Rochdale 1 Gillingham 1
Scorer Danny Kedwell congratulated by Bradley
Dack. Picture: Barry Goodwin
by Luke Cawdell
Gillingham stretched their lead at the
top of League 2 to five points following a 1-1 draw at
Rochdale.
George Donnelly put the hosts ahead
early in the first half, but Danny Kedwell levelled the
scores after the break.
The Gills had struggled to impose
themselves, but were far improved after the interval and an
equaliser was well deserved.
They finished the game with 10
men, however, after Andy Frampton was sent off for violent
conduct during a scuffle with just a minute of normal time
remaining.
The draw, Gillingham’s third in a row,
made it 13 unbeaten in the league away from Priestfield.
There was just one change to
Gillingham’s starting XI as Anton Robinson came in to replace
Michael Richardson, who looks like he has now returned to Newcastle
following a loan spell.
Back in the matchday
squad, following their omissions for the weekend's
game at Morecambe, were Steven Gregory and Adam Birchall.
The Gills – backed by 163 travelling
fans – had a couple of early chances for Matt Fish and Joe
Martin, but neither troubled home keeper Josh Lillis.
It was Rochdale who looked the more
dangerous early on, although it wasn’t until a goal from nothing by
Donnelly that they awoke from a slow start.
A ball forward wasn’t dealt with by
Leon Legge and, with Stuart Nelson off his line, Donnelly produced
a great finish as he lobbed the Gills keeper from 20
yards with 12 minutes played.
Soon after the Gills received another
blow as Chris Whelpdale limped off injured, to be replaced by
Charlie Lee.
The best of their first-half
chances fell to Kedwell, but he volleyed a knock-down from
Antonio German narrowly wide.
Having gone all season without
trailing away from home in the league at half-time until Saturday's
game at Morecambe, the Gills found themselves in the same
predicament for the second time in four days.
But they came out firing in the second
half and an early shot from Kedwell, at an acute angle, forced
Lillis into making a good save at his near post. A second later a
cross from Bradley Dack was only fractionally too quick for Legge,
who was steaming in.
Fish went close with a header
from a Dack corner as the Gills continued to put the pressure on
the hosts and it paid off on 56 minutes when Lee sent
Fish scampering away down the right flank and, from his cross,
Kedwell headed home for his 13th goal of the season.
German then had a good chance to put
the Gills ahead, from a Deon Burton through-ball, but Lillis
saved. Almost immediately Bobby Grant came close to putting
Rochdale back in front.
Chances were falling to both teams in
the latter stages and although the Gills dominated much of the
second half, Rochdale came into it as the game neared its
conclusion.
With a minute left a challenge from
Donnelly on Lee saw players from both teams square up and Frampton
was sent off following a shove on Grant.
Rochdale: Lillis,
Cavanagh, Cansdell-Sherriff, Kennedy, Edwards, McIntyre, Grant,
Rose, Thompson, Henderson (Grimes 64mins), Donnelly. Subs not used:
Rafferty, Barry-Murphy, Collis, Haworth, Allen, O’Connor.
Gillingham: Nelson,
Fish, Martin, Legge, Barrett, Frampton, Whelpdale (Lee 23mins),
Robinson, Dack (Allen 61mins), Kedwell (Burton 65mins), German.
Subs not used: Forecast, Davies, Gregory, Birchall.
Attendance:
1,551.
19/03/13
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