Rochdale v Torquay United
Saturday 12th September 2009 - Kick Off 3pm
Chris Dagnall's 4th and 5th goals of the campaign gave Dale a 2-1 lead at home to Torquay, as Dale recorded their third win of the season in a comfortable display.
Rochdale boss Keith Hill made two changes to the side that started Friday's memorable 3-3 draw at Morecambe, both of which were in defence. Kenny Arthur kept his place in goal, but in came Scott Wiseman and Nathan Stanton into the back four in place of Matt Flynn and Marcus Holness, who missed out due the virus that affected Gary Jones and Chris O'Grady last week. This meant the back four was made up of Wiseman, Stanton, Craig Dawson and Tom Kennedy.
Skipper Gary Jones and Jason Kennedy took station in the centre of midfield, whilst Will Buckley and Joe Thompson started on the wings. Chris O'Grady shook off the effects of the virus that saw him short of his best on Friday evening at Morecambe to start up front alongside Chris Dagnall, who had scored in his previous three league games.
Dale started the game the brighter of the two teams, with Chris O'Grady involved heavily in Dale's early attacks. Tom Kennedy played a ball up to him before he laid it off for Will Buckley who had joined the attack. Buckley beat two men before racing to the by-line and putting in a left-footed cross which found the head of O'Grady, but his effort was well saved by Michael Poke and tipped out for a corner to Dale. After the resulting corner had been cleared, the ball was played back in towards O'Grady who fired a cross-shot across the face of goal, but it was neither on target or close enough to Chris Dagnall for him to tap home.
Keith Hill's men started the game brightly with pace down both flanks in Will Buckley and Joe Thompson, and Chris O'Grady and Chris Dagnall up top. It was Dagnall who thought he had won a penalty with ten minutes played, but the referee blew for the foul outside the box. Dagnall seemed to think the infringement was inside the box, although there were no convincing shouts from the Dale fans inside Spotland.
The free-kick came to nothing, but with 13 minutes played Torquay thought they had taken the lead, but for an assistant's flag. Scott Rendell hit a shot towards goal that was deflected into the path of his strike partner Elliot Benyon, who eventually turned the ball home, but the assistant on the near side had raised his flag for offside against Benyon, to keep the score at 0-0.
With 17 minutes played in the match, Dale's summer signing Jason Kennedy almost opened his scoring account for his new club. He picked up the ball 20 yards out and ignoring the fans' cries to shoot, he played a ball into Joe Thompson who gave a lovely return ball into his path, but Kennedy's left-foot shot was dragged wide of Michael Poke's far post.
With 25 minutes gone in the game, Dale broke the deadlock. Good defensive work from Joe Thompson and Scott Wiseman led to the former playing a ball down the right to Chris Dagnall. He drove down the right before holding up play, allowing the play to catch up. Jason Kennedy was in support and he sprayed a ball out left to Will Buckley, who did superbly to bring the ball down and beat two men with ease all in one slick motion. He sprinted into the box and fired off a shot which was well saved by Poke in the Torquay goal, but it came back out to Dagnall who tapped home with ease to score his fourth of the season and give Dale a one goal advantage.
Dagnall had half a chance to double Dale's lead six minutes later from a corner. To Kennedy swung a left-footer in towards Dagnall on the edge of the six-yard box, but he couldn't get enough on his header to beat Poke, and the ball flew wide of the goalkeeper's right post.
With 6 minutes remaining in the first half, Dale had two great chances to take a two goal lead. Chris O'Grady had the first as he fired another of his cross-shots into the box, which again evaded the Torquay goal and Chris Dagnall. Dale won a throw-in on the far side from which Joe Thompson raced into the box before giving Dagnall the ball. Dagnall's touch was good as he opened space for himself, but his shot flew high over Michael Poke's crossbar.
With the two minutes of added time coming to a close Dale had the final chance of the half to double their lead. Tom Kennedy played a ball into the feet of Chris Dagnall on the edge of the box, before the ball came out to Joe Thompson who fired a shot over Poke's crossbar, when he will feel he should have hit the target.
The half came to a close with Dale just one goal to the good, when, on the balance of play, it should have been more.
The second half started very quietly, especially compared to the first half. Dale continued their pressure, attacking through Joe Thompson and Will Buckley down the wings, but Keith Hill's men couldn't create the same sort of opportunities that the first half was riddled with. Torquay started to get into the game a little bit more as they upped the pressure on Dale, but as with the home side, they couldn't create a clear-cut opportunity.
In fact, it took until the 69th minute for either 'keeper to be forced into action. Gary Jones did well to win the ball in midfield before playing a ball through to Chris Dagnall. He took the ball on and beat his man superbly to create space inside the Torquay box, but his shot was well saved by Gulls goalkeeper Michael Poke.
Torquay had a decent chance to level the scores with just less than 20 minutes remaining, when a free-kick was played in towards Scott Rendell, but his header flew wide of Kenny Arthur's left-hand post.
With 15 minutes to go, Dale doubled their lead. Chris O'Grady played a ball through to Chris Dagnall, but it looked to be intercepted by Chris Todd. However, the Torquay central defender slipped as he went to clear, leaving Chris Dagnall one-on-one with Michael Poke. Dagnall kept his cool and placed the ball past the Torquay goalkeeper, giving him and Dale their second goal of the afternoon.
With little under 10 minutes remaining, Torquay could have scored a consolation goal through substitute Chris Hargreaves. A right-wing cross was floated in towards the back post where Hargreaves was, but under pressure from Joe Thompson, the Torquay midfielder couldn't direct his header towards goal.
Chris Dagnall had a decent chance to score his hat-trick when he found himself one-on-one with Chris Todd at the back. Dagnall managed to beat his man, but he took a slightly heavy touch which carried it into the arms of Michael Poke.
With three minutes of injury time signalled, Torquay did manage a consolation goal. A corner was cleared by Craig Dawson, but it came back into the box and was turned home by Torquay substitute Chris Hargreaves, to give Paul Buckle's side a glimmer of hope.
This was to be the last meaningful action of the game, but for a wild shot from Torquay midfielder Nicky Wroe which flew into the Sandy Lane - the road not the stand! It finished 2-1 to Dale, a score-line which was merited on Dale's first and second half performances.
Keith Hill will be pleased with his side's win and he now takes his youngsters to Northampton on Saturday, where Dale will hope to pick up their first away win of the campaign.
Dale: Arthur, Wiseman, Dawson, Holness, T Kennedy, Jones, J Kennedy, Thompson, Buckley, O'Grady, Dagnall.
Torquay: Poke, Nicholson, Robertson, Todd, Benyon, Rendell, Wroe, Thompson, Carlisle, Hodges, Stevens.
Referee: Mr P Quinn. Assistant Referees: Mr K Hayward & Mr P Gooch. Fourth Official: Mr PA Davison.
Attendance: 2,407.
All the scores and latest tables - FullTime12_09_09
Check out Keith Hill's thought's on today's game only on Dale Player right now in our exclusive post match video.
