ROCHDALE extended their unbeaten league record to nine games with a hard-fought draw at Gillingham.

Dale were trailing to a first-half goal from Gillingham striker Simeon Jackson but a brilliant lob from Adam Le Fondre levelled the scores just after the hour.

The home side went ahead on 18 minutes when Jackson was presented with a chance he couldn’t miss.

It took a great save from Sam Russell to keep Gillingham’s first-half lead to a single goal after the home side went route one and Jackson fired a powerful shot straight at the Rochdale keeper.

Keith Hill’s side were working Gillingham hard but it wasn’t until first-half injury time when they really tested home keeper Simon Royce. He made a fantastic block on the line after Clark Keltie struck a stinging shot at goal.

Rochdale started the second half positively and Adam Rundle’s pace, which had caused Gillingham problems in the first half, created another chance but his shot was deflected and Royce smothered.

A deserved goal did come, however, when Keltie laid the ball into Le Fondre’s path and the striker’s delicate lob looped into the top corner with 61 minutes gone.

Le Fondre came close to grabbing his ninth of the season soon after, when he had sight of goal again, but his shot was saved by Royce.

The home side finished strongly, with defender Leigh Mills having a header cleared off the line after Russell had fumbled John Nutter’s free-kick.

Both sides had chances at the end to nick a win and Dale’s Thomas Kennedy had the last kick of the game, putting a free-kick from 20 yards over the bar.

Rochdale: Russell 7, Wiseman 6 (Holness 55mins), Kennedy 6, Stanton 6, McArdle 6, Rundle 7 (Buckley 69mins), Toner 7, Keltie 7, Thompson 6, Le Fondre 8, Thorpe 5. Subs: Higginbotham, Jones, Spencer.

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