The Youth Team secured their eighth consecutive victory with a resounding 4-1 win over Blackpool on Saturday.

James Neild and Harrison Hopper put Dale 2-0 up inside the opening ten minutes, before Brendan O’Brien pulled a goal back before the break.

A strike from Aaron Morley restored the two-goal cushion, before Musambya Kisimba rounded off the scoring in added time.

The deadlock was broken just five minutes in, when Neild bagged his fifth of the season, sending a looping header into the top corner from Morley’s outswinging corner.

Dale doubled their lead just three minutes later, when Hopper acrobatically turned home Neil Kuemo’s left-wing cross.

Kuemo, Hopper and Tavares all had chances to extend the lead further, with Hopper coming closest when he crashed an effort off the crossbar.

The hosts halved the deficit just after the half hour mark through O’Brien’s strike from 25-yards left Dale stopper Brad Wade with no chance.

Both sides had half chances in the second period, but Dale pulled two goals clear again thanks to Morley’s strike.

He showed quick feet to jink past a Blackpool player, before firing clinically into the bottom corner from 25-yards.

There was time for a fourth, when Kisimba slotted home on the rebound from Florent Hoti’s thunderbolt which struck the underside of the crossbar.

The win moves Dale six points behind leaders Wigan Athletic, but with three games in hand, at the top of the EFL Youth Alliance League.

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