Dale lost for the first time at Spotland since November as Bradford came away with a 3-1 win.

The Bantams went ahead inside the first ten minutes when Matt Clarke fired home from close range before Chris Dagnall equalised on the stroke of half-time.

Dale had some pressure in the second half but two late goals from Robbie Threlfall and a superb strike from Gareth Evans gave Bradford a surprise 3-1 victory.

Keith Hill named an unchanged side despite the impressive cameo appearances of Jason Kennedy, Kallum Higginbotham and Andrew Haworth on Saturday against Dagenham and Redbridge. Frank Fielding was in goal, with Scott Wiseman, Craig Dawson, Nathan Stanton and Tom Kennedy making up the back four. Jason Taylor and Gary Jones were in midfield, with Will Atkinson and Temitope Obadeyi on the wings. Chris O'Grady partnered Chris Dagnall up top. Former Dale right-back Simon Ramsden was in the Bradford starting eleven and captaining the side following his summer move to the Bantams.

Dale's early goal on Saturday showed a signal of intent to the opposition that Dale were in the mood for the ninety minutes of football ahead and another early goal would have been the aim tonight.

However, the first effort of the game fell to Bradford through Gareth Evans who fired from range, but Frank Fielding was equal to it and picked up easily.

That was a signal of intent from Bradford themselves and in the 10^th minute they took the lead. A corner from debutant Robbie Threlfall was flicked on by James Hanson towards goal with Frank Fielding doing well to keep it out. However, the ball only went out as far as centre-back Matt Clarke who blasted home from six yards.

After Dale took an early lead on Saturday they were pegged back almost immediately and Keith Hill's side could have done exactly the same when Gary Jones went clear of the Bradford defence. Chris Dagnall played a great ball into the path of the Dale skipper who became one-on-one with Bradford 'keeper Matt Glennon, but Jones' effort ended up way over the crossbar as he wasted Dale's best chance of the game so far.

Bradford were looking especially dangerous from set pieces and Matt Clarke came close again from a Robbie Threlfall corner as his header looked to trouble Frank Fielding for a moment before rolling out for a goal kick.

It was the away side who were having the better of the opening stages with Dale only looking like threatening from set pieces, and Tom Kennedy forced Matt Glennon into a fine save with a troubling free-kick from distance as he was forced into conceding a corner.

That was a rare chance for Dale and Bradford were still looking the most likely to score as they had a number of efforts to double their lead within the opening half an hour. James Hanson put an effort on the slide just wide of Frank Fielding's right post after a square ball from Michael Flynn, before Flynn himself came close to scoring Bradford's second.

On the turn on the edge of the area he hit a half volley which looked set to dip into the Dale goal, but a finger tip save from Frank Fielding denied him a wonderful goal. The referee signalled a goal kick much to the annoyance of the Bradford players - especially Flynn.

Chris O'Grady tried one of those efforts himself when he tried a shot from 25 yards, but his effort didn't trouble Matt Glennon in the Bantams goal.

Dale began to get more of a foot on the ball as half-time approached and started to play the football they are capable of. However, Dale's pressure didn't tell until the stroke of half time when Chris Dagnall scored his first goal since mid January to equalise for Dale.

Chris O'Grady did well to use his strength to hold off Steve Williams before driving into the box and picking out Chris Dagnall who was running in. The initial ball looked to be behind Dagnall but he was able to rearrange his body and fire a shot at goal which was too hot to handle for Glennon as the ball squirmed into the back of the net for a timely equaliser.

Dale were still pressing as half-time came to a close, with Keith Hill's side wishing they could have another five or ten minutes to try and take the lead. But the half did come to a close with Dale level at 1-1 to set up the second half well.

The second half began with Dale dominating as they looked to take the initiative in the second period and take the game to Bradford. Dale were pressing but couldn't create a clear opportunity which prompted Keith Hill into bringing Kallum Higginbotham on for Temitope Obadeyi on the right hand side.

The first real chance of the half fell to Chris O'Grady from a corner kick. Tom Kennedy crossed to Will Atkinson who flicked the ball to the back post where O'Grady was, but on the stretch his effort went over the bar.

Keith Hill made another substitution a few minutes later with Andrew Haworth coming on for Will Atkinson on the left side.

There were not many chances for either side as the second half progressed, with two half chances falling to Bradford. Lee Bullock had a shot which was deflected into the arms of Frank Fielding, whilst James Hanson really should have put his side back in front.

A Craig Dawson error allowed him in and almost too casually he placed the ball wide when he had much of the goal to aim at.

Then came a sucker punch to Dale. Robbie Threlfall won a free kick on the very edge of the area which he got up to take and he did so, with the ball coming back off the bar, hitting Frank Fielding before rolling back over the line. It was unfortunate for Dale but it was a deft effort from Threlfall which put Bradford back in front.

With time running out Dale would need an instant response and they almost provided one when a Kallum Higginbotham cross from the right found the head of Chris Dagnall, but he directed it straight at Matt Glennon.

Dale needed to find an equaliser from somewhere, but as they threw men forward Bradford came forward and killed the game off in style. James Hanson nodded the ball down to Gareth Evans on the edge of the box who caught the ball perfectly on the half volley, sending the ball like an arrow into Frank Fielding's top corner, giving the Dale stopper no chance.

This really signalled the end of the game for Dale and even four minutes of added time couldn't produce anything for Dale and referee Chris Sarginson brought the game to an end to the odd sound of cheers from the away stand at Spotland.

It's onto Macclesfield at Moss Rose now as Dale look to get back to winning ways.

Dale: Fielding, Wiseman, T Kennedy, Dawson, Stanton, Taylor, Jones, Atkinson, Obadeyi, O'Grady, Dagnall.

Bradford: Glennon, Ramsden, O'Brien, Flynn, Clarke, Bullock, Evans, Williams, O'Leary, Hanson, Threlfall.

Referee: Chris Sarginson (Staffordshire). Assistant Referees: Paul Davison (Cleveland) & Gavin Muge (Bedfordshire). Fourth Official: Ryan Johnson (Manchester).

Attendance: 3,055.