El Banditos

Rola Cola Sponsored English League 2

Dagenham and Redbridge FC 1-2 Rochdale AFC

Journey

Football is built on great rivalries: Manchester United and Liverpool, Real Madrid and Barcelona, Mansfield and Chesterfield (I'm not massively keen on Chesterfield myself).  These encounters are usually characterised by a special variety of venemous passion from the fans.  The term 'friendly rivalry' in football is rarely used and when it is, it comes from the same stable as being called 'pal' after you have just jogged a blokes elbow when making your way to the bar.

This one is a little bit different.  It is a friendly rivalry.  Very friendly.

It began in 2007 when the Daggers made their first trip to God's Country and Messers Evans and O'Shaughnessy made the pilgrimage north.  Dale won that day.  In 2008 Mr. Keane and I made the return journey, enjoying the hospitality of Mr. Cootes' branch of Hotel Paradiso.  It was a draw.  Later in 2008 Mr. Evans and an army of Spencer's made the trip north.  To a sound track of arguing Spencer's, the Dagger's disected a disorganised Dale side.  2009 saw an expanded Rochdale contingent (including Mr. Rigby) head south for a 'NOT stag do'.  To the soudtrack of an over enthusiastic Charlton fan who had temporarily converted to the church of Dale, Rochdale snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

Win, lose or draw - these encounters have all been eagerly anticipated by the licensee trade in God's Country and the Principality of Essex.  There is a recession on you know.

08:00 hrs - God's Country - Messers Keane, Rigby, Mitchell and my good self headed south once again, Hotel Paradiso's doors are open, Licensee's in East London are rubbing their hands with glee, Dale are 3rd - the Daggers are top.  El Classico Del Sur, Es en!

Weather

Grey becoming greyer, interspersed with rain, eventually settling on - grey.  In truth the weather had perked up a bit from the heavy rain in previous days - but the changeable conditions and seemingly endless roadworks meant that progress was slow.  In spite of Mr. Mitchell pushing his wheels beyond the sound barrier near Watford Gap, we finally pitched up at Hotel Paradiso a little before 1pm.

Food

In each of our previous visits to the Principality of Essex we have eyed Brook's Pie and Mash shop from the forecourt of the Eastbrook public house (20 yards away) with studied interest.  Each year we agree that we will go in, each year the lure of London Pride bedevil's us. This year proved to be no different. 

Against the advice of Mr. Spencer I had a burger in the ground.  As with all things, Mr. Spencer had a point.

Ground

I have been subjected to most of the elements in the away end at Victoria Road - including unseasonable hail.  But not this year. Where once a rough and ready expanse of uncoverd concrete lay - a handsome modern stand reared up into the Essex sky.    A super view was had by the 300 or so Dale fans who had come down for League Two's game of the day.  It is comforting to know that Rochdale are not the only club who give up their newest, biggest and best stand - to the away fans.

News

Hokey-Cokey.  Young Mr. Stephens was despatched back down the A627 and Mr. Whaley was returned safe and sound to Delia Smith.  With Gary Jones continuing injury problems, Dale looked a little light in midfield. Then as if by magic, the shop keeper appeared.  Will Atkinson arrived from Hull on loan for a month and just a few hours later Jason Taylor - a transfer target for Mr. Hill last term - arrived from Rotherfield.  Also on a months loan. 

Action

Your team for today:

GK: Heaton

Def: Wiseman, Mc Ardle, Dawson, Kennedy(T)

Mid: Kennedy(J), Holness, Taylor, Atkinson

For: Dagnall, O'Grady

Bench: Taberner, Flynn, Toner, Brown, Buckley, Spencer, Higginbotham

Three loaners in the squad, a centre half in midfield and the apparrently fit Adam Rundle didn't even make the bench.  Probably not an ideal situation.

After three minutes things were very far from ideal.  Dagenham started much the brighter as Dale laboured with unfamilliar personel and unfamilliar positions.  Rochdale were simply herded into their own eighteen yard box as the Daggers drove forward.  As Dale reeled from the onslaught, Danny Green whipped a ball into the area, Rochdale defenders scattered in confusion and Peter Gain found himself with about one quarter of the pitch to himself.  His looping header floated over Heaton's dispairing flail.  1-0 Dagenham.

As I absorbed what had just happened, I turned to Mr. Rigby and told him that the goal was almost certainly his fault.  To my knowledge, Mr Rigby has never seen Rochdale win a game.  He is a jinx.  Thankfully he doesn't come very often.

