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Photo: Alan Howarth

GET BACK... Athletic forward Chris Taylor tries to hold off Rochdale defender Craig Dawson.

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Rochdale 1, Athletic 1
A BRIGHT start faded away to leave Rochdale the dominant force in this derby clash, but any lingering disappointment has to be put firmly into context.

A point at Spotland — on a bitterly cold day, on a pitch patently unfit to play professional football on and against a side well-equipped physically to deal with those challenges — represents a positive result for Athletic, who now move into sixth place in npower League One.

Had you offered up a play-off spot in December to anyone connected to the club at the start of the campaign they would have left you one hand short.

Such heady heights were unimaginable after the dross of last season.

Yet the feeling is, this young team are capable of even more.

Putting on a performance which lasts 90 minutes now has to be the goal of manager Paul Dickov and his coaching staff, as in patches Athletic have shown the potential — realised in recent 45-minute showings against Huddersfield and Exeter — to blow away all-comers.

Here, Rochdale were on the receiving end of a similarly impressive show. But it was one that lasted for barely half-an-hour.

By then, Athletic were a goal to the good thanks to Cedric Evina’s first strike in professional football, a smart side-footed shot from 20 yards after a neat back-flick by Oumare Tounkara.

On a frosty pitch, it was Keith Hill’s Dale side — without a win in a month — who were feeling the cold.

As Chris Taylor dropped into the no-man’s land between midfield and attack to link the play, Dickov’s men snapped into tackles in packs and were playing with a familiar confidence.

Dale Stephens and Tounkara had shots blocked in the area as the visitors piled forward with gusto, Aidan White had a low skidding effort saved by goalkeeper Josh Lillis.

Kieran Lee’s cross from the byline fell agonisingly between Tounkara and Evina to allow Scott Wiseman to clear.

It was one-way traffic and, after Evina had celebrated by giving his manager a bear hug, Athletic appeared to be well-set for a victory which would have propelled the team up to third in the table on a weekend in which most other sides were involved in FA Cup second-round ties.

On the hunt for his third goal in as many matches, White headed over after arriving at the far post to meet Evina’s cross as Rochdale stuttered, searching for options that weren’t there and giving the ball away regularly.

Hill’s men clearly needed a spark to haul themselves back into the contest.

And it was provided by on-loan Scunthorpe striker Bobby Grant.

Spinning on the ball to create room just outside the area, the 20-year-old curled a lovely left-footed effort barely a yard wide of the far post with ’keeper Dean Brill well beaten.

The strike served to give Dale belief and the equaliser followed soon after.

Nicky Adams made a clever run behind full-back Paul Black and was found by Scott Wiseman, before having time to pick out a low cross which the visitors were hesitant to react to, allowing substitute Matt Done in to score from close range.

Jean-Yves Mvoto was forced into the first of two excellent flying blocks to prevent Adams from scoring barely a minute later.

And as the danger continued to be focused down Athletic’s left wing, the big French centre-back was present again to hurl his body in front of Grant’s shot after Wiseman had skipped his way beyond Evina.

Half-time provided Athletic with a chance to regroup and to try to re-establish control of the game through their passing game.

But it was Rochdale who continued to be in the ascendancy, with their robust approach — Chris O’Grady was particularly effective in holding up the ball — far more suited to the conditions.

Good defending from Black saw him intercept Done’s cross with Adams ready to pounce, and O’Grady flashed a drive narrowly high and wide as the impressive home team pressed at the start of the second period.

Grant could be forgiven for blaming the state of the pitch for his crucial slip after being sent in on goal by O’Grady’s flick 10 minutes into the half.

And just after the hour, the movement of Dale’s front three again caused problems as O’Grady played a ball over his own head and into the path of the leaping Adams.

Bang in front of goal, the former Bury player headed down and forced an excellent diving stop by Brill.

Stephens failed to test replacement goalkeeper Matty Edwards with a free-kick which was directed straight into the wall following a substitution of the Dale custodian.

But the vast majority of the attacks were coming from Rochdale, who were working the channels to good effect and taking the quality — or lack of it — of the pitch out of the equation.

Dale captain Gary Jones struck a brutal shot which Brill tipped over after Lee’s poor clearance, while Done’s drive was deflected wide by Black as the home team searched for a winner.

Substitute Dean Kelly jumped in recklessly on Done and will have been relieved to see a yellow card as the clock ticked down.

And though the home supporters felt Mvoto should have seen red for hauling back Grant with seven minutes to go, the Dale striker had appeared to make the initial foul. Mvoto received only a yellow and Athletic hung on to pick up a useful point.