Home Fixtures/Results Player Profiles Club Statistics Forum     Mansfield Town 1 Rochdale 2 21/01/2006   Rochdale Supporters Team continued their unbeaten start to 2006 by taking all 3 points at the Local Inn Arena. Mansfield Town were the hosts in this morning fixture which was won comfortably by the away side following a goal in each half from Kaminskas. Rochdale had to hold on at the end to claim victory after a brief lack of discipline which allowed Mansfield to convert a harsh penalty. Rochdale fielding an experienced side started the game strongly as concerns of a heavily sloping pitch were put to one side. After only a few minutes of play Harwood and Veevers won the ball on the half way line. Veevers looking up played a volleyed pass over the Mansfield defence and latched onto Kaminskas run. The Rochdale No. 9 first touch took him towards the advancing keeper and he slotted home with aplomb. Rochdale then assumed control of the game restricting Mansfield to long punts forward which rarely troubled the Dale rearguard. Milne’s long throws were a constant threat and the midfield was linking well with Woodall and Kaminskas asking questions of the Mansfield defence. The referee who was consistent throughout but had decided we were playing a non-contact sport began to affect the flow of the game. Woodall first took umbrage to an offside decision and then Dutton decided to get involved following a foul given against him. Then Dale had a penalty claim turned away as Woodall went down in the box after appearing to be hit by a sniper. This lead to a number of Dale players shouting their disapproval and as the portly ref was taking no backchat and certainly no abuse and it was no surprise when he said “enough is enough” and sent Dale’s right back to the sin bin. There was some sympathy for the Sparta Prague target Harcombe who protested his innocence and it did sound like the culprit on this occasion was Buffon but the ref was insistence and Dave Veevers came on to take Jimbo’s place. Half time came with the score still at 1-0 but with the Rochdale side feeling disappointed that there were not further ahead. The annoyance of the Dale team was evident and it took a few calming words from Veevers to settle the side. The 2nd half started in much the same way with dale dominating and they extended their lead following great approach play by Milnes. His through ball was measured to perfection and this allowed Kaminskas to break the offside trap before rounding the keeper and highlighted his ice cold nerve by steering the ball home from tight angle. As time ticked away with Dale in control the referee decided he wanted a piece of the action and after continuing to frustrate gave Mansfield the chance to get back into the game. After a bit of pushing and pulling at the 1st corner as the 2nd corner came over Crossley was tricked into a foul and was somewhat harshly adjudged to have pulled down their sloth like centre half. Crossley S was the name which ended up in the referee’s book and the cries of cheat led to another 5 min sin bin. The penalty was dispatched with Buffon’s guessing the right way but being unable to reach the strike. This goal ended Buffon’s sequence of penalty saves. Although aggrieved the Dale side rolled up their sleeves and battled hard and Harwood, Woodall and Lorimer to name a few put in some important challenges to keep the lead in tact. Milnes had a burst into the box looking to restore the 2 goal advantage but after beating several challenges blazed over, while Kaminskas shot into the side netting when other were better placed. As the final whistle approached Lorimer was sent racing clear but as the keeper advanced he drew his shot narrowly wide with ‘punk rocker’ Kaminskas screeching for the ball. As the man in black blew his whistle there could be no complaints on the scoreline. The Dale side put in a solid performance and with better finishing could have had more. It was a game which Dale dominated from start to finish and will give them a morale boost ahead of the huge local derby away at Bury next week.    Player Ratings Jon Coluccio Loud as usual but made an important save from a late free kick – held everything. James Harcombe Put in a good shift either side of his sin bin – Did the simple things well. Damien Dutton Solid performance – cleared his lines well and rarely put his bambi like feet wrong Steven Crossley Very little got past him all day. Showed lack of discipline in conceding the penalty. Simon Irving Rock like at the back – won every header and challenge. Awesome performance. Andrew Lorimer Busy performance – got stuck in and used the ball well should have scored at the death. Craig Milnes Unusually disciplined performance – was solid and set up the 2nd goal with a lovely run and pass. Paul Veevers Was not at his best but shrugged off a knee injury to play a lofted through ball to set up the 1st goal. Anthony Kaminskas Excellent performance – added fight and battling commitment to his two superbly taken goals. Was a constant threat up front. Mark Woodall Ran the line well and held onto possession to keep the pressure on the opposition and link in his team mates. Jan Harwood Worked ferociously down the left flank. Battled hard and epitomised the spirit of the side with some important challenges late on.   Substitutes   Jon Hudson Only a short spell on the park but looked comfortable and again ensured that the defensive unit remained strong until the end. David Veevers Unlucky to get a short spell in between Jimbo’s sin bin – but when asked he contributed well to a solid defensive performance.     Copyright © 2006-2008 Rochdale Supporters FC                Web Hosting By FreeVirtualServers                                                       Contact Us