Keep calm and carry on.

Rola Cola Sponsored English League Two

Rochadale AFC 2 - 0 Crewe Alexandra FC

Journey

Something odd happened on Monday night.  Not losing to Bury - that has happened before - quite a lot actually.  It wasn't going to the pub after the game either - that always seems to happen.  What was odd was the post match analysis.  Last season the  defeat at Gigg Lane had resulted in something approaching a wake...

None of that this time around.  Between myself and Messers. Keane, McCabe and Turner we agreed that the pitch was shoddy, the ref lenient beyond reason - but - that Dale simply hadn't come up to the mark.  Bury had wanted it more and Bury had won.  All very pragmatic really.  No doom and gloom - no 'the end is nigh'.  Simply a case of - right, who's next?  How the times have changed.  Keep calm and carry on.

I wandered onto Pearl Street a little before two today, the sun was shining (a very rare sight recently), the Smiths were blasting out of the PA, Dale fans were going quietly about their affairs - It seemed that everyone else had taken a similar view of Monday night's encounter.  The world hadn't ended.  Dale are still top, there are 18 games to go, everything to play for.  Keep calm and carry on.

Weather 

Blue skies and sunshine - to start with at least.  A perfect, crisp winters day.  However, when it started to go dark, a bank of fog rolled in and temperatures plummeted.  At the final whistle everyone rushed off as fast as their frozen feet would allow them to, with designs on getting their frigid feet as near to the fire as their pet/spouse/kids would permit.

Food 

In my last report I stated that I had one pie at Gig Lane - Mr. Keane asserts that I actually ate two.  There is naturally a completely reasonable explanation for this.  I was only quoting my 'main' pie for the purposes of expenses.  The alleged other pie may have been in lieu of my tea and as such would be inadmissable for expenses.  As an accredited Football League Journalist, I now claim journalistic immunity (which I may have made up) and will answer no further questions on this point.

Away Support

I just don't get this - I really don't.  Crewe is less than an hour's drive away - and they bring less than 200.  Dale took over 1000 to Gresty Road at Christmas.  The 'Crewe Few' were pretty vocal about the referee's decisions throughout - but then, so was everyone...

News

Errrm...  Yeah.  News.  Errr.  Oh!  Dale have a new club sponsor - Bathroom321.  I may be missing my guess here - but I suspect they fit bathrooms.

Action

Your team for today:

GK: Fielding

Def: Kennedy(T), Dawson, Stanton, Wiseman

Mid: Atkinson, Taylor, Jones, Obadeyi

For: Dagnall, O'Grady

Bench: Arthur, McArdle, Flynn, Toner, Kennedy(J), Haworth, Higginbotham

Mr. Hill had hinted that there would be changes to the side in the Observer - and indeed there were.  The injured Joe Thompson would be left out in favour of the rather impressive Temitope Obadeyi - and - just when we feared we might never see Gary Jones again this season, Captain Fantastic slotted back into midfield in place of Jason Kennedy.  Kennedy wasn't injured - but my suspicion is that Mr. Hill favoured a more direct pressence in central midfield - which Jones provides in spades.

Crewe have had an in-and-out season - either devastatingly good or alarmingly ordinary.  When Dale played them in December I said they were the best side I had seen all season after they went blow for blow with Rochdale and held them to a 2-2 draw.  Since then, Crewe have conjoured up just one win and have slithered towards mid-table.  Ideally, today would not see a dramatic return to form for the Railwaymen.  Dale haven't scored in two games.  Keep calm and carry on.

The opening ten minutes were action packed - although the first incident proved very damaging to the Crewe cause.  With just five minutes on the clock Crewe front man Calvin Zola set himself to challenge Tom Kennedy, slipped and went to earth.  Clutching his thigh and clearly in some distress he was escorted to the tunnel never to return.  Byron Moore would replace him.

Moments later Obadeyi latched onto a pacy cross from Tom Kennedy, but could only head over the bar.  But Dale didn't relent.  An eel like run into the Railwaymen's area from Dagnall resulted in a thumping shot which flew under Steve Phillips, but Matt Tootle hacked the ball off the line.  Danger over?  No.  Tootle's clearance flew to O'Grady, a touch, a shot, the roof of the net bulged.  1-0 Dale!

