Jimmy Keohane and Conor Grant scored either side of half-time, before Jordon Garrick’s consolation goal to give Rochdale a 2-1 win at the Crown Oil Arena.
First-half:
Hallam Hope carved out the first chance of the game when Paul Caddis’ lofted cross pass was flicked on by Scott Twine.
Hope picked up the ball on the corner of the box and tried a curling effort towards the far post, although it scuffed the roof of the net.
Five minutes later, Town went close again as Jack Payne cut out a loose pass in midfield and fed Twine. The youngster turned and hit a dipping shot that was turned round the post via a deflection.
It was on twelve minutes when Rochdale took the lead after a Ryan McLaughlin cross wasn’t properly dealt with. The clearance landed at Jimmy Keohane’s feet, who curled a fine effort in off the post.
Despite the set-back, Town still remained confident their equaliser would come. Payne carried the ball from the half-way line and cut in on his favoured left foot, only for his strike to be stopped by Jay Lynch.
Payne had a golden chance to equal the score just before the half-hour mark when he robbed Stephen Dooley in the Dale penalty area, shot low, but Lynch managed to toe it away from danger.
Lee Camp did the exact same down the other end when Jake Beesley’s flick fell to the feet of Ollie Rathbone, but the winger’s strike was well saved by Camp.
Twine tried this luck from a 35-yard free-kick with ten minutes remaining in the half, which looked to trouble Lynch, who parried and Osho managed to clear.
Second-half:
Dooley registered the first shot of the second period when he fired low towards the bottom corner.
Camp made a smart stop, the rebound headed in by Beesley, but the assistant referee had his flag raised and the goal was disallowed.
Payne again tried his best to grab the game by the scruff of the neck, when he fed in Pitman, whose shot went high and wide into the stand.
After the hour mark, the hosts doubled their lead through Conor Grant. Dooley found Beesley on the edge of the box, whose shot was parried by Camp into the path of Grant to tap into an empty net.
The hosts again went close through their first scorer Keohane, but his effort curled too high to worry Camp.
With only a few minutes to go Town did pull one back, although it was only a consolation. Payne’s trickery allowed him to cross in to an on-rushing Jordon Garrick, who tucked the ball into the corner.
Town now travel to fellow strugglers AFC Wimbledon on Saturday and are in dire need of a win to have a chance of survival
