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Rochdale AFC 4 - 1 Hereford United FC
Journey
Having missed the win down at Northampton I was pretty excited this morning. Dale were on a roll! What is more, today's oponents were languishing near the bottom of the table - Dale could make it three wins from three!
Ah... About that...
Hereford have been away for a year - galivanting in 'that' League One - but I do remember the last time they were at Spotland. That was a pretty desperate night - a 4-2 hammering - mostly at the hands of Sherjill MacDonald who racked up a hat-trick. And It got worse - in spite of not actually having to do pre-match research this week (Mr. Culshaw is back, so I'm back to making vaugely relevant quips again) I did some. A quick trawl of t'interweb revealed that Dale hadn't beaten Hereford at Spotland since 1993.
1993! For goodness sake! I had hair and could breeze past a pie shop with only mild interest in those days. My initial excitement ebbed a bit. As is the way of things, Hereford would almost certainly pick today to get their season back on track.
Foundless optimism to futile worrying in three short paragraphs - the joy of Dale...
However, I could rely on my other team to pick up my mood. The Mighty Yellows had started the season well with a 5-2 win last week. A steady trickle of texts through the morning from Mr. Keane revealed the details of another thrilling victory. The Yellows routed the Chadderton Lions 5-1 - including a four goal blitz from young Zac and a twenty yard thunderbolt* from Aaron.In a lyrical tour de force, Mr. Keane concluded his texted coverage as follows: 'The Chadderton Lion weeps tonight'.
*in this age bracket, twenty yards is actually in your own half of the pitch.
Weather
Autumnal. Sunny with a chilly breeze.
Food
I don't know why I bother with this bit anymore. I haven't been near a pie in weeks.
Coincidentally, all of my trousers have mysteriously got bigger - possibly Mrs. Eden-Maughan is using some sort of fancy new washing powder.
I am sure he had a great day out.
News
Loads. Here goes...
The cat and the canary. Mr. Hill has pounced to bring highly rated young Norwich City winger, Simon Whaley, to Spotland on a months loan. Yet another attacking option in an already attacking side - prepare for goals, goals, goals!
Clark who? Clark Keltie - you know, Mrs. Keltie's little boy - has gone to Chester on loan. His departure went largely unremarked and unlamented.
It's a wind-up. Dale were the subject of a HMRC initiated winding up order last week. Speaking exclusively to May Contain Football, Mr. Keane made the following statement on behalf of himself:
'It's nothing to worry about. This is just our annual winding up order. It's the VAT man's way of saying: look we really mean it now - and no, we won't take a cheque'.
Stop thief! Ramsden leaves for Bradford, Le Fondre leaves for Rotherham and last week Mr. Hill was reported to be having tea and buns with the Rotherham directors in connection with the vacant managers position. There is only only possible conclusion to draw from this - Yorkshire is stealing Rochdale. It's not just the football team either. Last week I saw Geoff Boycott, Michael Parkinson and Marco-Pierre White shovelling the contents of the flower beds outside Aldi into bin liners - before putting them in the back of a Volvo estate and heading for the eastbound M62. They are stealing the whole town piece by piece - it'll be the Town Hall next. Be vigilant.
Sunset. After just one game for Notts County, sometime England defender Sol Campbell did a bunk. I laughed like a drain...
Your team for today:
GK: Arthur
Def: Wiseman, Stanton, Dawson, Kennedy(T)
Mid: Whaley, Kennedy(J), Jones, Buckley
For: Dagnall, O'Grady
Bench: Flynn, Rundle, Stephens, Thompson, Spencer, Higginbotham, Edwards
In the press area seasoned media types scratched their heads and made the 'Errr?' face. The unsinkable Joe Thompson had not made the starting eleven. The undroppable had finally been dropped. Don't get me wrong - I am not a member of the Thompson haters fraternity, he does a good solid job week in, week out. However, the arrival of Whaley suggests that Mr. Hill is after something a little better than 'solid'. And so it was that the daffodil booted Whaley got the nod over our Joe - in which case, I doubt we will be seeing Mr. Rundle again for quite some time - just what has he done wong?
For their part, the Bulls would start procedings with four on-loan players - much like their approach in 07/08 when Mr. MacDonald had demolished Rochdale's china shop. Ominous.
For their part, the Bulls would start procedings with four on-loan players - much like their approach in 07/08 when Mr. MacDonald had demolished Rochdale's china shop. Ominous.
