Solid point after
ROCHDALE recovered from a poor start at Home Park to earn a worthy point against Plymouth Argyle.
Keith Hill’s men were behind within a minute of the kick off when Joel Grant headed home, but Matty Done equalised before the break.
Dale looked the more likely winners after the interval but were unable to convert one of several chances created.
For the fourth successive fixture Hill was able to name an unchanged side, meaning Ian Henderson notched up his 500th career appearance.
There was no celebratory feel to Dale’s opening, however, as they found themselves on the back foot inside the first minute.
Harrison McGahey was punished when his attempt to play the ball out from the back evaded his target, Callum Camps, and was seized upon by Toumani Diagouraga. His forward pass deflected kindly into the path of Graham Carey on the right wing and he skipped past Joe Bunney before clipping a cross to the back post for Grant to meet and head past Josh Lillis.
The goal did little to affect Dale’s gameplan, however, and they recovered well from the setback with Henderson seeing an effort headed behind and Brad Inman curling one wide.
Inman did find the ball in the back of the net with his next shot, a closerange effort when following up after MJ Williams’ effort was spilt by goalkeeper Remi Matthews. But Dale’s celebrations were cut short by the offside flag.
Argyle were close to doubling their advantage when Carey’s long-range free kick forced the Dale stopper into a diving save.
But the second goal went the way of the visitors with a deserved equaliser just after half hour mark.
Inman collected Bunney’s infield pass and swept play from left to right with Williams lining up a shot from distance. However, he pulled his shot and it ran fortuitously for Done, 12 yards from goal, who turned and fired low into the corner of the net.
Dale finished the first half strongly, pushing for a second with Inman’s fine approach play ending with a dragged shot wide. Plymouth also had an opportunity with Grant going one on one with Lillis but losing the duel against the Dale keeper.
The visitors made a much better start to the second half than they had the first with Done seeing an effort turned behind at the near post and then having an angled shot saved at the near post, Henderson close to capitalising on the rebound.
There was a scare for the Rochdale backline when Lillis couldn’t hold Carey’s free-kick, but he pounced on it at the second attempt, though whether or not the ball had crossed the line was the subject of much debate around the stadium.
Kgosi Ntlhe replaced Joe Bunney shortly before the hour mark, and the substitute set up Henderson with a low ball from the left, but the skipper’s shot was blocked a couple
‘They’re finding their feet, and sometimes it’s difficult when you get promoted’
of yards out by an Argyle defender.
Inman had a shot from range deflected over, and Carey fired a volley into the floor and wide for the hosts.
Steven Davies replaced