Last-gasp blow
IT was a painful return to League One action for Rochdale, who were denied a point at promotion-chasing Wycombe by a 94th-minute penalty.
Having seen their FA Cup adventure end at St James’ Park in midweek with defeat to Newcastle, Dale looked to maintain their fine league form since the turn of the year when they travelled to Adams Park to face a home side who had seen a seven-point lead at the top of the table whittled away in the previous three weeks.
Gareth Ainsworth’s team went into the clash looking to arrest the slide and maintain their place among the play-off places, while Dale were determined to stay on an upward curve and put breathing space between themselves and the drop zone.
There were three changes to the line-up which had kicked off the FA Cup game in the north east four days previous.
Goalkeeper Jay Lynch kept his place in the side having been brought on as a half time substitute against Newcastle for the injured Robert Sanchez. Paul McShane, who signed an 18-month deal with the club on Friday, started in central defence while Calvin Andrew played up top, new loan signing Tyler Smith set to join up with the squad on Monday this week.
Dale created the first opportunity of the game when a corner was cleared as far as Jimmy Ryan and he forced Ryan Allsop into a good save to his left side with a well-struck effort.
McShane put in a fine block to deny Josh Parker, before Ian Henderson curled an effort narrowly over the bar at the other end.
It was Henderson who broke the deadlock in the 19th minute though, when he closed down Allsop’s clearance which hit the Dale skipper’s back and ricocheted into the back of the net.
Darius Charles sent a looping header onto the roof of the net in reply, before Henderson’s firsttime effort was stopped by Allsop.
The hosts equalised in fortuitous circumstances just after the half hour mark, when Jason McCarthy’s cross looped over Lynch and in at the far post.
Andrew had a good chance to put Dale back in front before the break, but his glanced header from Stephen Dooley’s corner went narrowly wide of the far post.
After the interval, Nick Freeman and Parker sent efforts off target for the Chairboys, before Rhys Norrington-Davies low cross got stuck under the feet of Henderson on the edge of the six-yard box before being cleared for Dale.
From the resulting corner, McShane headed Ryan’s clipped cross into the arms of Allsop at the back post, before Andrew sent a looping header onto the roof of the net.
McShane made a heroic block to deny Adebayo Akinfenwa, and it looked as though both sides would have to settle for a point until Luke Matheson brought down Paul Smyth in the area.
Jacobson stepped up and sent Lynch the wrong way, securing the points that kept Wycombe in second place.
Dale, meanwhile, remain in 18th place, six points clear of the relegation places, though Tranmere in 21st have a game in hand.