Dale see lead turned on its head by Gills

ROCHDALE’S bleak winter continued with another defeat on the road in League One, this time surrendering the lead before losing out at Priestfield Stadium.

Goals from Bradley Garmston and Lee Martin either side of the break turned the game on its head after Andy Cannon had fired the visitors into the lead.

The result left Dale seven points adrift of safety at the wrong end of the league table – unfamiliar territory for a Keith Hill side.

There were four changes to the team which had started the midweek defeat against Lincoln at the Crown Oil Arena, with the return of Callum Camps the biggest talking point ahead of kick off. The midfielder has been linked with a move away from the club during the January transfer window – whether anything could be read into his inclusion was up for debate. Matt Done, Ian Henderson and Donervon Daniels also returned to the starting XI, while loan signing Billy Knott took a place on the bench.

Gillingham started strongly with Scott Wagstaff’s deflected effort threatening to find the corner of Josh Lillis’ net until the goalkeeper got down to push the ball to safety.

Tom Eaves also tested Lillis, the Dale stopper diving to his left to keep out the frontman’s header. Eaves should had done better soon after finding himself with a clear view of the target only to shoot wastefully wide of the upright.

At the other end, Ian Henderson’s lofted attempt was saved by Tomas Holy, but it was the visitors who broke the deadlock in the 27th minute. Cannon collected the ball on the right and cut inside before sending a powerful, 20-yard strike beyond Holy.

Done had a chance to double the lead but his shot was blocked by Gaby Zakuani and then he pulled his effort on the rebound into the ground and Holy was able to gather.

The home side weathered that storm and produced an equaliser four minutes before the break. Nlthe conceded a free kick on the edge of the area for a high boot. Martin tapped the ball to Garmston and the left back blasted a low shot past Lillis.

Dale were inches from taking the lead early in the second half as Henderson collected Andrew’s flick on and his lobbed effort landed on the roof of the net. Holy then pushed a Joe Bunney effort round the post.

But it was the home side who scored the crucial third goal of the game in the 62nd minute through skipper Martin.

Substitute Elliott List did well to get a cross in from the right and Martin slammed a left-footed volley past Lillis.

Loan signing Knott and Brad Inman came on as Dale looked to salvage something from the contest.

Holy saved a powerful header from Daniels and with the visitors commiting men forward, Gillingham almost put the game to bed on the counter-attack, Josh Parker’s shot blocked as he raced through on goal.

Dale dominated the closing stages in their pursuit of an equaliser with Gillingham pressed back deep inside their own half.

Knott almost wrote himself the perfect script late on, but when presented with a gilt-edged opportunity to level in added time on he blasted a volley volley over the bar against his former club, the Gills withstanding the pressure to take the win.

Holy; O’Neill, Ehmer, Zakuani, Garmston (Ogilvie, 68); Byrne, Hessenthaler, Wagstaff (List, 46), Martin; Eaves, Parker. Subs not used: Nelson (GK), Lacey, Nugent, Oldaker, WIlkinson

Lillis; Nthle (Inman, 69), McNulty, Daniels; Bunney (McGahey, 83), Kitching, Cannon, Camps, Done (Knott, 69), Henderson; Andrew. Subs not used: Moore (GK), Rafferty,