Rochdale 0 - 0 Hartlepool

Rochdale 0 - 0 Hartlepool
Craig Dawson clears the danger

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Rochdale started their League One campaign with a hard fought 0-0 draw against Hartlepool at Spotland.

Dale boss Keith Hill gave debuts to four of his new signings. Josh Lillis, although having played once for Rochdale last season away at Bournemouth started between the sticks whilst former Grimsby pair Joe Widdowson and Jean Louis Akpa-Akpro also got the nod. Former Bury midfielder Brian Barry-Murphy was in the middle alongside Jones and Kennedy.

In their first game in English football’s third tier for 36 years, Rochdale looked nervous in the opening exchanges with Marcus Holness getting stage fright a little more than his team mates. The defender didn’t look at ease at all in the first half which made the crowd a little nervous.

In the opening 10 minutes, Holness wasn’t the only one to look a little ragged as Dale were forced onto the back foot and could have been two down in 60 seconds.

Joe Gamble forced Lillis into a save after being teed up on the edge of the box whilst Brown crossed for Monkhouse but the Pools number 11 had his effort blocked on the line.

Dale’s first foray forward saw Jones’ shot tipped wide by Flinders whilst the resultant corner eventually found Thompson who’s short pass into Dawson’s feet didn’t test Flinders as the young defender couldn’t ‘dig’ the ball out to get a shot away.

Jones again tested Flinders in the Pool’s goal when he stole the ball off Murray and drove towards goal. His pass picked out the unmarked Thompson down the right who in turn reversed the pass to his skipper but Jones’ shot was well saved by Flinders low down to his left.

Hill’s men had settled the early nerves and started to get their passing game together which was causing problems for Chris Turners side.

O’Grady should have done better when he met a Wiseman cross whilst a good interchange of passes between Thompson and Jones saw the former but a wicked cross in that Flinders had to parry away to safety.

The Pool’s stopper was having a busy spell and when O’Grady chased down a back pass the keeper hit his clearance straight into his own defender but O’Grady couldn’t capitalise on the mistake as the defence cleared.

Lillis had to be alert in the Dale goal as efforts from Brown kept the on loan Scunthorpe keeper on his toes.

Akpa-Akpro showed wonderful skill tight on the left flank to stroll away from Sweeney and put in a delightful cross but Thompson’s free header was off target.

Within 60 seconds the Frenchman was at it again but this time his cross was too deep and the danger averted by the visitors.

As the half drew to a close Turner's men almost took the lead. Evan Horwood’s effort deflected up off Dawson but the nick took the ball away from Lillis and away from his far post too.

Hartlepool made one change at the interval with Adam Boyd replacing Bjornsson, with the former Luton striker getting straight into the action when he raced away down the Dale right and crossed but Sweeney’s header was over the bar.

Hill’s men had started the second half as they had the first with the visitors on top.

Lillis had to be at his best once again after Sweeney picked off a stray Holness pass but his right footed effort was tipped over by the keeper.

Lillis was again called into action when the lively Boyd sent a deflected shot towards goal but the keeper saved with the follow up Boyd effort blocked for a corner by Holness.

Keith Hill decided to change things and brought on another debutant in the form of Anthony Elding after the former Stockport striker gained international clearance.

With both sides enjoying spells in possession, the visitors should have taken the lead with 20 minutes left. Captain Sam Collins met a Joe Gamble corner but his ferocious header was inches over.

Gary Jones had a shot deflected wide and from the resultant corner Jones had another effort, which in all fairness he scuffed but the ball found its way through to Elding on the edge of the 6 yard box but he couldn’t divert it goal wards.

The only yellow card of the game came with just over 10 minutes to go when Dale’s Widdowson caught Austin with a crunching challenge that left the former Darlington player writhing around on the Spotland turf and he played no further part in proceedings.

As the clock ticked down both teams had one last chance with Pools’ Collins having a header cleared off the line by Kennedy whilst Wiseman's bursting run deserved better but his cute pass wasn’t picked up by the Dale skipper Gary Jones.

All in all a satisfactory end to Dale’s first game back in League One but improvement needed when they face larger tasks than Hartlepool in the coming weeks and months.

Keith Hill spoke to the waiting media after the game:  “There was a lot of expectation, a lot of nervous energy at the beginning of the match and you could see the players looked a little bit nervous in the first 10 minutes but they are only human.

"It was the real deal today, it was a big occasion so I think I’m reasonably happy when you consider the three other teams that came up with us all lost today it shows you what the step up is.

"I’m really pleased with the clean sheet. I think in the first half both teams should have scored but in the second half we had possession without penetration and we have to give a lot of respect to the opposition as they stopped us attacking.

"We are competing in League One with a League Two budget so when you take that into consideration I’m reasonably happy.

"Josh Lillis is a great keeper and I think during pre-season he hasn’t been tested but today he has had to make saves, so I can understand him getting man of the match.

"We have got some fixtures coming up that we are definitely going to be the underdogs and expected to lose. What we have got to do is go there and silence the crowd.

"The difference between League One and League Two is the calibre of strikers so we have to protect the middle of the pitch. We can’t be to gung-ho with the way we approach the opposition.”

Att: 3706

Rochdale: Lillis, Wiseman, Widdowson, Holness, Dawson, Barry-Murphy, Jones (c), Kennedy, Akpa-Akpro (Elding 67), Thompson (Andre 84), O’Grady.
Subs (not used): Edwards, Flynn, Done, Goodall, Redshaw

Hartlepool: Flinders, Austin (Halsam 82), Collins, Horwood, Gamble, Monkhouse, Brown (McSweeney 73), Sweeney, Murray, Bjornsson (Boyd 45), Hartley.
Subs (not used): Mackkay, Fredricksen, Rafferty, Larkin

Referee: Andy Penn (West Midland)
Assistants: S Copeland & J Simpson
4th official: S Lucas

Stats

Rochdale
Cautions: Widdowson (79)
Possession: 57%
Attempts on target: 3
Fouls: 5
Corners: 4


Hartlepool
Cautions: 0
Possession: 43%
Attempts on target: 9
Fouls: 9
Corners 5