As Rochdale’s pre-season schedule continued on Tuesday night, Dale were 4-0 winners over Chorley at Victory Park.
With Dale in action at both Chorley and FC Halifax Town on the same night, the first team squad was split across the two fixtures. However, following the injury to Brendan Moore in Tenerife, it provided an opportunity for second year scholar Bradley Wade to complete 90 minutes against his home town team. Fellow second year scholar Isaac Ward also featured, as did Keith Kearney.
Meanwhile, a couple of ex-Dale players - Steven Jordan and Terry Gornell - were named in the Magpies’ squad.
Chorley started the game well but faded away as the half continued, and as Rochdale dominated, the home side’s opportunities were limited, with their most notable coming during the opening exchanges. With four minutes on the clock, a corner was sent short to the edge of the area, where it was struck over the bar.
Dale’s first real chance on goal came in the 10th minute, when Steven Davies’ close range effort was kept out by the Chorley ‘keeper, who tipped the ball over the cross bar at his post.
Davies again came close soon after, this time from a set-piece. After being felled as he travelled at pace through on goal, he stepped up to the take the free-kick from 35-yards, and struck his dipping effort narrowly over the bar.
Before the half hour, Callum Camps hit inches wide with a snap shot on the half volley, and a comfortable Dale went on to take the lead in the 35th minute through A Trialist. A Keith Kearney ball in the from the left was met by Davies and he picked out the trialist, who slotted home into the bottom corner of the net.
In the dying second of the first half, Camps struck over from a free-kick on the edge of the area.
HT: CHORLEY 0-1 ROCHDALE
There were no Dale changes at the start of the second half.
Four minutes into the half Andy Cannon saw a low effort kept out by the Chorley goalkeeper, who under pressure from Davies, spilled the ball but recovered to smother to prevent the Dale forward from getting a follow up shot away.
In the 53rd minute, A Trialist netted his second of the game to double Dale’s advantage. Latching on to a lay-off from Ollie Rathbone, he slotted beyond the Chorley goalkeeper.
Chorley substitute Terry Gornell almost made an immediate impact when he was the first to respond to a free-kick which was sent over the top, but he was kept out by the post.
After the scare, Dale went straight up the other end and extended their lead, with A Trialist bagging his hat-trick.
Despite being three goals down, the Chorley heads still didn’t drop, as they went in search of reducing the deficit. Although efforts of goal were at a premium, Wade did well when called in to action to hold a powerful shot which was rifled at goal from the edge of the area.
Dale’s only substitution came in the 83rd minute when Ward was replaced by Matty Gillam, and before the game was out, Rochdale added a fourth, when Davies struck from six-yards.
FT: CHORLEY 0-4 ROCHDALE
Dale XI: Wade, Brown, Ward (Gillam, 83), Canavan, Kearney, Camps, Allen, Rathbone, Cannon, Trialist, Davies. Subs: Piper, Neild, Renner, Appiah, Tavares, Bradley