With the reassuring presence of Mr. Culshaw back in the right hand seat, the agued of Eastern Lancashire could look forward to someone actually describing the football - unlike a couple of weeks ago, and with all now right with the world again, Mr. Pawson got things going.
Dale started brightly and probably should have had a penalty in the opening thirty seconds when Buckley was sent sprawling in the box - Mr. Pawson erred on the side of caution however and waved play-on. The first twenty minutes provided an interesting spectacle. Dale spun and darted - whirling around the Hereford players like a matador. The Bulls played with less flair - but with a gritty determination to snuff out Dale's passing and pressurize any black and blue shirt in possession of the football. It was working rather nicely. Hereford were forcing Rochdale to play their way - well almost...
Just on the twenty minute mark a Dale attack seemed to have broken down on the edge of the area when Buckley found himself dumped earthward. However, Jones romped in from the right wing (of all places) picked up the ball, dashed to the byline and lashed the ball accross the face of goal, Bartlett parried, Dagnall pounced. 1-0 Dale!
Four minutes.
Four whole minutes of being in the lead - and then Mark Marshall happened.
The Bulls right winger had shown sign's of being a handfull already - tricky and with pace to burn. His solo effort down the right left Tom Kennedy turned well and truly inside out - his delicate pass into the box was flicked on into the path of Mark Pugh who steered the ball past Arthur from all of three feet. 1-1.
The balance of the half was torrid - the Bulls were on the charge, Dale's cape waving suddenly looked a bit ineffectual. Marshall made Tom Kennedy's day a living misery, going past Rochdale's dependable left back with an ease and frequency seldom seen this season. Arthur was pressed into service in spectacular fashion on two occasions to keep honours even.
As the half wound down it seemed that was how it would stay. However, that man Dagnall had other ideas. A Hereford corner was swept away from goal where it found Daggers lurking on the right wing. Showing great strength and guile he turned his marker and raced up field. Cutting inside, he checked, looked up and released a rapier like pass into the path of a galloping Whaley. The Bulls defence was undone, Whaley did the rest. 2-1!
In the world of no halftime press buffet there really isn't a lot to do when the referee indicates the drinks break. I watched the young dancing ladies - a little acrobatic and frantic for my taste but they managed to keep together which was something of a first. With that out of the way my attention turned to the Sandy. In there somewhere was Mr. Keane - and with him was Mr. Calman. Mr. Calman was making his very first visit to Spotland today. He picked Dale as his team out of a hat at work (the style of hat is unknown), as to this time he has been teamless. To show commitment he had spent the whole week learning Rochdale's illustrious history - quite how he spun it out that long is beyond me.
Mr. Pawson whistled the game back into life - Dale struck an aggressive, arrogant pose - Hereford pawed the ground purposefully. Unfortunately for the Bulls that spell in the first half would prove to be as good as it got. They strained every sinew and attacked with bovine determination - but Dale were back to their cape weilding best. Hereford would not generate another significant effort on goal. Even Mark Marshall, so dangerous in the first period found himself marked out of the action.
As the Bulls tired, Dale seemed to get quicker and stronger. Weaving around the arena with almost complete impunity, parrying the incresingly weary, clumsy Hereford attacks before whirling upfield again.
The real mystery is why it took so long to score another.
It took until the 80th minute and for all Dale's grace and style during the game it was no beauty queen. Kennedy's corner found the head of Dagnall, Bartlett parried the ball off the line - straight into the path of Will Buckley. From less than 5 yards, he did what he does best. Bartlett was helpless. 3-1 Dale!
Three minutes later another corner came Dale's way. Whilst the third goal was a rather bread and butter affair - the fourth was all jam. Dawson controlled the ball in mid air, turned as he landed and lashed it into the bottom corner - pretty much a carbon copy of his goal against Bradford in the Paint Tin. 4-1 Dale!
Dale started brightly and probably should have had a penalty in the opening thirty seconds when Buckley was sent sprawling in the box - Mr. Pawson erred on the side of caution however and waved play-on. The first twenty minutes provided an interesting spectacle. Dale spun and darted - whirling around the Hereford players like a matador. The Bulls played with less flair - but with a gritty determination to snuff out Dale's passing and pressurize any black and blue shirt in possession of the football. It was working rather nicely. Hereford were forcing Rochdale to play their way - well almost...
