Rochdale’s under 18 side returned to winning ways on Saturday after coming from behind to beat Wrexham.
Matthew Gillam netted a brace, while Japhet Mata scored the other in the 3-1 victory at Hyde United.
The visitors opened the scoring shortly before the half hour mark from a free-kick and took a 1-0 lead into the interval.
Japhet Mata levelled the scoring in the 52nd minute after glancing a header into the bottom corner of the net from a Kisimba Kisimba cross.
Ten minutes later and Dale took the lead through Matty Gillam after a well-worked move forward.
A Wrexham clearance, which was hit long, was won by Rochdale defender Andrew Hollins, who powered a header forward. Gilliam won the flick on, sending Jack Lenehan racing away. He found Mata with a neat ball which split the Wrexham defence and sent him through one on one with the goalkeeper. Under pressure from the out-rushing ‘keeper, Mata showed great composure and sent the ball into the path of Gilliam, who had matched his run, and he finished into an empty net.
Mata was also involved in Dale’s third. He made the run for a ball over the top from Declan Evans, who had hooked away a clearance. He did exceptionally well to lob the goalkeeper while being closed down by a defender, sending the ball goal-wards. Gillam slid in to make sure the ball crossed the line.
Dale XI: Diba, Kisimba, Hollins, Evans, Schorah, Stewart, Smalley, Lenehan, Mata, Pratt, Gillam. Subs: Piggott, Renner, Appiah, Prescott, Grant.
You can watch the goals on Dale PlayerHD.