Oooh! Rundle is played in by Perkins... he hits it first time across the face of goal... and wide of the far post!
- 78' GOAL! There it is! Rochdale take the lead on the day and draw level on aggregate! It's Perkins who lets fly from outside the box... it takes a slight deflection off Kennedy and flies right into the top corner! Incredible!
- 69' Brilliant from Keltie! He's having a great game! He picks up on a loose ball before driving forward... a great step over sends one Rochdale defender the wrong way... but his final shot flies over the bar!
- 47' Oooh! Off the bar from Keltie! What a strike from the Darlo man! Lee was beaten all ends up there!
- 43' GOAL! There it is! Perfect timing! Rochdale pull level on the day! Stockdale can't hold on to a free kick... the ball spills loose and Ravenhill is forced into putting into his own net under pressure from Ramsden and Dagnall!
- 28' Keltie steps up... and fires into the top right hand corner! GOAL! Darlington take the lead on the day and extend their aggregate advantage!
- 25' Chance for Dagnall as Stockdale makes a real hash of a clearance! He's well off his line and can only stretch out a leg and divert the ball into Dagnall's path! Must be! No! He blazes into the stands behind the goal!
- 2' Real chance for Dagnall early on! But his header flies over the bar!

Live Team Line-Up

Referee: Richard Beeby
Rochdale

Manager: Keith Hill

Captain: Gary Jones

Starting line-up
- T. Lee
- S. Ramsden
- R. McArdle
- N. Stanton
- T. Kennedy
- K. Higginbotham
- D. Perkins
- G. Jones
- A. Rundle
- C. Dagnall
- R. Howe
Subs
- J. Doolan 111′
- B. Muirhead 89′
- A. Le Fondre 45′
- J. Thompson
- M. Holness
Injured

None

Suspended

None
Darlington

Manager: Dave Penney

Captain: Stephen Foster

Starting line-up
- D. Stockdale
- S. Wiseman
- S. Foster
- A. White
- R. Purdie
- J. Kennedy
- C. Keltie
- R. Ravenhill
- N. Wainwright
- J. Joachim
- M. Cummins
Subs
- P. Abbott
- N. Ndumbu 52′
- I. Miller
- P. Kazimierczak
- C. Nelthorpe 89′
Injured

None

Suspended

None