LEE Bradbury netted a first-half penalty as Cherries completed a hat-trick of away league draws at Rochdale.

Bradbury scored from the spot on the stroke of half-time after Matt Tubbs had been hauled back by Dale defender Marcus Holness.

But Cherries were denied their first league win on the road since September when Adam Le Fondre restored parity with a well-taken goal on 67 minutes.

Warren Cummings and Marvin Bartley both returned to the Cherries starting line-up as boss Jimmy Quinn reverted to a 4-4-2 formation.

Cummings replaced Ryan Garry at left-back, while Bartley stepped into central midfield with Shaun Cooper dropping into central defence.

Cooper deputised for tonsillitis victim Jason Pearce, while Garry, who had also been laid low by a virus this week, was well enough to make the bench.

Alan Connell was also named among the Cherries substitutes, his first squad inclusion since rejoining the club at the end of August.

Goalkeeper Shwan Jalal was forced to tip over an early effort from Le Fondre before Tubbs’s deflected shot was gathered by Dale stopper Sam Russell.

The hosts made most of the running during the opening stages and Cherries were thankful to Scott Guyett’s brave block from Lee McEvilly’s 12th-minute piledriver.

Cooper’s splendid interception denied Le Fondre a second shooting chance after 19 minutes before Cherries had a double penalty appeal waved away.

Referee Graham Laws was unmoved after Dale skipper Nathan Stanton had sent Tubbs sprawling to the floor with a subtle shove in the back.

And after the ball had run free to Josh McQuoid, he was clearly impeded by Simon Ramsden as he prepared to pull the trigger, although the official was again having none of it.

Will Buckley then sliced a chance horribly wide of the target following an electrifying break from deep, which had promised better.

Dale had a flimsy spot-kick shout turned down after Adam Rundle had drilled the ball straight at Joel Ward from close range in the 30th minute.

Ramsden received the first yellow card of the match when he hauled down Bartley, the Dale defender pushing his luck too far following his escape in the penalty incident.

From the resultant free kick, taken short by McQuoid, Cooper’s low, driven effort from 35 yards forced Russell to scramble across his line and save one handed.

Referee Laws finally pointed to the spot after Tubbs had been dragged back by Marcus Holness on the stroke of half-time.

And Bradbury made no mistake when he emphatically dispatched the penalty, Russell beaten for pace despite guessing correctly and diving to his right.

Danny Hollands’s yellow card for a foul on McEvilly brought some much-needed colour to a drab start to the second period – although Cherries were not complaining.

In fact, they were almost celebrating when Bradbury rose to meet Tubbs’s hanging cross, only for the veteran striker’s header to find the grateful hands of Russell.

The imperious Cooper threw himself in front of Jon Shaw’s stinging drive to divert the Dale substitute’s effort for a corner as the hosts pressed for an equaliser.

Russell was forced to beat away McQuoid’s snapshot before Laws turned down another Dale penalty appeal for a handball against Hollands.

Bradbury’s shot-on-the-turn almost caught out Russell, the goalkeeper stooping to his right to unconvincing clutch the ball low down.

Cherries were rocked when Dale levelled in the 67th minute, Le Fondre creating space inside the 18-yard box before drilling a rasping right-foot shot into the roof of the net.

And Jalal, who had no chance with the goal, had to be on his toes to save routinely from Ciaran Toner and then superbly from Chris Dagnall.

Jalal was understandably furious with his defence after Buckley had been given the freedom of the 18-yard box to try his luck in the 75th minute, the midfielder screwing his shot wide.

Mark Molesley had his name taken for a late tackle on Kennedy before Russell again scurried across his line to save Bradbury’s free kick at the second attempt.

As Dale pressed for a late winner, headers from Shaw and Holness both failed to trouble Jalal, although the Cherries goalkeeper saved well from Buckley’s effort.

Cherries (4-4-2): Jalal; Ward, Guyett, Cooper, Cummings; Molesley, Bartley (Partington, 75), Hollands, McQuoid (Igoe, 73); Bradbury (Pitman, 85), Tubbs.

Unused subs: Connell, Garry.

Booked: Hollands, Molesley.

Rochdale (4-4-2): Russell; Ramsden, Holness, Stanton, Kennedy; Buckley, Toner, Keltie, Rundle (Dagnall, 64); McEvilly (Shaw, 57), Le Fondre.

Unused subs: Evans, Jones, Spencer (g/k).

Booked: Ramsden, Stanton.

Referee: Graham Laws (Whitley Bay).

Attendance: 2,285.