Hockey: Rochdale Mens Seconds 2 - 3 Formby Mens Thirds

Captain Karl Wynn shows his delight after his strike to the back post gets converted

Rochdale Mens Seconds succumbed in a tough test against Formby Mens Thirds as the current league leaders maintained their undefeated record.

The game was competitive from start to finish and Rochdale took the lead 15 minutes in, when Josh Robinson picked up a cross from Andy Meanock, turned the defender and slotted the ball in to the bottom corner out of reach of the Formby keeper.

The game continued to flow from end-to-end, and Formby who equalised after Rochdale keeper Dave Edwards came off his line to meet the oncoming Formby striker. The ball got slipped out of Edwards reach to the far post where all it needed was a simple tap in.

Formby had come with a mixture of youth and experience and it began to pay dividends.

Rochdale were not getting tight enough, allowing Formby to turn the defence. With ten minutes to half time, Formby taking the lead. A break down the Formby right, finished with a shot that Edwards had no chance of saving.

From the start of the second half it Rochdale got a lot tighter and began to win 50/50 balls, their whole game lifted and the Rochdale central midfield partnership of Imran Ansari and Asif Omar began to put Formby on the back foot.

This more aggressive style paid dividends with a series of short corners, one of which saw Rochdale captain Karl Wynn drive a ball to the back post where Bjorne Brauns finished neatly.

Neither team settled for a draw, Formby wanting to keep their 100% record intact and Rochdale wanting to prove a point after winning promotion last year.

It was Formby’s experience that proved decisive. With less than three minutes on the clock, and following another great save from Edwards, Formby smashed the ball into the back of the net.

Rochdale didn’t give up and came close to earning a point right at the end of the game, but the ball drifted just wide of the mark.

Rochdale Captain Karl Wynn said: “Formby played a much better tactical game than us and played as a complete unit. We pushed them all the way and perhaps were unlucky not to get a draw. One things for sure, Formby won’t be relishing the return game.”

The Quat-Chem man-of-the-match went to Asif Omar who took the game to Formby and competed from one D to the other.