Neighbours

Rola-Cola Sponsored English League 2

Rochdale AFC 3 - 0 Bury AFC

Journey

Consider if you will two boys. One slightly older than the other. They grew up just down the road from one another. They went to similar schools. They had the same friends and played the same games. In most respects there really was no difference between them.

But, as they grew up the older boy became the kind of son every mother talks her neighbours ears off about. Achievement followed achievement, award followed award. Nothing seemed beyond his grasp. The younger boy took a very different path. His mum wished he had made more of himself, he had had the chances - he just never took them . He lived his whole life just round the corner from the house he was born in.

Then fate intervened. The glittering career of the older boy was rocked by misfortune and mismanagement - his dazzling past achievements became long distant memories. In his significantly reduced circumstances he was obliged to move in next door but one to the younger boy.

How he hated it. Every time he saw his childhood friend it reminded him just how far he had fallen from grace. He consoled himself that in spite of the fact that they lived on the same street and did much the same job for similar wages now - he was still better than him. He would always be better than him.

Funny what you think about on your way up Roch Valley Way isn't it? Mind you, coming up with massively over elaborate analogies for Rochdale and Bury distracted my attention from the horrible weather and the amateurish driving of my fellow road users.

Last week I reflected that Mr. Ashworth was pretty much out of ideas with the 'funny names' thing he has had going on this season. I was wrong. This week he just didn't leave me a pass at all. He's a wiley old fox.

On the way out of reception I bumped into Playboy Dan - and he was not alone. Accompanying him was the force of nature that is - Mr. Turner. Attending his first game of the season, Mr Turner was his typically bullish self - 2-1 for Dale was his prediction. On exactly what basis he was saying this was anyone's guess.

I pressed onward. A swift pint in the Ratcliffe with Mr. Keane and Keane jnr. - where Mr. Keane kept up his tradition of hob-nobbing with Bury fans. Chatting to Mr. Hobson and his dad - two of Mr. Keane's Shaker pals - I got the feeling that they weren't that confident today. Perhaps 'Mystic Turner' was onto something.

Weather

A good deal of mirth has been expended on the subject of Rochdale Council putting up Christmas decorations in August - it was on BBC news and everything. There was nothing festive about the weather today though. A morning of driving rain subsided into a heavy overcast punctuated by drizzel with occasional random bursts of sunshine.

Food

Due to an assortment of technical things to do with the broadcasting equipment I went pieless once again. It's a tough life in the media you know. However, during my brief meeting with playboy Dan earlier I learned that he had just polished of a three course meal in the directors lounge and would be watching the game from the executive seats. You've either got it or you haven't. I think Playboy got my share.

Away Support

Lots. But not nearly as many as recent years. Maybe 2000. The Shaker massive spent the majority of the game venting their spleen on Tom Kennedy - for his greivous sin of leaving Bury to join Rochdale. Every time Kennedy recieved the ball, boos and howls of derision went up from the Wilbutt's Lane stand. Still, there was no danger that this rough handling would backfire on the Bury faithful. No danger at all.

News

Not to be outdone by Notts County's capture of Sol Campbell during the week - Dale also signed a new face. Well not that new. Von Trapp family look-e-like-e, Matt Flyn's loan move from Macc has been made permanent, following a trio of good performances in Dale colours. In other news, Jon Shaw has disappeared - again. Reports in the media suggesting he has gone on loan to Barrow. However, a Rochdale insider revealed to May Contain Football that Shaw has actually been loaned to Rochdale Council - as a barrow.

Action

Your team for today:

GK: Arthur
Def: Flynn, Holness, Dawson, Kennedy(T)
Mid: Thompson, Kennedy(J), Jones, Buckley
For: Dagnall, O'Grady

Bench: Edwards, Wiseman, Stanton, Rundle, Stevens, Spencer, Higginbotham

One change today - Holness in, Stanton out. Stanton was far from convincing at the Don Valley Stadium and takes more than a small slice of the blame for Rotherham's first goal. That said, bringing in Holness is not without risk - his lapse of concentration against Cheltenham turned a fairly safe point into a big fat zero. Facing one of League Two's better strike forces this afternoon would mean that Rochdale's answer to Mr. T would need to have his wits about him.