Dale subsided and Crewe got into their stride.  Unfortunately, Miller and Moore lacked understanding and seldom received the ball without the linesman's waving stick making an appearance - although the Railwaymen would see a Schumacher freekick paried by Fielding and a great piece of awareness by Murphy result in the ball soaring over the Dale cross bar (my games teacher Mr. McAndrew would have barked 'LEANING BACK BOY!  LEANING BACK!').

Our official for today, Mr. Rushton, had already given some minor cause for concern with some questionable decisions.  Part way through the half he would have the Crewe fans howling.  Moore broke into the Dale area, wrong footed Dawson and drove towards goal, Dawson flattened him.  Even by my highly partisan standards - it was pretty cut and dried, penalty.  Mr. Rushton waved play-on.  Around 3000 souls breathed out in unison.  200 roared indignant disbelief.  

As the half drew to a close Dale drove Crewe back and forced a string of corners.  O'Grady had an effort hacked off the line, Taylor unleashed a shell of a shot which took a nearly suicidal intervention from Worley to turn aside and Dagnall forced a full-stretch save from Phillips. However, 1-0 it remained.

The halftime discussions were upbeat.  With Mr. Jones and Mr. Culshaw I mused on the good fortune Dale had benefitted from.  Crewe's dangerous frontman Zola exiting the game so early and a clear penalty turned down.  Just one minute into the second half - the good fortune continued...

O'Grady burst down the left and unleashed a cross into the Crewe area - but Dale's forwards were all at sixes and sevens - Dagnall was closest to the ball as it flashed across the area - but still yards distant.  The danger seemed to have evaporated when Matt Tootle intervened.  Quite what he was attempting to do was unclear - what he did was leave Steve Phillips with no chance.  2-0 Dale!

Dale were very much on top by now - even some scratchy passing and the ever more baffling  decisions of Mr. Rushton couldn't create a way back for Crewe.  Atkinson, Higginbotham (on for Obadeyi) and Dawson could all have extended the lead - but for the gymnastics of the excellent Phillips in the Crewe goal.

2-0 it ended.

Speak Your Brains

Your cast for today: Mr. Keane, Mr. Mitchell, Keane Jnr. and me.

• Bournemouth drew at Cheltenham.  Dale go six points clear.
• O'Grady.  16 for the season.  What miss?
• Obadeyi was not quite the force he was on Monday - still pretty good though.  Higginbotham was excellent when he arrived on the scene - can he be far from starting a game?
• Great to see Jonah on the field - looked to tire later in the game - a solid performance nonetheless.
• Mr. Rushton.  I have seldom seen both sets of fans scream in disbelief at the decisions of a referee.  Today was one of those occasions.  When you win and blame the ref, there is something seriously wrong.
• Comedy moment: Dario Gradi screaming,'JUST F**CKING ONE OF YOU!' as two Crewe players tripped over the ball, and then one another.
• Mr. Keane asserts that Dale only need twenty points from their remaining 17 games to go up.  Seems do-able. 
• No game next week as Notts County-Enders-Street-Farm are still in 'that' FAmous Cup - a tricky few games over the next month or so though, starting in a fortnight with the latest installment of 'El Classico Del Norte', Dale vs. Daggers.  The licensee trade of the borough are in for a treat.
• Keep calm and carry on.

Tradition

Rola Cola Sponsored English League Two

Crewe Alexandra FC 2 - 2 Rochdale AFC

Journey

The festive season is jam packed with traditions.  Most of them involve eating and drinking until you can't move under your own power.  This usually leads neatly to the great Christmas tradition of the afternoon nap - for the ladies anyway - gentlemen don't nap, they just 'rest their eyes' - for several hours, whilst making a noise like chainsaw.

Rochdale fans also have a number of festive traditions.  Typically these involve eulogising an unlikely but impressive early season win against a fancied team, lamenting an improbably crushing defeat (or two), picking over three indecently early cup exits and bemoaning the long term injury of [insert name here].  Having chewed that lot over for a while it is permissable to speculate that a 'good run' and a couple of decent loaners may just about see Dale into the play-off's.  With a bit of luck.

