ROCHDALE came from behind to dampen Cherries’ play-off preparations.

Substitute Reece Gray headed home the winner 10 minutes from time after Josh Thompson’s first-half own goal had been cancelled out by Matt Done’s equaliser on 35 minutes.

Lee Bradbury’s men will now turn their attentions to clashes against Huddersfield at Dean Court next Saturday and at the Galpharm Stadium the following Wednesday.

Bradbury made two changes to the side that drew 2-2 at Hartlepool last weekend, with Marc Pugh replacing the injured Danny Ings and Danny Hollands returning from suspension in place of Harry Arter.

Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro had the game’s first meaningful chance after just four minutes, but Shwan Jalal stayed tall to pluck his clever lob out of the air.

At the other end, the Dale back four backed off and allowed Rhoys Wiggins into space, but the Welshman’s 11th-minute shot trickled well wide of Owain fon Williams’s left-hand post.

Newly-crowned supporters’ player of the season Jason Pearce then went close from Liam Feeney’s 14th-minute corner, but the defender watched his header clip the post on the way out for a goal kick.

Hollands’s own header moments later flew narrowly over as Cherries began to boss proceedings, before Thompson’s own goal opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark.

Wiggins won a corner down the left and whipped over a teasing ball for Pearce to head home at the far post, but Thompson appeared to get the final touch.

It was no more than the hosts deserved after a dominant spell of possession, with Pearce at the heart of most of Cherries’ commitment and endeavour.

Marcus Holness was on hand to block a rasping drive from Feeney as Cherries tried to build on their lead, before Steve Lovell fired over from just outside the box after twisting and turning his way into a good position from deep.

Pugh should have done better when one-on-one with fon Williams 10 minutes before the break, with the Dale keeper getting a foot on the Lancastrian’s weak shot.

And Cherries were made to pay for that missed opportunity just seconds later when Done levelled matters for the visitors.

The Dale midfielder unleashed a left-foot drive from around 20 yards that nestled in the bottom corner and left Jalal with no chance.

Donal McDermott, meanwhile, went off injured two minutes before half-time and was replaced by Ben Williamson.

Cherries, though, started the brighter after the restart, with Anton Robinson’s venomous right-foot shot from distance turned round the post by fon Williams.

Hollands was then denied by Thompson’s block as Bradbury’s men camped in the visitors’ half, while Lovell’s strike just before the hour mark was deemed offside.

Chris O’Grady headed over after good work from Scott Wiseman down the right, before Lovell’s shot at the other end was deflected into the side netting.

Fon Williams’ got down well to keep out Adam Smith’s snapshot 18 minutes from time as Cherries pushed for a winner, with Feeney in particular causing endless problems for Joe Widdowson down the right.

Robinson’s 76th-minute piledriver was beaten away by the impressive fon Williams, before substitute Gray handed the visitors a fortuitous lead on 80 minutes.

The 18-year-old headed home his first goal for Dale unchallenged after being played in by fellow sub Nicky Adams.

It couldn’t have been simpler for the teenager and the amount of time and space he was given to find the target would have set the alarm bells ringing in Bradbury’s mind ahead of Saturday’s play-off semi-final first leg against the Terriers.

A number of Cherries supporters, meanwhile, disgraced themselves following the final whistle.

Despite being repeatedly told not to go on the playing surface by officials due to Saturday’s impending clash, a few hundred invaded the pitch from the Steve Fletcher Stand and the East Stand.

Cherries: (4-4-1-1) Jalal; Smith (Fletcher, 80), Cooper, Pearce, Wiggins; Feeney, Robinson, Hollands, Pugh; McDermott (Williamson, 44); Lovell (Purches, 80).

Unused subs: Arter, Molesley, Cummings, Thomas (g/k).

Dale: (4-4-2) fon Williams; Wiseman, Josh Thompson, Holness, Widdowson; Done, Jones, Barry-Murphy, Atkinson (Adams, 61); Akpa Akpro, O’Grady (Gray, 74).

Unused subs: Joe Thompson, Flynn, Williams, Edwards (g/k).

Booked: Barry-Murphy, Gray.

Referee: Gavin Ward (Surrey).