Momentum hit by defeat at Pompey
JAKE Beesley’s goal in stoppage time proved no more than consolation as Fratton Park proved once again an unhappy hunting ground for Rochdale.
Positive results against Lincoln and Peterborough had restored hope that Dale, bottom of the division, could yet escape the relegation trapdoor.
Manager Brian BarryMurphy explained before the fixture at Pompey how he’d been keen to maintain the momentum built up in those previous two games – the question on supporters’ lips was whether or not that was possible after a 13-day break in play due to international call-ups.
There was one change to the side that lined-up against Peterborough United 13 days earlier in Dale’s last fixture before the international break, as Kwadwo Baah came in for the injured Stephen Humphrys. Pre-match progress reports on the likes of Ryan Mclaughlin, Matt Lund and Jimmy Ryan had all been positive – but the latter pairing were never going to be ready in time for this fixture.
The habit of conceding early goals is one Dale have struggled to shake off for several months and their preparations for dealing with Pompey were dealt a blow just five minutes in when the visitors took the lead.
Williams opened the scoring after just five minutes, when he slotted home from close range from a Marcus Harness ball in from the right.
A goal to the good, Pompey passed the ball patiently around the pitch and probed for a second, Harness causing problems with his jinking runs just as he’d done in the reverse fixture at the Crown Oil Arena.
It should have been 2-0 with 20 minutes on the clock when a measured pass from Curtis sent Michael Jacobs free on goal. With only Bazunu to beat, he struck narrowly wide of the upright.
Jacobs tried again with an acrobatic effort from a Callum Johnson cross, but was unable to guide the ball on target.
However, Pompey forged the two-goal cushion they sought towards the end of the half as their dominance in possession paid off.
There were seven minutes of the half remaining when Curtis collected a pass from Jacobs and advanced into the box, capitalising on hesitancy from Paul Mcshane to challenge him before angling a precise low strike right into the bottom corner.
Rochdale finished the half strongly and soon after going two down, Ollie Rathbone had a shot from 25-yards blocked while Jake Beesley had a chance cleared off the line.
The Dale forward latched onto a long ball over the top and lifted it up and over Craig Macgillivray, but there was a last-ditch clearance by a Portsmouth defender to ensure the home side went into the interval with their two-goal lead intact.
Early in the second half Bazunu got down well to intercept Lee Brown’s low cross/shot at his near post, before a double
Rochdale substitution followed in the 53rd minute, as Aaron Morley and Haydon Roberts replacing Conor Grant and Mcshane.
Conor Shaughnessy turned a Matty Done cross wide of the upright in his last action of the half, as he made way for Stephen Dooley soon after.
The hosts’ Callum Johnson then fired an effort well over, while back up the other end, Beesley had a low behind.
A fourth Dale change followed in the 82nd minute, when Alex Newby came on for Jimmy Keohane.
Newby was involved almost immediately after his introduction, delivering a dangerous ball in from the right that Macgillivray had to come to collect under his cross bar.
With a minute of the 90 shot defended remaining, Morley struck over from 20-yards, but it was in stoppage time that Dale halved the deficit, as Beesley turned home Newby’s low ball from the right from close range.
Rochdale have shown on many occasion this season that are capable of staging late-come backs, but time was against them at Fratton Park and they were unable to find an equaliser in the dying moments.