FULL TIME: Accrington Stanley 2 Rochdale 4 (From Lancashire Telegraph)

FULL TIME: Accrington Stanley 2 Rochdale 4

4:54pm Saturday 20th March 2010 in

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ACCRINGTON Stanley squandered a two-goal advantage and saw star striker Michael Symes sent off as they slipped to a home defeat against League Two leaders Rochdale this afternoon.

Stanley had the better of the first half without creating many clear cut chances, with Symes forcing a good save from Dale's on-loan Blackburn Rovers keeper Frank Fielding.

At the other end, Jason Kennedy turned the ball over from a good position just before the interval.

But Stanley took the lead in the 61st minute when Billy Kee played in Symes, who calmly beat Fielding.

It was 2-0 just four minutes later, with Kee again the provider with a slide-rule pass for John Miles to cleverly dink the ball over the keeper.

But Rochdale snatched a goal back within 60 seconds as Gary Jones turned home from six yards after getting on the end of a pull-back from Chris O'Grady.

And it was 2-2 with 18 minutes remaining as Jones' low shot from outside the area was deflected past a helpless Dean Bouzanis by the unfortunate Luke Joyce.

Both sides were then reduced to 10 men as Symes and Rochdale's Jason Taylor were shown straight red cards for a scuffle on the ground.

Rochdale then completed their comeback in the 83rd minute when former Stanley loanee Kallum Higginbotham played in O'Grady, who found the far corner.

And Higginbotham added an extraordinary fourth from the halfway line in injury time, firing into an empty net after Bouzanis' clearance had been partially blocked by Chris Dagnall.

Stanley: Dean Bouzanis, Tom Lees (Sean McConville 86), Phil Edwards, Darran Kempson, Dean Winnard, Andy Procter, Jimmy Ryan, Luke Joyce (Chris Turner 80), John Miles (Bobby Grant 80), Michael Symes, Billy Kee. Subs not used: Ian Dunbavin, Johnny Flynn, James McCarten, John Mullin.

Rochdale: Frank Fielding, Scott Wiseman, Nathan Stanton, Rory McArdle, Tom Kennedy, Jason Taylor, Jason Kennedy (Kallum Higginbotham 63), Gary Jones, Joe Thompson (Ciaran Toner 79), Chris Dagnall, Chris O'Grady. Subs not used: Kenny Arthur, Craig Dawson, Marcus Holness, Matt Flynn, Tope Obadeyi.

Referee: Graham Salisbury (Lancashire).

Attendance: 3,025.