Town 2 - 2 Rochdale

Rochdale's Gracie Fields might have sung about a cobbled alley ... but it would have been a far better playing surface than the Spotland pitch, which had a huge say in the result.

Jean-Paul Kalala started the game in the only change from Saturday's victorious mission against Bury. The pitch was heavily sanded, but even so in a very poor condition.

In Rochdale's side were ex-Mariners Tony Gallimore and Simon Ramsden, and just to confuse the issue, the home side also had a Gary Jones in their team.

Kalala won the ball and sent Reddy away, but his intended pass was intercepted, and then the pitch played a part in the Mariners losing the ball, and then Rochdale doing the same. Town won a free-kick which Whittle met with his head, but immediately signalled to the bench that he had injured himself, and Rob Jones prepared to replace him.

Whittle seemed to be seeing if he could run off his injury, and then Kalala tried to pick out Jones and was inches away from a connection, then at the other end Macca could have scored an own goal but for Whittle clearing from the line.

Town conceded a corner, which was headed down well, and then the ball was blasted over.

Reddy went away and Kalala collected the ball but went down under challenge, and eventually Newey slung the ball over.

Reddy was given offside a couple of times which were very dubious, and the speedy Town man made his feelings known to the linesman. Town conceded a free-kick, and after Gallimore had driven in a cross Mildenhall did well to catch the ball which flew off the pitch at an angle.

After 22 minutes, Reddy took the ball and Jackson was tempted into a foul, for which he received just a yellow, and Toner took the penalty.

Goal!: 23:00 Toner looked to put the ball to the left of the keeper, and struck it along the ground and safely into the back of the net.

Four minutes later Mildenhall did well to save from Rochdale's Jones.

Reddy's next shot bobbled as he shaped to increase Town's lead, and the ball went towards the corner flag.

Tom Newey took the next kick, delivered left-footed but his kick was cleared to the halfway line.

Then Cohen got his shot away after a brave run through.

Futcher was booked after 34 minutes for a foul near the halfway line.

Reddy, being booed by the Rochdale fans after winning the penalty, whipped the ball past his defender and won another corner for the Mariners, but Newey's corner only found the keeper unchallenged.

Mildenhall saved Town from Christie who fired in a low shot from 12 yards and the corner was put over the top by McCardle.

The referee had a word with Jackson and Reddy, who were having a ding-dong, and the next time there was a ball towards them Jackson pushed his luck.

One minute of time was signalled, and Kalala went down with a head injury but the referee didn't stop the game and Gallimore drove into the box with another great save giving Rochdale a corner which came to nothing.

Half-time: Town 1 - 0 Rochdale

There were no substitutions at half-time.

After just 30 seconds, Reddy was put away, but was just beaten to the ball by Gilks in the Rochdale goal.

Cohen conceded a corner after 47 minutes, and Town got it away through Reddy and Toner.

Gallimore drove in Rochdale's next free-kick with the Town defence combining to get the ball out, but when it came to Cooksey he drove the ball wide.

Goal!: 51:20 A Rochdale free-kick bounced awkwardly on the rutted pitch and Mildenhall couldn't judge its bounce with Ramsden knocking in the goal against his former team-mates.

The pitch had been influencing the game for the whole of the first 55 minutes, and it was looking an untidy game. But Reddy took the ball nicely on his chest before the sand stopped it dead.

Rochdale had upped their game after their goal, and Town were coming under pressure, and then the ball hit Toner in the mud, before Rochdale's Jones had a shot blocked.

Mendes came on for Cohen after 56 minutes.

Rochdale were given a disputed free-kick, and immediately another from a more dangerous position, taken by Lambert and Whittle headed away.

There was a great cross from Reddy but no Town man could reach the ball, and then Christie broke away and won a corner off Futcher, this time with the ball clearing Town's bar off McCardle's head.

Simon Ramsden was replaced mid-way through the second half after looking to have suffered an injury.

Futcher and Whittle went up for Town's next free-kick and though Whittle nodded it down, the ball was cleared, but Town kept on the pressure and eventually Toner slung the ball over to Futcher whose header was saved, after Reddy had left three men in his wake.

Reddy had another great 60-yard run and Kalala was onto the pass driven low but his shot was blocked.

Rochdale's next corner was saved on the line by Justin Whittle as the header came in.

Reddy was booked on 79 minutes.

Reddy then brought in Toner, then to Newey and Kalala, back to Reddy who beat four men, dragged the ball back, played the ball in, and ...

Goal!: 81:04 Bolland just outside the box took his time and buried the ball into the right hand side of the net.

Town won a corner when Gilks slipped, but Cooksey got it away as far as Bolland, with Town playing it around on a difficult surface.

Christie tried to beat Mildenhall with a powerful left-footed shot.

Steve Parkin took off Doolan and replaced him with Dagnall.

Newey took Town's next free-kick and Kalala picked it up as the ball was cleared by the Rochdale defence, and then Reddy won a corner. Gary Jones went to the corner flag and eventually Macca won a corner off former colleague Gallimore.

Town had another free-kick with just seconds of normal time left and Reddy got his shot off, only to see Gilks divert it for a corner.

Three minutes of time was added.

Lambert and Newey clashed as the ball was played towards the Town goal and Newey was booked.

Gilks took the free-kick, but Futcher got in a terrific header, and Macca pumped the ball forward unceremoniously, and when it came back in Newey diverted the ball over his own bar.

Reddy was replaced by Rob Jones.

Goal!: 92:48 A last gasp equaliser resulted from the corner and the ball was bundled into the net from Lambert.

Full-time: Town 2 - 2 Rochdale