Three Wise Men?

Rochdale AFC 3 - 1 Accrington Stanley FC

Journey:

Happy New Year. Christmas is over - well almost...

There is the small matter of that weird bit they tack on at the end which nobody really understands. 6th January - Epiphany. Apart from being tricky to say after a few festive sherry's - it marks the official date for the visit of the Three Kings - or if you prefer - Three Wise Men to the baby Jesus. Out of interest, it also marks the day when Christmas gifts are exchanged in Russia - I imagine this is so that they can take advantage of the January sales.

...and that is what everybody remembers - that the wise men brought good gifts. Gold, frankincense and myrrh. Or in modern currency - a Rolex, Chanel No. 5 & Armani Diamonds. The bible is somewhat mute on what the shepard's turned up with a few weeks earlier - but my money is on a family sized bag of Maltesers, a pine scented magic tree and a sack of charcoal - or whatever they could pick up at the local equivalent of Texaco.

Now I expect that at some stage someone has told you a variation on the theme of the 'Why didn't they have the first Christmas in Rochdale?' story. If you have missed out on this comic gem, the punchline is :- 'because they couldn't find three wise men and a virgin'.

Hysterical...

However, in our own very small way; Myself, Mr. Keane and Mr. Turner would seek to redress the balance in some measure today. And before you ask - we are doing the wise men bit - not the other bit. Well, Mr. Keane and I won't be doing the other bit.

By now the more observant of you will have realised the journey to Spotland today was completely uneventful - hence I had to create this rather over-elaborate pre-amble. The unvarnished facts were that I arrived twenty minutes early, Mr. Keane arrived just as the game kicked off and Mr. Turner had talked Mr. Culshaw into giving him another run out on hospital radio, no doubt to the unalloyed delight of the agued and maimed of the Borough.

You've got to wonder how this is all going to pay off really...

Weather:

Dreary.

Food:

Last week I made merry about the fact that the pie supplier at Port Vale sponsor the 4th officials board - which we were reminded of every time it made an appearance. Therefore imagine my self conscious embarrasment when it became clear that the match sponsor at Spotland today would be:- Clayton Park Pies - Rochdale's pie supplier. I was so humilliated that I had two meat and potato pies. I may never truly get over it.

Away Support:

This really doesn't make any sense to me. Apart from the Shakers, Stanley are pretty much our closest neighbours. Yet they only bring 2-300 to the game. In the away fixture there were over 1000 Dale fans at the Crown Ground. I do understand that their home gate is not fantastic - but considering that they would have to travel less distance than many people would cover to buy their weekly shopping - surely they would make the effort. Surely.

Action:

The big news today was that Will 'Shaker Maker' Buckley would be back in the starting line up. Apparently he has been suffering from the flu. Personally I don't buy it. Is it coincidental that players linked with moves away from clubs tend to succumb to flu as the transfer window opens? I think not.

Worryingly, Tom Kennedy was reported to be suffering from 'flu' over Christmas. Watch this space I guess. All that said, it is good to have the Shaker Maker back in the side for however long it may last. We have been missing something lately - perhaps he has brought something today.

At this point we turn to the first of our wise men. Mr. Keane. As he settled into his regular perch he made a prediction:

'We will get battered in the first half. They will score. We will get a penalty - and convert it. It will be 1-1 at half time. In the second half we will score 2 or 3. Job done.'

Now, I don't make predictions - I never have and I never will. But the words of 'Mystic Keane' certainly chimed with the facts of previous meetings with Accrington - and as events would prove, alarmingly on the button for today.

Accrington did indeed start much the stronger of the two teams. Stanley are a big, physical team who are not afraid to assert themselves. Don't misunderstand me - they are not thugs - they play some very tidy, incisive football - but they do put teams under instant pressure. Rochdale were not handling it well.

Misplaced passes, players caught in possession, second to the loose ball - not Dales best work by a long way. The only crumb of comfort Rochdale could take away from the first twenty minutes was that for all the pressure they were generating, Accrington had not managed to convert any of it into goals. But it had been a very close run thing.

We were definitely in need of something - enter the Shaker Maker.

Buckley picked up the ball just inside the Accrington half and proceeded to twist, turn, dazzle and bamboozle as he slipped past one Stanley player after another. Onward and onward he rolled - bursting into the Accrington box where he shaped to finish off a breathtaking few seconds of skill and endeavour. Having seen quite enough of this a red shirted defender decided to intervene - rather clumsily as it turned out - Mr. Webster had little option but to point to the spot. St. Adam once again did the honours. 1-0 Dale.

I would have felt embarrased that we had taken the lead against the run of play. But I didn't really get time. From the kick off Stanley carved Rochdale asunder - slicing straight through the midfield - the danger seemed to have been averted when a challenge from McArdle felled Gould on the edge of the area - but the ball broke loose and Miles pounced to blast it past Russell.

It really was a good job that Mr. Webster had already blown for the foul by McArdle. Off the hook - again. Well, not for long.

Cavanagh despatched the freekick goalwards and courtesy of a flick off LeFondre's head - it was in the back of the net. 1-1.

Half time was something of a mercy. The balance of the first half had seen a very lacklustre Rochdale side narrowly fend off Accrington. Stanley would leave the field feeling justly agrieved to have what looked like a very good penalty claim turned down after Rundle had palpably handled the ball.

Time for another wise man I think. Cue Mr. Turner.

I had sent him a text enquiring after his expert opinion on the progress of the game so far. He bluntly replied that Rochdale would win 3-1. Perhaps this was bravado - everything I had seen so far pointed to a pretty ignominious defeat - but he did seem very certain and there was Mr. Keane's prediction to consider as well. Perhaps it would all come good afterall.

Stanley began the second half strongly and but for a great tackle from Wiseman could have been justly in the lead. Encouragingly however, Rochdale seemed to have bucked their ideas up a bit as well. To underline the point, after ten minutes, they took the lead again.

LeFondre had won the ball on the edge of the Accrington area and fed it out towards Rundle who skipped round his defender and flashed the ball into the the area.

At this point - I introduce my final wiseman. Me.

As Rundle's pass sped into the box Mr. Keane was fulminating on the topic of why LeFondre hadn't gone back into the area - but more importantly, who indeed was Rundle's pass meant for? I raised my arm and pointing at the on-rushing black and blue shirt simply said - 'him'. Will Buckley gambolled into the area and clinically side footed the ball past Dunbavin in the Stanley goal. 2-1 Dale.

Buckley's goal proved to be something of a watershed. From that point Accrington looked like men who had been involved in some horrible travesty of justice - their hearts just didn't seem in it anymore.

The final insult came in the form of Kallum Higginbotham who had spent a month on loan at Accrington earlier in the season. On 87 minutes having twisted and turned his way through the Stanley rearguard, he cooly despatched a low drive under Dunbavin's body and into the back of the net. 3-1 Dale.

Prophesies fulfilled.

Summary:

Will Stanley feel cheated after today? - probably. Did they deserve better? - probably. Do I care? - no.

I have lost count of the number of times I have watched Rochdale dominate a game only to lose. I consider today a long overdue Christmas gift. I plan to enjoy it.

I am however a little concerned that Mr. Keane and Mr. Turner got clairvoyance for Christmas. I got a coat and some DVD's. Typical.

Turner Watch:

I am fairly sure that Kenneth Wolstenholme is spinning in his grave.

3/01/09