Disappointingly, this season has singularly failed to deliver the required menu of 'almost', 'might have been' and 'if only'.  Dale sit seven points clear at the top of League Two - with the best goal difference, joint best defensive record and most goals scored.  So, what do you do when you can't fall back on moaning and self delusion?  Well there is another tradition - Boxing Day football.  The grandest and most ancient tradition of the Littleborough Debating and Choral Society. 

So it was that I collected Mr. Turner, Mr. Keane and Mary and headed south a little before one - elsewhere, Playboy Dan, Amancalledshaun and Playboy jnr. also began the journey to Crewe - and at around ten to three Mr. Mitchell departed Newhey, following a brisk spell of proving that Einstein was indeed just a silly old man - he would take his seat in Gresty Road at five to three.

For those of us who were travelling in the regular three dimensions of time and space and at much less than the speed of light - it took a little over an hour.  During this time another grand and ancient tradition came to an end.  Neither Mr. Keane or Mr. Turner complained about the music in my car.  Not once.  That is probably because I had left my I-Pod at home.  Well, it is Christmas.

Weather

In God's Country we had a William Hill approved White Christmas - it snowed on Christmas Day.  However, in the sub-tropical climes of Crewe - no sign of the stuff.  Blueish skies, hazy sunshine and temperatures (just) above zero throughout the game.

Food

The traditions of the pie queue are so ancient they have become unspoken laws.  Chief among these is queueing.  The rule is simple - join at the back - wait your turn.  Sadly this didn't happen today - there was queue jumping.  There is however a tradition which deals with this - no, not asking them to join the back of the queue (we're British you know) - you simply comment very loudly to a fellow queuer (Mr. Culshaw in this case) that someone has pushed in until the miscreant retires suitably red faced.  Season of god will?  When a Chicken Balti pie is at stake, I think not.

Ground

This my first visit to Gresty Road.  First impressions were very good.  A nice big carpark right next to the ground - pay and display - but worth every penny.  Two small all seater stands occupy the ends - albeit pretty much empty.  An elderly looking all seater stand on one side would house the 1200 Dale fans who had made the trip - including a handsome selection of people in fancy dress.

Then there is the main stand.  It completely dwarf's the rest of the ground.  Having clambered all the way to the top row of seats - where the commentary positions were located - I had to pause for breath.  For about ten minutes.  A cracking view though - which included Jodrell Bank and most of Cheshire.  

News

Aloan again.  Jason Taylor and Will Atkinson extend their loan spells at Spotland unil the end of January.

Back to what you know.  Adam Rundle returns from his loan spell at Rotherfield.  That bench isn't going to polish itself you know.

It's not you - it's me.  Clark Keltie is released from his contract at Dale by mutual consent.  Probably for the best all round.

Action

Your team for today:

GK: Heaton

Def: Flynn, Dawson, Stanton, Kennedy(T)

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

For: Dagnall, O'Grady

Bench: Taberner, McArdle, Toner, Jones, Hagan, Glover, Higginbotham

A training injury to Scott Wiseman would hand Matt Flynn his first start since the win over Notts County.  Other than that no changes for Dale.  

In spite of the dizzying height of the commentary area and handy access to Jodrell Bank - would the commentary equipment pick up a signal?  Nope.  So, no commentary today.  However,  it did give me the chance to read the program.  It turns out that Rochdale's last league meeting with Crewe was in 1994 - which Dale won 2-1 at Spotland.  However, the last league visit to Gresty Road ended in a 2-1 win for the Railwaymen.  There was a meeting in the Johnstone's Paint Tin in 2006 at Spotland - which was 1-1 at full time - but the Alex managed to win through on penalties.  Nathan Stanton and Chris Dagnall both played that day - Adam Rundle was predictably on the bench.  In short, Dale don't play Crewe very often - the above facts, as sparse as they are, aren't that interesting - I'm just filling space.  Sorry.

