Preview: Dale v Bromley - FA Cup First Round

3 November 2017

Dale v Bromley: Emirates FA Cup First Round, Saturday 4th November, 3pm Kick-Off

It’s FA Cup weekend at the Crown Oil Arena!

Rochdale welcome non-league Bromley in the Emirates FA Cup first round on Saturday.

Dale have reached the fourth round in three of the previous four seasons, and Keith Hill says his ambition is to always take his side as far as possible this year again.

Bromley are appearing in the first round for the first time in three seasons, and sit seventh in the National League, just five points behind first placed Dover Athletic, who they beat 3-0 in their fourth qualifying round replay.

PRE-MATCH INTERVIEW

Manager Keith Hill, Jordan Williams and Ian Henderson were on pre-match press duties ahead of the game.

Hill on Bromley

Hill: “A fairy tale cup competition.”

Williams: “The FA Cup has helped me progress.”

Henderson: "There's a magic to the FA Cup."

ADMISSION INFORMATION

There are reduced admission prices for Saturday’s match! Adult prices start from just £10, with all junior tickets just £5!

Home supporters can also take advantage of the Willbutts Lane stand, with the stand split between home and away supporters for Saturday’s game.

Supporters can pay on the day, but please remember that the Main Stand is now operating an ALL TICKET RESERVED SEATING policy. 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.

Tickets can also be bought in advance. Visit www.rafctickets.co.uk to purchase yours online, or pop into to the Ticket Office in person.

Click HERE for Saturday’s admission prices.

TURNSTILES

Home fans choosing to watch the game from the Willbutts Lane Stand should enter the ground via turnstiles 15-18, while visiting fans should use turnstiles 11-14.

REF WATCH

Referee: Andrew Miller

Assistant Referees: Michael D’aguilar & Barry Cropp

Fourth Official: James Oldham

FLASHBACK

Dale had Callum Camps in last season’s Emirates FA Cup first round tie against Maidstone United, when his injury time equaliser forced a replay.

A brace from Steven Davies saw Dale safely advance to round two with a 2-0 win at the Crown Oil Arena.

Click HERE for a full flashback.

PRE-MATCH

The Ratcliffe Bars, situated on the Crown Oil Arena car park, opens at 12pm on Saturday, with visiting supporters also welcome.

Click HERE for full details.

WHERE TO PARK

The Crown Oil Arena has a small car park which can accommodate guests and staff only. Street parking is available around the stadium, however please be aware that parking restrictions are in place in the yellow coned areas – these are monitored by traffic control.

Parking is also available at a local high school, which is around half a mile from the ground: Oulder Hill Community School, Greave Avenue, Rochdale, Lancashire, OL11 5EF.

Please note that we do not take any responsibility for vehicles left on the street, or at Oulder Hill Community School.

CLUB SHOP

Visit the RAFC club shop at the Crown Oil Arena before the game to purchase your official merchandise. The store is open from 9am on a matchday through until kick-off. It will re-open on the full time whistle for around 15 minutes.

MATCHDAY PROGRAMME

The Voice Of Spotland, Rochdale AFC's matchday programme, returns on Saturday.

Priced at just £2, the 56-page edition will be on sale around the ground and at the Club Shop.

Click HERE for the full preview.

BETTING PREVIEW

Dale are favourites at 2/5 to record victory over Bristol Rovers.

Click HERE for full match odds.

WE’VE GOT IT COVERED

Fans can listen to match audio commentary on iFollow. Please note, there's no live stream of today's game due to broadcasting restrictions.

Click HERE to subscribe to iFollow.

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 4-0 Bromley

4 November 2017

Rochdale advanced to the second round of the Emirates FA Cup with a dominant 4-0 victory over Bromley.

Bradden Inman put Dale ahead inside ten minutes and Ian Henderson doubled the lead from the penalty spot just after the half hour mark.

Inman grabbed a third goal and his second shortly after the break, before Henderson completed the scoring six minutes from time.

There were two enforced changes to the side as Joe Bunney and MJ Williams missed out through suspension, with Kgosi Ntlhe and Oliver Rathbone replacing them.

Dale came flying out of the blocks straight from kick-off, and almost took the lead inside the first minute.

Matty Done failed to make full contact with a low cross when well placed inside the area, before Henderson’s follow up effort curling just wide.

Ntlhe impressed coming into the side, and he beat a defender and found Inman with a pull-back, but the forward dragged his shot wide.

However, that combination would pay dividends in the tenth minute, when Dale broke the deadlock. Ntlhe found Inman inside the area, and he showed superb skill to drag the ball past a defender, before coolly slotting home from a tight angle.

Ntlhe was so nearly provider turned goalscorer ten minutes later, when he headed Henderson’s cross off the foot of the post after stealing in at the far post.

The non-league visitors had their first real effort from Louis Dennis, but he curled a shot well wide.

Dale doubled their lead from the penalty spot just after the half hour mark, after Joe Rafferty was fouled as he attempted to latch on to a Calvin Andrew through ball.

Henderson stepped up, and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to put his side firmly in control.

The visitors had a couple of chances to half the deficit heading into the break, when Brett Williams and Josh Rees both headed off target from set pieces.

Dale began the second half as they had done the first, and came close to extending their lead when Ntlhe kept a ball over the top alive, pulling the ball back towards Andrew. He headed into the path of Inman, who couldn’t connect properly with his shot and it trickled through to David Gregory in the Bromley goal.

Dan Johnson headed a Luke Wanadio cross just wide for the visitors, and from the goal kick, Dale did extend their lead.

Josh Lillis took the goal kick quickly, and played a superb ball over the top of the Bromley defence for Inman to run onto, and he finished clinically from just inside the area.

Henderson had a turn and shot from inside the area saved at the near post as they looked to add more to their tally, whilst at the other end Lillis had to make a fine save to his right from Sutherland’s crisply struck effort.

The National League side were reduced to ten men with 15 minutes remaining, when Brett Williams was shown a straight red for an off-the-ball incident involving Rathbone.

Rathbone was very close to putting the ten men to the sword, when his shot was well saved and fell to Andrew, who had his shot superbly blocked on the line.

Henderson then had a delicate chip tipped over the crossbar, before he doubled his tally with six minutes remaining. A cross was blocked and fell kindly for the Dale skipper, who finished into the far bottom corner.

He came so close to a hat-trick two minutes later, when a cross came all the way to him at the far post. He struck backn across goal, only to see his effort cleared off the line.

Jordan Slew and Mark Kitching both made late cameo appearances, as Dale comfortably passed through to the second round of the Emirates FA Cup.

Standings