With 'I predict a riot' blasting out over the tannoy, the players took the field. On the dot of 3pm Mr. Stroud got things underway.

The first half was hugely energetic - both sides throwing themselves into the contest. The problem was that for all the effort being expended neither side produced a single serious effort on goal. Holness & Dawson for Dale and Sodje & Futcher for Bury had the strikers well and truly under control.

It was entertaining stuff - including the rather comical 'storming of the Sandy' by a group of Bury fans - but as half-time descended it seemed that a mistake or a piece of massive good fortune would be required to break the deadlock.

Quite what the half-time talk in the Dale dressing room consisted of is naturally a mystery. Whatever it was, it seemed to do the trick though. Dale poured forward and the Shakers defence, so solid in the first half - started to look beatable.

Dagnall sliced through the bewildered Bury rearguard in the opening minutes only to be denied by a fine save from Brown. Just when it seemed that Bury had weathered the storm Buckley popped up on the Rochdale left. A burst of pace found him with just enough room to deliver a cross which flashed into the area and found Joe Thompson. Thompson's resulting effort picked up a fairly serious deflection off a Bury defenders arm and as claims for a penalty roared forth from the Sandy the ball zipped past the completely wrong footed Brown - and nestled in the back of the net. 1-0 Dale!

Bury made changes. Lowe and Robertson made way for Bishop and Morrell. The Shakers were wounded - but with Bishop and Morrell on the field they had every chance to make good the damage. The problem was they really weren't getting the opportunity.

Dale continued to press. Moments after the goal Buckley wandered through an alarmingly static Shakers back line only to be denied from close range by yet another excellent save from Brown. Minutes later Kennedy(T) launched a raking pass forward and into the path of Chris Dagnall. As Ben Futcher vainly appealed for off-side, Dagnall was away. Without another Bury man in sight Dagnall bore down on Brown - waiting, waiting for the keeper to commit. The moment he did, Dagnall lifted the ball over him. 2-0 Dale!

I will not dwell on Dagnall's 'Nobby Stiles' dance routine on the touchline near the Sandy.

2-0 up and less than twenty minutes to go - this really could be the day I finally see Rochdale beat Bury.

Minutes later the game was wrapped up. Buckley was 'bounced' by Scott in the Bury area and Mr. Stroud felt he had no alternative but to indicate the penalty spot. Then something very odd happened. A slight figure strode forward, picked up the ball and placed it firmly on the spot. It was Tom Kennedy. Kennedy could (and possibly should) have taken the penalty against Bury last year - however considering he still lives in Bury, he had decided to pass then. Today there were no such doubts. After 80 minutes of unremitting abuse from the Bury faithful - Kennedy made his reply. It was just about the most unstoppable penalty I have ever seen - top right corner - 3-0 Dale!

Wheeling away from the spot Kennedy raised his hand to his ear and ran along the touchline in front of the Bury fans. The Shakers threw programs, one ran onto the pitch - and then ran back when he realised he was on his own. The Dale fans sang, 'He's not a Bucket anymore!' - I guess he really isn't after that. Kennedy justly got a yellow card for his labours.

The game played out with Dale pressing forward for yet another, a carnival going on in the Sandy, a conga snaking round the Pearl Street and a discreet flow of people out of the Wilbutts. 3-0 it ended - I saw it with my own eyes. Magic.

Speak your brains

Your cast for today: Myself, Mr. Keane, Keane jnr., Mr. Mitchell, Coat Dave, Mr. Turner and some random Leeds fans who had watched the game today because Leeds were playing away.

• Why have Bury decided to use a Star Trek comm badge as their club crest?
• The storming of the Sandy - what was that all about?
• Did the Bury strikers get an emergency 'beam out'? Only Morrell looked a serious threat.
• Chris O'Grady is officially not Lee Thorpe - he has a good pair of feet on him.
• Goal celebrations! Thompson's weird 'body builder' thing and Dagnall's 'Nobby Stiles' were pretty impressive - Kennedy's wins though, he really is not a bucket anymore.
• Who was that bloke who ran on the pitch? - how silly did he look?
• Holness and Dawson - I did tell you last week.
• Adam who?
• Jones and Kennedy - they look better every game.

On the subject of excessive celebrations - had Mr. Stroud seen our post match performance we would have all been on a booking...