Mercifully, before I could wade into Dale and the Alex' first league encounter (interestingly 26th December 1921) - Mr. Langford got things underway.  Perhaps I should have stuck to the program.  Dale traditionally start brightly - but not today.  Crewe had done their homework.  The Railwaymen closed Rochdale down at every turn forcing hurried, misdirected passes from the visitors.  Last week I waxed lyrical about Dale's passing - today it just wasn't happening - on the other hand the Alex weren't having any such problems.  On two minutes Calvin Zola had the ball in the net for the home team - Dale were only saved by a questionable off-side decision.

Zola along with his striking partner Donaldson generated chance after chance for the home side.  Only wayward finishing, frantic defending and a couple of sharp saves from Heaton kept the Railwaymen from taking the lead.  Dale created a couple of chances of their own through Jason Kennedy and Chris Dagnall - Dagnall couldn't make contact from six yards to turn home a Flynn cross - but other than that the majority of the play was in the Dale half and dictated by Crewe.  When halftime rolled up and the score was still 0-0, I was more than a little relieved.

Aside of shaming queue jumpers whilst waiting for my chicken balti pie I indulged in another tradition.  Texting Mr. Turner for his thoughts on the game so far.  He didn't think it was so bad.  I may have suggested he was misguided - or words broadly to that effect.  Fortunately, before I could become embroiled in Mr. Turner's doubtlessly fascinating justification - the second half began.

It semed that words had been had in the Rochdale dressing room during half time - Dale restarted with more purpose.  Within minutes Dale almost benefitted from a festive gift as Matt Tootle came within inches of putting the ball in his own net.   

Minutes later Rochdale took the lead.  Dale had forced a sequence of corners early in the half - the third of which found Craig Dawson lurking at the back post.  A customarily clinical finish saw our Craig move to nine goals for the season.  1-0 Dale!

Crewe rallied after going behind and in next to no time Nathan Stanton got into the Christmas spirit by playing in Donaldson with an under cooked back pass - only a brave save from Heaton averted disaster.  With twenty minutes left on the clock, the Alex' struck back.  From a sharply taken freekick The ball pinballed around inside the Dale area - it seemed that the ball had finally been hammered away, but only as far as Westwood on the edge of the area.  His shot on the turn evaded a forrest of bodies before flying into the bottom corner.  1-1.

Just three minutes later - Dale were back in the lead.  A move down the Rochdale left seemed to have broken down when O'Grady was dispossesed.  But the ball squirmed away from the challenge and fell to recent substitute Kallum Higginbotham.  From around twenty yards, he took a touch, he looked, he let fly.  Phillips saw it coming - but his acrobatic lunge was just too late.  2-1 Dale!    

I didn't have long to think about what an unlikely Christmas present this would be.  Crewe equalised - again.  A missed challenge by Tom Kennedy set the Railwaymen loose down the Dale left.  The ball was slipped through to Donaldson who fired a low shot goalward, Heaton did well to parry - but Tootle had cantered forward from full-back and had the simple task of poking the ball into the unguarded net.  2-2.

...and so it ended.

Speak Your Brains

Your cast for today:  Mr. Keane, Mr. Turner, Myself and special guest starring: Playboy Dan

Not a great start today - I have seldom seen Dale lose the ball so freely or defend so indecisively.  As is the tradition, I was in a minority of one on this.

Craig Dawson - centre half - nine goals for the season - by Christmas!  Awesome.

Being marooned at the top of Mt. Mainstand I missed the fancy dress display.  Mr Keane had however taken a picture of 'Bucket Man'.  A man, with a plastic bucket on his head, painted with the words 'Bury FC'.  Ahh - our oldest tradition - poking fun at 'that famous old club'.

The second half was probably the best 45 minutes of football I have seen all season.  A win would have been good - but a draw was the right result.  Fair play to Crewe - Mr Gradi seems to be working his magic again.

Higgibotham's finish!  People are fretting about the potential sale of Buckley.  Fret ye not!  Higgy is back.

Because Mr.  Turner favoured us with his presence today, he probably thinks he is going to get a big write-up...  Surprise.

Dale are still five points clear at the top of League Two.  Time for some new traditions perhaps?