Rochdale SFC returned to the
Merseyside Supporters Tournament for the 3rd year
running. This time was different though, the aim was
purely on retaining the trophy that was secured last
year. Rochdale were in a tough group that contained West
Bromwich Albion, Grimsby and Burnley.
Dale took on Grimsby in their first
group game and the first goal didn't take long to
arrive. Liam Ratcliffe squared the ball to Mark Woodall
who finished well from inside the 6 yard box. It was
Ratcliffe himself who added the second when he raced
onto a through ball and lifted it over the keeper who
came rushing out to meet him. Anthony Kaminskas added a
3rd goal in the second half.
West Brom were the next opponenets
and it proved to be a tough game. The Albion sit 2nd in
the IFA League and it proved to be a scrappy evenly
matched battle with little in the way of goalscoring
opportunities. Dale perhaps should have had the lead
when a bizarre incident led to Ratcliffe tapping into an
empty net. The West Brom keeper took a quick free kick
but made a right mess of it leaving Ratcliffe to finish
simply. However the referee intervened and decided the
free kick hadn't been taken.
The final group game was a first
ever meeting with Burnley. It was Burnley who took a
surprise lead when Coluccio failed to hold onto a shot
but Dale soon got back into it through a screaming shot
from Higginbotham, another goal from Ratcliffe following
a superb ball over the top from Flitcroft and they ran
out 3-1 winners in the end.
It was hosts Tranmere to face Dale
in the semi final. This was another scrappy game but one
which Dale came out on top in thanks to yet another goal
from Ratcliffe.
So Rochdale were through to the
final for the second year running, this time facing West
Brom who had defeated Liverpool on penalties in their
semi final. Unfortunately there was to be no happy
ending this year as West Brom were much the better side
throughout the final and took the lead from a fantastic
shot from outside the box. They made it 2-0 early in the
second half but it looked like a comeback may be on when
Veevers headed home from a corner. But the trophy was
firmly heading back to the midlands when a suspiciously
offside looking goal gave West Brom an unassailable 3-1
lead.
