Preview: Dale v Oxford United

15 December 2017

Dale v Oxford United: Sky Bet League One, Saturday 16th December, 3pm Kick-Off

Dale return to the Crown Oil Arena on Saturday, as Oxford United visit in Sky Bet League One.

Keith Hill’s side are unbeaten in six home matches, and have lost just twice on home turf all season.

Oxford are just two places off the playoff spots, with a 1-0 win over Doncaster Rovers last weekend moving Pep Clotet’s side to within five points of sixth place.

PRE-MATCH INTERVIEW

Keith Hill has said he and his players win together and lose together ahead of tomorrow’s game.

Click HERE to read the Gaffer’s pre-match thoughts.

ADMISSION INFORMATION

Supporters can pay on the day on Saturday.

The Main Stand is an ALL TICKET RESERVED SEATING stand. Therefore, there will be no cash turnstiles in operation for the Main Stand. Tickets can be bought from the RAFC Ticket Office before going to the turnstiles.

Supporters can pay cash at the turnstiles in all other areas of the Crown Oil Arena on Saturday.

Click HERE for matchday admission prices.

REF WATCH

Referee: Carl Boyeson

Assistants Referees: Alf Greenwood & Nigel Smith

Fourth Official: Helen Byrne

PRE-MATCH

There is a FREE Christmas Workshop in the Carlsberg Lounge before the game! Children can make their own Christmas cards and gliders. The event starts at 2pm.

Click HERE for full details.

The Ratcliffe Bars, situated on the Crown Oil Arena car park, open at midday on Saturday, with visiting supporters also welcome.

FIRST TIME VISITOR

Coming to the Crown Oil Arena for the first time? View our first-time visitor guide HERE.

FLASHBACK

Dale were 3-0 winners over the U’s on Saturday 1st March 2014, thanks to a Scott Hogan hat-trick.

Click HERE for a full flashback of the victory.

MATCHDAY PROGRAMME

Kgosi Ntlhe is the cover star of Saturday’s The Voice Of Spotland.

He discusses his time at the Club so far and answers the ‘Decades Apart’ questions, whilst there is a pull-out poster of the full-back inside!

TVOS will be on sale in the Club Shop around the ground for the price of £3.

Click HERE for the full preview.

BETTING PREVIEW

Dale are 21/20 to record victory over Oxford on Saturday.

Click HERE for full match odds.

WE’VE GOT IT COVERED

Fans in the UK can listen to match audio commentary on iFollow. The programme will start at 2.55pm.

The match is also available to watch live for supporters overseas.

Click HERE to subscribe to iFollow.

To access commentary/ watch live via your desktop, go through our match centre. The match centre will be located on the home page of the main website (www.rochdaleafc.co.uk). Once you’ve clicked through, a link will appear on the left-hand side of the page for you to access the commentary. This will appear on the site around half an hour before kick-off.

We will be tweeting live updates from the match, and will go behind-the-scenes with our Instagram Story feature. Follow @officiallydale (Twitter and Instagram).

Match Previews

Match Reports

Report: Dale 0-0 Oxford United

16 December 2017

Rochdale were held to a 0-0 draw by Oxford United at the Crown Oil Arena.

Dale had the better of the game and forced U’s goalkeeper Simon Eastwood into a number of good stops, and had saw a Callum Camps effort headed off the line.

However, Keith Hill’s side couldn’t find a goal their play deserved, being forced to settle for a point.

Joe Bunney and Steven Davies came in for Kgosi Ntlhe and Jim McNulty from last weekend’s game at Bradford City, as Keith Hill made two changes.

Davies, who made an immediate impact coming off the bench at Valley Parade to score, almost broke the deadlock after just six minutes.

He met Callum Camps’ cross at the back post, and saw a powerful header turned behind for a corner kick.

Donervon Daniels made a superb intervention to deny James Henry as he went through on goal, whilst at the other end efforts from Bunney and Joe Rafferty sailed over and were comfortably held respectively.

Camps tested Oxford goalkeeper Simon Eastwood twice around the half hour mark.

Firstly, his first-time effort from 30-yards was arrowing towards the bottom corner before the goalkeeper’s intervention, whilst a dipping free-kick from just outside the area was turned around the post for another corner.

Xemi Fernandez and Matty Done exchanged efforts wide at the beginning of the second period, whilst Eastwood was forced into another strong stop when Bunney met Henderson’s back post dinked cross.

The ball was partially cleared as far as Henderson, whose dipping volley was only a yard over the crossbar.

Henderson then saw an acrobatic effort fly wide, before diverted a Done right-wing cross just wide of the near post first time.

Josh Lillis made his first real save of the afternoon when Wes Thomas’ strike was heading for the bottom corner after it took a deflection off Camps.

Camps then saw a header cleared off the line, when a punch from Eastwood fell kindly for the midfielder. He nodded it back over the goalkeeper, but John Mousinho headed away the goalbound effort.

Dale were looking the more likely to break the deadlock, and Davies was inches away from turning in Bunney’s low ball from the left side.

That was Davies’ last act, as he was replaced by Jordan Williams, shortly before Bradden Inman replaced Done.

Dale pushed on in the time remaining looking for a goal their play deserved, but couldn’t quite create a clear cut chance, meaning the game ended goalless.

Rochdale AFC

Standings

Preview: Dale v Oxford United

Report: Dale 0-0 Oxford United