ROSSENDALE brought home all three points after comfortably seeing off Kidsgrove last night.

Despite Dale's early pressure, it was the home side who opened the scoring on a rare break forward. Confusion between Phil Lockett and keeper Mark Andrews allowed Richard Eyre to nip in and roll the ball into an empty net.

But Jim McCluskie's men grabbed a deserved equaliser on 27 minutes. Damien Hindle fired in a cross which Cherry made a hash of and his palmed clearance dropped to Doni Clarke, who headed home from six yards.

Clarke then went close and Ian Barker fired wide from 12 yards before claims for a penalty were waved away as Blake Norton was upended in the box.

But Dale finally got the lead their play deserved on the stroke of half-time. Lockett made amends for his early mistake with a superb free kick, which flew into the top corner.

Dale relied on the pace and skill of Barker and Clarke to exploit the gaps left by an increasingly desperate Kidsgrove side.

With seven minutes to go Twigg hit the top of the bar with a header, but the scoring was completed in the final minute. Clarke broke free down the left, beat three defenders before cutting in to beat Cherry and round off a satisfactory night for the valley side.

KIDSGROVE ATHLETIC ...1

ROSSENDALE UNITED ...3