Dale's under 18 side stretched their unbeaten run to six games with a 3-0 win over Shrewsbury Town at Ratcliffe Borough on Tuesday afternoon...
Three first-half goals from Matthew Gillam, Callum Schorah and Harry Pratt saw Dale inflict defeat on the Shrews for the second time in three days.
Dale took the lead after just seven minutes. Joe Piggott played a perfectly weighted pass to match Pratt’s run down the right. Pratt cut inside his marker and placed the ball to the oncoming Gillam, who finished into the roof of the net, leaving the 'keeper with no chance.
Just two minutes later and Dale had a second. Jack Stewart held the ball up on the left side of the box, and after waiting for some support from the left he teed the ball off for Schorah, who looped the ball over the keeper and into the top right.
If not for a magnificent save from Johny Diba, Shrewsbury would have pulled one back in the 26th minute. Shrewsbury had a free-kick on the right, and after it was whipped in at pace defender Ryan Sears got a strong header to it from close range. Diba made an almost improbable dive to his left, palming the ball out for a corner.
Pratt went close on the half-hour mark. After picking the ball up on the centre spot he glided past three Shrewsbury players and struck the ball from range. The 'keeper would have been beaten but the ball curled wide of the right post at the last second.
He only needed one more chance to get on the scoresheet. Five minutes before half-time Tyler Berry played a long volleyed through-ball over the top of the Shrewsbury defence. Pratt chased it down, allowed it to bounce, let the ball drop onto his chest and then dinked it cleverly over the keeper. All while under pressure.
HALF-TIME: ROCHDALE 3-0 SHREWSBURY TOWN
There was one change for Dale at half-time, with Ralpheal Chea replacing Berry at right-back.
Dale’s only real chance of the second half came from Piggott in the 62nd minute. After Kisimba Kisimba broke forward through midfield, he waited for Chea’s overlapping run. Once in possession, Chea weighted a great cross into the six-yard box, but Piggott’s close range header flew past the post.
With Rochdale comfortably in the lead, the game was played at a much slower pace in the second half, but the Shrews did test Dale on a few occasions with well-taken set-pieces.
There was a double substitution with 15 minutes remaining, as two under 16s were given a run out. Neil Kuemo and Florent Hoti replaced Matthew Gillam and Joe Piggott.
FULL-TIME: ROCHDALE 3-0 SHREWSBURY TOWN
Dale XI: Diba, Berry, Hollins, Evans, Schorah, Kisimba, Smalley, Stewart, Piggott, Pratt, Gillam. Subs: Prescott, Price, Chea, Hoti, Kuemo.
Report by Danny Edwards