Rochdale ended Rotherham United’s fourteen game unbeaten run with a 1-0 win over the Millers at the New York Stadium.
Stephen Humphrys’ second half goal sealed a deserved three points for Keith Hill’s side following a tremendous performance against the promotion chasing Millers.
Manager Keith Hill named the same starting eleven that beat Walsall during the week. There was one change on the bench, however, with Daniel Adshead replacing Mark Kitching.
The hosts started brightly but were limited to an Anthony Forde strike during the opening exchanges, which went well wide of the target, as Rochdale defended resolutely.
It was Dale’s Andy Cannon who forced Mark Rodak into the first save of the game in the 13th minute, after he’d struck a powerful effort at the near post, and Dale went on to dominate.
A minute later, Hill’s side came close again after a swift move forward. Joe Rafferty’s dangerous delivery was flicked on by Stephen Humphrys, but Done, who was under pressure at the back post, couldn’t make a clean connection and his attempted effort went narrowly wide.
For all their fancy foot-work and pleasing on the eye passages of play, the Millers were yet to create a clear-cut opportunity when Rochdale came close again in the 23rd minute. This time, Richard Wood defended away a low ball from Done a yard from the line, after he’d latched onto the end of a quick Callum Camps free-kick and got to the byline.
Humphrys was denied by Rodak soon after the half hour, when the Rotherham ‘keeper got an important hand to a powerful shot across goal. The slightest of touches saw it round the upright for a corner.
Three minutes before the break Camps stung the palms of the goalkeeper, after rattling an effort at goal from the edge of the area.
During stoppage time, the Millers had the ball in the back of the net but it was rightly ruled out, after Lillis was flattened when Wood headed home from a corner.
HT | ROTHERHAM UNITED 0-0 ROCHDALE
Four minutes into the second half, Bradden Iman was excellently denied by Rodak, after a sublime move by Dale, created through a superb first touch from Henderson. The Dale skipper picked out the on-loan Peterborough United man, and after running at goal, was kept out by the Millers’ ‘keeper, who turned the effort over.
A dominant Rochdale had been tremendous and they got the goal they deserved in the 67th minute. Josh Lillis bowled the ball out to Inman, and after driving up the centre of the pitch, he in turn played the ball through to Humphrys, who fired low across Rodak and into the bottom corner of the net.
The Millers failed to truly test Lillis during the game and the closest they probably came was when the Dale goalkeeper kept out substitute Caoloan Lavery, who sent header at goal from close range.
Two Rochdale substitutions followed in quick succession, with Steven Davies firstly replacing Humphrys, and then Inman making way for Ollie Rathbone.
During five minutes of stoppage time, Henderson capitalised on a Millers error, but his curling effort dropped just wide of the upright.
FT | ROTHERHAM UNITED 0-1 ROCHDALE