Just on the twenty minute mark a Dale attack seemed to have broken down on the edge of the area when Buckley found himself dumped earthward. However, Jones romped in from the right wing (of all places) picked up the ball, dashed to the byline and lashed the ball accross the face of goal, Bartlett parried, Dagnall pounced. 1-0 Dale!
Four minutes.
Four whole minutes of being in the lead - and then Mark Marshall happened.
The Bulls right winger had shown sign's of being a handfull already - tricky and with pace to burn. His solo effort down the right left Tom Kennedy turned well and truly inside out - his delicate pass into the box was flicked on into the path of Mark Pugh who steered the ball past Arthur from all of three feet. 1-1.
The balance of the half was torrid - the Bulls were on the charge, Dale's cape waving suddenly looked a bit ineffectual. Marshall made Tom Kennedy's day a living misery, going past Rochdale's dependable left back with an ease and frequency seldom seen this season. Arthur was pressed into service in spectacular fashion on two occasions to keep honours even.
As the half wound down it seemed that was how it would stay. However, that man Dagnall had other ideas. A Hereford corner was swept away from goal where it found Daggers lurking on the right wing. Showing great strength and guile he turned his marker and raced up field. Cutting inside, he checked, looked up and released a rapier like pass into the path of a galloping Whaley. The Bulls defence was undone, Whaley did the rest. 2-1!
In the world of no halftime press buffet there really isn't a lot to do when the referee indicates the drinks break. I watched the young dancing ladies - a little acrobatic and frantic for my taste but they managed to keep together which was something of a first. With that out of the way my attention turned to the Sandy. In there somewhere was Mr. Keane - and with him was Mr. Calman. Mr. Calman was making his very first visit to Spotland today. He picked Dale as his team out of a hat at work (the style of hat is unknown), as to this time he has been teamless. To show commitment he had spent the whole week learning Rochdale's illustrious history - quite how he spun it out that long is beyond me.
Mr. Pawson whistled the game back into life - Dale struck an aggressive, arrogant pose - Hereford pawed the ground purposefully. Unfortunately for the Bulls that spell in the first half would prove to be as good as it got. They strained every sinew and attacked with bovine determination - but Dale were back to their cape weilding best. Hereford would not generate another significant effort on goal. Even Mark Marshall, so dangerous in the first period found himself marked out of the action.
As the Bulls tired, Dale seemed to get quicker and stronger. Weaving around the arena with almost complete impunity, parrying the incresingly weary, clumsy Hereford attacks before whirling upfield again.
The real mystery is why it took so long to score another.
It took until the 80th minute and for all Dale's grace and style during the game it was no beauty queen. Kennedy's corner found the head of Dagnall, Bartlett parried the ball off the line - straight into the path of Will Buckley. From less than 5 yards, he did what he does best. Bartlett was helpless. 3-1 Dale!
Three minutes later another corner came Dale's way. Whilst the third goal was a rather bread and butter affair - the fourth was all jam. Dawson controlled the ball in mid air, turned as he landed and lashed it into the bottom corner - pretty much a carbon copy of his goal against Bradford in the Paint Tin. 4-1 Dale!
Tired, bloodied and beaten the bull subsided to the earth. The Matador triumphant.
In the minutes that remained, Dale stroked the ball around with comfort and arrogance. The only remaining talking point was the dismissal of Hereford captain Ryan Garry for a second yellow card. His first had been for attempt early in the second half to kick Dagnall's special place through the top of his head - the second was for a two footed lunge on O'Grady as the big man bore down on goal.
With just a bit more fancy cape twirling we were done. 4-1! Ole!
Speak your brains
Your cast for today: Myself, Mr. Keane, Keane jnr and Mr. Calman.
Dagnall got man of the match - but they view of the group was that O'Grady probably should have nicked it. Rarely if ever did Hereford have him under control.
Whaley looked good and took his goal well - subbed off late in the second half looking a little weary.
We were treated to a fly past of the Red Arrows in the first period - Mr. Culshaw instantly pointing out that they would be going to Southport - players past teams, goals scored, cards received and now the habits of the Red Arrows. Nothing gets past Mr. Culshaw - nothing.
Craig Dawson will be solving the credit crunch next week - he really is that good
The electronic scoreboard got smashed again. Same every season. Get it fixed - two weeks later, smashed again. Nice evasive manoeuvres from the Sandy faithful as a big bit came swinging down at them though.
Mr. Calman enquired if it was like this every time - Mr. Keane and I assured him that of course it was like this every time - we just have a special deal with the Football League to keep us in Division 4. We like it here.
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