A carnival atmosphere at Oxford United's new Kassam Stadium failed to lift the U's and Rochdale came home with the spoils. Parkin's party poopers worked hard for the three points today and gained their first away win since January.
Oxford, one of the bookies favourites to gain automatic promotion, looked nothing special and even the 7000 or so U's fans failed to inspire a first win in the division.
Steve Parkin, without the suspended trio of Edwards, Bayliss and Flitcroft together with injured new signing Richard Green, opted to go with a 4-4-2 formation. Back in the starting line-up was Simon Coleman who weighed in with Dale's second and winning goal of the afternoon.
The 800 travelling Dale faithful witnessed a 'professional and dogged performance from their team who in Steve Parkin's own words, rode their luck at times.
Rochdale certainly started off slowly and in the first four minutes of the game, Jamie Brooks, a constant thorn in the side of the Dale's defence, broke clear and fired a low shot from inside the area. Fortunately Matthew Gilks was more awake than the rest of his teammates and blocked the shot with his shins to give the U's the first corner of the game.
To be fair until the last ten minutes of the half Oxford were never in the game. Rochdale soaked up any spell of pressure easily and attacked with menace when they were in possession. Tony Ford could and should have had his name
on the scoresheet after a throw-in by Evans was flicked on by Platt. The ball fell invitingly for Ford on the edge of the box but he scuffed his shot, which allowed a sliding defender to block his tame effort and give Dale a corner.
From then on Dale pressed for a goal and on the half hour mark, debutant Doughty worked a superb opening on the edge of the box, jinking past two defenders and then curling a superb shot past Richard Knights left hand into the net.
A short time later came the first booking of the game when Oxford's Bolland went through the back of Clive Platt and earned him a place in the referee's book. In the 39th minute Clive Platt's name was added to the book after handing out his own medicine to Bolland with a slightly late sliding tackle.
Oxford began putting a lot more pressure on Dale in the last ten minutes of the half, but a stream of corners and threatening attacks yielded nothing for the U's and they had to settle for a half time score of 0-1.
The second half started for Oxford as the first finished. It was constant pressure from the whistle and Dale rode their luck for a good five minutes or so. Some poor finishing too, helped the Rochdale cause as that man Jamie Brooks stole in time and again to give Oxford the chance of leveling the game. From one of Brooks' crosses Sam Stockley headed powerfully towards goal, but Gilks was again alive to the situation and saved with his mid-rift to deny the ex Barnet man.
The pressure finally paid off and Oxford got their equaliser. A mistake by Gareth Griffiths who tried to head the ball back to Gilks, was seized upon by Jamie Brooks who coolly slotted the ball over an advancing Gilks into the empty net.
Disaster nearly struck four minutes later after a mix-up in the Dale area between Coleman and Gilks. The ball seemed to bounce off them both and popped up for a simple header by Brooks. Fortunately the linesman had flagged for offside and the referee blew up and spared the blushes of Dale duo.
Pakin's team began to get back into the game and a couple of minutes of Dale pressure resulted in a corner. Ford crossed but a defender headed out the ball. Platt headed the ball back into the danger area, over the advancing defenders. The ball looped over everyone to Simon Coleman who stuck out a right leg and put the ball into the goal. Claims for offside were quashed by a linesman and rightly so as Oxford's number 15 Sam Stockley failed to go out with the rest of his team and played Coleman onside.
From then on Oxford were a spent force. They only came to life when the fourth official signaled six minutes added on time (answers on a postcard as to where they came from) and the crowd got behind them, but Rochdale played out the Man Utd minutes and earned an excellent three points.
A happy Steve Parkin said after the game,
" Yes I'm delighted about the result. The players have put out of their system the disappointment of the Plymouth game with an excellent pre-season. We have also come along this afternoon with three of our most experienced players watching from the stands due to suspensions.
" The players attitudes have been spot on. They arrived back to training in much the same shape as they left, they've worked hard in pre-season and thouroughly deserved this win today.
"I'm delighted for young Matt Doughty too. He has a lot of potential and a lot to learn. It was a very difficult game for him today playing in front of a big crowd but took his goal well and I'm happy for the lad,"
