A very youthful Rochdale side fell to a 3-0 pre-season friendly defeat at Hyde United, in the last outing before the 2019/20 season starts.
The Dale line-up was made up of Youth Team scholars and young professionals.
After a fairly even opening period, Rochdale were under the cosh for much of the game, but they rode the pressure from the hosts until the half hour mark when the deadlock was broken. Two goals in three minutes put Hyde United 2-0 up, a lead they held going into the interval.
There was brave goalkeeping from Bradley Wade early in the match, when he came to collect a low cross at the feet of Tom Pratt following a swift move up the left.
Dale’s best chance of the half came soon after. Harry Lee picked out Luke Matheson with a diagonal pass and the right-back spread the ball out wide to Matty Gillam, who sent a dangerous low ball into the area. Lewis Bradley got on the end of it but could only turn his shot over the bar.
Hyde’s Tom Pratt should have opened the scoring with 10 minutes on the clock after driving in on goal, but he struck his effort narrowly wide.
Wade did exceptionally well to get down to his left and get fingertips to a Lane shot and turn it wide, although the fine save was missed and a goal-kick was awarded.
There were shouts for a Tigers penalty soon after as Lane went down inside the area, but the referee was quick to wave appeals.
Wade then held a Pratt shot, but the goal finally came on the half hour.
Jordan Fagbola’s header from a corner came crashing off the bar and back into play inside the six-yard box. Wade made a save from close range, before the ball was bundled home from a yard out by Liam Tongue.
Three minutes later he was on the score-sheet again, smashing the ball home from a couple of yards out, from a delivery that had been drilled across goal by Lane.
Rochdale kept battling, though, and after some good work from Louie Clarkson, Bradley turned and fired wide from 25-yards.
Before the half was out, Lane spotted Wade off his line and rifled a shot goal wards from 35-yards out, but his effort was over and failed to trouble.
HT | HYDE UNITED 2-0 ROCHDALE
Wade was also in fine form during the opening exchanges of the second half, and he pulled off a strong save, low to his right, to hold onto a Tongue free-kick at the near post.
Logan fired wide of the upright, before he forced the Rochdale goalkeeper to keep him out, with Wade getting a hand to the shot, pushing it round the upright.
Dale’s first substitution came on the hour mark, when under-16 player Peter Thomas replaced Musambya Kisimba.
The Tigers extended their lead a short time later. Substitute Jack Dyche headed home a cross to the far post.
Rochdale’s second substitution of the match followed, as Louis Chorlton was replaced by Luke Nock.
Fabio Tavares came close to pulling one back from Rochdale late in the game after latching onto a Bradley through ball, but the Hyde goalkeeper bravely came out to his feet.
Right at the death, Wade made a superb one-handed quick reaction save from point blank range to deny Dyche.
FT | HYDE UNITED 3-0 ROCHDALE
DALE TEAM | Wade, Matheson, Kinsella, Lee, Dunne, Chorlton, Clarkson, Kisimba, Bradley, Gillam, Tavares. Subs | Thomas, Chalton, Phillips, Nock.