Having get that off my chest, I looked down and to my left where a group of Dagenham yoof were entertaining the Rochdale fans with a selection of amusing ditties.  'WHO ARE YA!', 'WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE!', 'NORTHERN MONKEYS!' etc, etc.  What was a little suprising was that in the vanguard of the group - and leading the pointing and chanting - were Mr. Evans, Mr. O'Shaughnessy and Mr. Spercer the elder.  The sense of menace was slightly ruined by our associates smiling and waving when their youthful army were looking the other way.  Naturally, I waved back.  Kind of.

The balance of the half was horrible.  Dale barely managed a shot on goal - mostly on account of playing exclusively in their own half.  The Daggers created chance after chance to extend their lead including a half decent penalty shout, only chaotic defending from Dale somehow prevented further damage.  Dagnall did have the ball in the net for Dale - but the linesman's waving stick made any thoughts of celebration premature.

A collective sigh of relief from the Rochdale end greeted Mr. Stroud's half time whistle.  In spite of receiving a comprehensive footballing lesson, Rochdale were only one goal behind.

In the spirit of north/south bon hommie these encounters are famous for, Mr. Spencer, Mr. Spencer the younger and his colleague Claude had decided to join the Rochdale faithful at the start of the game.  This meant that I was lucky enough to recieve a detailed tactical post-mortem on Dale's first half trials from Mr. Spencer at half time.  What a treat.

Dale exchanged Mc Ardle for Buckley for the second half.  Dagenham were unimpressed and continued as they had in the first, Miller forcing a smart save from Heaton early in the half and Miller again minutes later when clean through on Heaton - thankfully he could only fire miles wide - I think it went out for a throw.

Encouragingly, the introduction of Buckley meant that Dale could actually break out of their own half.  His mazy running pushing the Daggers back for the first time in the match.  More encouragingly, Dagenham seemed to have run out of ideas.  By rights they should have been 3 or 4 to the good - but the lead was still just one goal - they looked frustrated and confused.

On the hour Higginbotham replaced Atkinson for Dale.  Minutes later the Dagenham captain, Thurgood, limped out of the game.  A minute later Dale were level.

Higginbotham picked up the ball on the right, he weaved this way and that looking for an option in the box, finding none he stepped inside and fired low towards the back post.  Roberts could only watch as the ball zipped past his outstretched fingers.  1-1!

The Dale fans barely had time to regain there seats before Rochdale took the lead.  A smartly taken corner forced Roberts into parrying the ball away from goal.  Sadly for Dagenham - straight into the path of Dawson who bundled the ball over the line.  2-1 Dale!

Dagenham were stunned.  In fairness so was I.  Dale had barely been in the game and now they were in the lead.  For the last twenty minutes Dale stroked the ball around as the Daggers toiled fruitlessly for an equaliser.  Dagenham's frustration with the bizarre reversal of fortunes boiled over late in the game when Thomas had a agricultural swipe at Dagnall.  Referee Stroud, who had put in a curiously inconsistent performance, had little doubt about producing a straight red card.

2-1 it ended.

Speak Your Brains

Your cast for today: Messers Evans, O'Shaughnessy, Chaffey, Stephenson, Claude, Keane, Mitchell, Rigby, Spencer, Spencer the younger, Cootes, Coupal - and probably a few more besides.  Oh, and me.

Last season Dale were the better side, and lost. This year Dale were awful for much of the game, and won.  It is, as Jimmy Greaves was so fond of saying, a funny old game.

Mr. Spencer offered a very detailed tactical explanation for Dale's highly unlikely victory - I feared he may be about to produce a whiteboard at one stage.  As insightful as Mr. Spencer's musings were - for once he was wrong.  The secret to Rochdale's success was Mr. Rigby putting his hood up.  Once the Rochdale players could no longer see our very own bad penny - things turned around quite nicely.

Dale's latest batch of loanee's did OK.  Atkinson has a few tricks, but looks a bit unfit.  Taylor was like a headless chicken in the first half - but turned in a better performance in the second.

Mr. Evans simply felt that Dagenham had been robbed today.  He was heard muttering darkly on several occasions on the broad theme of daylight robbery, highway men and banditry in general.  I smoothed down my moustache, adjusted my sombrero and smiled politely.

Dale go second.  Cripes.

With the incidental business of football out of the way, the serious business of supporting the local licensee trade commenced.  It's important to do your bit you know.