Northampton 1 Rochdale 4

08/04/2006

 

It isn't how the team performs when its on form that matters. That's a given. The really good sides also perform when they are up against it. On Saturday, Rochdale supporters were up against it. Missing were Steve Crossley and Simon Irving, the first choice centre back pairing. Also missing were top goalscorer Anthony Kaminskas and midfielders Lorimer, Higginbotham and Evans. 

With two dropouts at the last minute, Dale supporters travelled with just ten men. Their hosts were good enough to lend Dale an eleventh, its just a shame that there weren't any changing rooms for the pre-match tirade from manager Mark Woodall. Jon Hudson was handed his starting debut on the left side of midfield and could be seen (at a distance) standing at the top of an oversized hill throughout the first half.   

On a hard and bumpy surface and with a strong cross field wind, the conditions were far from ideal. The home side started strongly, possibly because the Dale were struggling to adapt to their new personnel, possibly because they had a gale howling into their face or even because Dale supporters were still shocked by the first team second half comeback at Sixfields stadium. As it turned out the supporters had to stage a comeback of their own when they went behind to a scrappy goal on the quarter hour mark. A cross was never properly dealt with and the local striker was left with a free header to score. 

Rochdale started to turn the screw during the remainder of the first half, as midfield pairing Jan Harwood and Paul Veevers started to seize the initiative. Dales equaliser came after Woodall's shot was partly blocked to the aforementioned giant Hudson, who had ventured off the hill into the penalty area. He forced the ball home from close range resulting in his first goal for the team. Dale ought to have taken the lead shortly afterwards when a right wing cross resulted in Woodall and Veevers getting in each others way with the goal at their mercy. Veevers nearly set up a goal as his perfect corner was met by Woodall's glancing header only to be denied by a defender on the line. 

The second half saw an outnumbered Rochdale midfield pour forward in wave after wave. Veevers was causing all sorts of problems to the home side with his varied corners. The first corner of the half was collected by Hudson, who promptly turned his man before bulldozing his way through and firing Dale into the lead. You wouldn't have thought he had it in him looking at the lad. But its true. I was there!

Veevers second corner of the second half found Woodall in an identical   position to the first half except this time there was no defender to deny the header and Dales third goal. A fourth followed shortly after as a demoralised home team gave the ball away cheaply outside their own box. Martin Holmes who had been signed on loan from the Cobblers at half time calmly chipped the keeper and lost his lift home in the process. Chances came and went as Dale pressed their superiority but there were no more goals to trouble the scorers. 

The 4-1 win is Rochdale's eighth consecutive victory, and our twelfth in the last fourteen games, with the other two being draws.

 

Player Ratings
Jon Coluccio	Solid as a rock!
Philip Woodall	Had their best player in his pocket
Damien Dutton	Headers were just sublime
Craig Milnes	Only one late tackle today. What's going on?
Kenny Hindle	I think he broke his ankle in the last five minutes, but he just got up and carried on playing!
Martin Holmes	He looked at home... but then again he was at home!
Jon Hudson	Two on his full debut. Watch out Kaminskas!
Jan Harwood	It can't be easy playing when your head is so far away from your feet, but he made it look easy.
Paul Veevers	He was disappointed in his performance, because he allowed someone to get past him once. I forgive him though. He was receiving treatment at the time!
Mark Woodall	Scores more headers than someone of his height really should.
Luke Lloyd	He gets better and better. Still haven't got a pass from him yet though!
Substitutes
None