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Notts County FC 1 - 2 Rochdale AFC

Journey:

A butterfly flaps it's wings in Tokyo and we get rain in Rochdale: Chaos theory.

Sunderland beat Newcastle at the weekend and I get to leave Wigan at 4:30 to travel to Nottingham: My boss is a Sunderland fan theory.

In a season when I am going that extra mile (5600 to be precise) for Dale - I find myself keeping more than half an eye on the progress of the Black Cat's. I need to bring up the subject of Gillingham away shortly...

M6, A500, A50, A453 - allowing for traffic outside Nottingham I finally arrived at Meadow Lane just before 7pm.

This is game fourteen of the 101 Project. You might suppose that vast amounts of planning and forethought go into organising such a venture.

You might suppose that - but you would be very, very wrong.

Basically for away trips, I need four things.

1) A postcode

2) SatNav

3) I-Pod

4) Mobile

The required postcode is usually obtained just as I leave the house/work from the internet. Although on one occasion this season I have had to go back again - having forgotten to get it. The postcode is of course required for my SatNav.

My SatNav has a mind of her own. I say her - because she has developed a personality. Jane - for that is her name - must be treated with care and tenderness, because the alternative is pretty unpleasant.

She doesn't like to be rushed - you can't just jump in the car and demand a destination - oh no - several minutes must pass before we get to that part - she needs to prepare herself. Having allowed time for her to get ready - think carefully before suggesting a potential destination - if she doesn't like your suggestion, she will shut down and then go through an overly lengthy re-start process - after which she may reconsider your proposal, possibly. If your choice of destination is particularly offensive she will freeze solid, refusing any further instructions - you can't even switch her off - you have to wait until the batteries run out.

I have considered getting a new SatNav - but I suspect that Jane would want half of the car.

By contrast my I-Pod is a model of consistency - charge it up and away it goes. Hours of musical entertainment to bemuse and upset Mr. Keane.

The final ingredient in this technological trio is my mobile. Being a man it is obviously not used to talk to people - that would be too obvious. Texting. Texting is how away trips are organised. Endless almost vowel-less communications - where a brief phone call would probably have done the trick.

'U goin t gme m8?'

Considering these facts - it is amazing I get to any games - let alone all of them.

Weather:

The matricies on the M6 promised snow. Thankfully they were wrong - however, it was absolutely freezing. Hat, scarf, gloves and big coat required.

Food:

As this was to be a solo venture - in spite of numerous text's, both Mr. Keane and Mr. Turner had turned down the opportunity to travel to Robin Hood's back yard - I decided to ring the changes. Chicken and mushroom pie. Very cosmopolitan. Including the essential cup of hot coffee I didn't see much change from a fiver.

Ground:

There isn't much to say about Meadow Lane, it is along with Darlington about the best ground in the league. County's years at a significantly higher level of football have produced something to be very proud of. Even the toilets are nice - i.e. not awash with suspicious liquid.

That said, from my last visit to County where we were accommodated in the Kop Stand, I would find myself located in the Jimmy Sirrel Stand tonight. On balance not a bad move - a much better view was had by the 300+ Dale fans who journeyed south.

Finally, I would like to reflect on the County match program. What an excellent read. One of the best program's I have picked up this season. No aspect of the Magpies season so far was left un-disected - the section on Dale was also really good. All of this detail however means one thing - it is also the thickest program I have come accross. Practically a book. But on a bitterly cold night where you have to sit on an unsympathetic plastic chair - having a thick book to insulate your behind is no bad thing.

Action:

Having put Chester and Aldershot to the sword in the last ten days - expectation among the travelling support was pretty high. But I remember last seasons trip to Meadow Lane. Dale had been comprehensively ambushed by County and had retired back north on the wrong end of a 1-0 result. Could County reproduce that steely performance this time around?

Mr. Hill continued his practice of rotating his wingers - Rundle and Thompson would start, Buckley on the bench. From my vantage point I couldn't tell if he had been provided with a match program.

The biting cold seemed to have an effect on proceedings. The opening ten-fifteen minutes were largely inconclusive. However, once Dale got the blood flowing they began to produce the kind of football which had taken care of Chester and Aldershot.

In spite of the quality of Dale's play and a string on half chances only two efforts really troubled Hoult in the Magpies goal. A twenty yard rocket from Jones which clipped the post on the way out of play, followed by a deft header from Thompson which had Hoult at full stretch.

A decent first half - but nothing to show for it. A couple of weeks ago I would have been concerned that we hadn't scored - but the last couple of performances gave me some comfort. Plus, we hadn't conceded. This should just be a matter of time...

Far more alarmingly than the events on the pitch - as the first half unfolded it became clear that I was not in fact alone.

A text (well what else) from Mr. McCabe revealed that he and the Playboy were somewhere in the crowd. After some further texting I tracked them down at half-time. After some needless vilification of my gloves (effeminate, apparently), we agreed to sit together for the second half.

Within two minutes of the kick off, the Magpies were ahead. County's Weston had charged into the Dale box and was adjudged to have been brought down by Wiseman. Mr. Gibbs had no second thoughts about indicating the penalty spot and Forrester calmly converted the spot kick. 1-0 County.

The penalty award provoked a vigorous reaction from the Rochdale fans. It really did seem that Weston had run into Wiseman. It seemed at best a very soft decision. That said, I have seen far better shouts turned down and much weaker ones given - quite what goes on in referee's minds is at times deeply confusing.

Linking up with Mr. McCabe and the Playboy meant no further texts from that quarter - however it was around this point that Mr. Keane began to text me. He was listening to the game on t'interweb in the warmth of his home and was seeking pitch side reaction.

The next quarter of an hour saw Dale return to the type and style of football we saw in the first half with little serious reply from County who seemed happy to protect what they had. It also saw a trickle of texts between Nottingham and Rochdale as I appaised Mr. Keane of developments.

On 63 Rochdale levelled the tie through Lee Thorpe. I understand that it was a very good goal. Regrettably I was responding to Mr. Keane's latest missive and missed it.

So far this season I have missed three goals - this really must stop.

With the tie level County's defensive approach was undone and it was little real surprise when Dale took the lead on 73. The normally ponderous Thorpe hared clear of the Magpie's back four, skipped around the keeper and delivered a clinical angled finish. 2-1 Dale.

County did push to get back into the game as the clock wound down, producing a couple of dangerous looking corners - but to no significant effect.

The game to this point had been played in good spirit - however the concluding ten minutes saw a couple of regrettable incidents were Magpie's players unburdend their frustration. Rundle was on the receiving of a particularly ugly challenge which on another day could have seen the perpetrator heading for the dressing room.

2-1 Dale. A well earned victory. I would have clapped the players off the pitch - but I couldn't feel my hands.

Summary:

County really were not very good tonight. There was hardly a glimmer of the super organised team which had beaten Rochdale here last season. The penalty was something of a gift meaning that the scoreline rather flattered the home team.

Lee Thorpe had the best game of his time at Dale. OK he scored two - but his all around play was excellent. He and Dagnall are becoming a partnership which should concern any team in the league. I had a feeling at the start of the season that Thorpe and Dagnall would work well as a combination - it is nice to be proved right.

My final text of the night was to Mr. Keane who had asked for a final reaction to the result. Here is my reply:

'Frozen but happy :-)'

Pretty much covers it I think.

Turner Watch:

May be in some degree of trouble following some off-colour crank calls on his radio progam.

28/10/08