Dale’s under 18 side secured safe passage to the second round of the FA Youth Cup on Wednesday night with a convincing 7-0 win over Ryton and Crawcrook Albion at the Crown Oil Arena.
Matty Gillam scored a hat-trick, while Joe Piggott and Jack Stewart netted a brace each.
Rochdale opened the scoring in spectacular style just three minutes into the game. Dale were awarded a free-kick when Aaron Morley was tripped and Stewart took the resulting set-piece, rattling a strike into the top corner of the net from 40-yards.
After a perfect start, Dale continued on top and five minutes after the goal, Gillam, who struck from a tight angle, had his effort cleared away on the line.
In a half where Rochdale goalkeeper Bradley Wade didn’t have a save to make, Dale came close again midway through the half when Joe Piggott headed narrowly wide from a Morley delivery into the area.
The young Dale side were enjoying plenty of the ball and deservedly doubled their advantage with 34 minutes on clock. A great bit of skill saw Gillam jink in on goal and he cut the ball back for Piggott, who finished low from 10-yards.
Five minutes later, Ryton and Crawcrook Albion goalkeeper Danny Rippon denied goalscorer Piggott, as he dived to his left to turn the effort round the post. The ‘keeper was on hand to deny Stewart from the resulting corner, when he struck from the edge of the area.
Shortly before half-time, Matty Gillam added a third. From an initial corner, Dale had the ball hooked off the line and defended behind for another which they scored from, with Gillam finishing from close range.
HT: ROCHDALE 3-0 RYTON AND CRAWCROOK ALBION
Less than a minute into the second half, Rochdale extended their lead further. Stewart struck from the edge of the area and beyond Rippon.
Kearney then came close to getting his name on the score-sheet but he could only look on as he curled his effort just wide of the upright.
A couple of substitutions followed, with one coming either side of a goal. Neil Kuemo was replaced by Jordan Prescott shortly before Dale netted their fifth through Gillam. The forward, as cool as you like, swept the ball home from the edge of the area. Declan Evans then made way for Ralphael Chea.
The opposition had a rare sight on goal in the 71st minute when Kyle Wharton got in behind the Dale defence, but the Ryton and Crawcrook Albion player hit wide of the target without troubling the ‘keeper.
Piggott lashed the ball home a minute later as Rochdale continued to impress, and the seventh and final goal came four minutes from time. The visitors thought they had done enough to clear Gillam’s strike from an acute angle off the line, but the referee adjudged it had crossed the line.
Right at the death, Wade pulled off a point blank save to deny the visitors and keep a clean sheet.
FT: Rochdale 7-0 Ryton and Crawcrook Albion
Dale XI: Wade, Lenehan, Evans, Hollins, Kearney, Ward, Morley, Piggott, Stewart, Kuemo, Gillam. Subs: Appiah, Chea, Murray, Prescott.