Rochdale 1 - 2 AFC Wimbledon (after lightning strikes floodlights and stops play for half an hour)

The floodlights go out after being struck by lightning

2 More Image(s) In Gallery

Rochdale tasted defeat at home for the first time since February after a weather affected game against AFC Wimbledon. Youth team product Jamie Allen volleyed his first ever senior goal but Dale were pegged back early in the second half. A 26 minute delay after a floodlight was hit by lightning disrupted Dale’s flow and soon after the game restarted The Dons got the winner after a mistake by Josh Lillis.

After defeat last week, Hill’s men were looking to maintain their unbeaten start to the season on home soil.

The game took quite a while to really ignite but when Done appeared to be felled inside the area on 31 minutes, most inside the ground were expecting the referee to award a penalty. Instead, Mr Williamson gave a freekick to Wimbledon and booked Done for simulation.

Dale took the lead on 34 minutes with a wonderful team goal. Olly Lancashire’s 50 yard diagonal pass picked out Henderson who in turn found Rose. The left fullback put a wicked cross into the danger area where Lund was on hand to head the ball back across the face of goal for Allen to volley home.

Seconds after scoring his first, the Dale youngster should have doubled his and Dale’s advantage. A long ball from the back eluded the visiting defence but found Allen who raced at goal but fired a weak shot straight at Worner.

On the stroke of half time Henderson shot over when well placed after good work from Done.

Hill’s side started the second half on the front foot and went close just 90 seconds after the re-start. Allen nicked the ball around his man tight on the touchline before picking out Lund. The former Stoke man was closed down quickly as he released Henderson but he shot over.

Dale would live to rue those missed chances as The Dons got level on 54 minutes. A freekick on the right was whipped in and when the home defence didn’t clear, Sammy Moore was on hand to smash home the leveller.

The game was an even affair after that with both side going close. Done saw his low shot saved by Worner whilst Pell for the visitors shot narrowly wide.

The rain had been on and off all afternoon but with just short of 25 minutes left to play, a wonderful spectacle of an electrical storm started to appear over Blackstone edge. Thunder and lightning distracted most inside the ground but as the storm headed over Spotland, a flash of lightning struck the floodlight tower at the Sandy Lane/Wilbutts Lane end of the ground; knocking all lights off inside the stadium.

With the players taken off the pitch by the referee, the engineers worked to restore power and after a 26 minute delay the game continued albeit with just three working floodlight towers.

Lund had a glorious chance to restore Dale’s lead but headed over from two yards out and that miss would prove costly as minutes later Wimbledon sealed the win.

Another set piece wasn’t dealt with by the home side with Lillis spilling the initial ball in before defender Frampton powered home from inside the area.

Lund stopped an almost certain goal with the last kick of the game when he superbly tackled substitute Sainte-Luce as he raced away with only Lillis to beat.

Defeat makes it back-to-back losses for Keith Hill’s men and will now turn their attention to cup action with two cup games away from home in the next 10 days starting with Torquay away in the FA Cup next Saturday.

Rochdale fans showed support to former midfielder Joe Thompson who this week was diagnosed with cancer. The 24 year old will begin chemotherapy on Monday but the Dale fans burst into spontaneous applause and chanting of Joe’s name in the 15th minute of the game; 15 being Thompson’s shirt number when he was at Spotland.

Keith Hill said: “I’m disappointed in the manner in which we conceded the two goals. Basic elementary errors are costing us. They cost us at Dagenham last week and again today they have cost us.

"Individual players will play or not play based on the decisions they make during games. Today individual players haven’t made the right decision, which has allowed the opposition to score on both occasions. The players are paid to defend the set piece and they haven’t done it.

"I was expecting a clean sheet today but from two set pieces we have been let down.

"The stoppage can affect both sides. The score was all square but it was fair and even. We had to remain focused and we did, just before they scored Lund should be scoring.”

Attendance: 2,483

Rochdale: Lillis, Rafferty, Lancashire, O’Connell, Rose, Henderson, Lund, Done (Vincenti 69), Allen (Hogan 62), Dicker, Cummins (Hery 73)
Subs: (not used) Thomson, Eastham, Bennett, Tutte

Wimbledon: Worner, Fuller, Kennedy, Moore, Frampton, Bennett (c), Francomb (Sainte-Luce 82), Pell (Sheringham 82), Smith, Sweeney, Porter
Subs: (Not used) Brown, Fenlon, Weston, Moore, Midson

Referee: Mr I Williamson
Assistant Referees: Mr P Gooch & Mr P Hodskinson
Fourth Official: Mr S Lucas