Rochdale 4 - 0 Swindon Town

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Joe Bunney scored Rochdale's first goal

Rochdale brushed aside Swindon Town with a comfortable victory at The Crown Oil Arena. From the minute Joe Bunney put Dale into a 29th minute lead there only ever looked like one winner as Dale exacted revenge for defeat at The County Ground a month ago.

Matt Lund doubled Dale’s advantage 10 minutes after the break before substitute Steven Davies bagged a brace to seal an emphatic victory.

Having progressed to the second round of the FA Cup in midweek, it was back to league action for Rochdale.

Dale manager Keith Hill kept faith with goalkeeper Conrad Logan whilst Matt Lund returned from international duty with Northern Ireland. Keith Keane, ineligible for the FA Cup game, returned to the starting line-up. Club captain Ian Henderson took his place on the bench after four weeks out injured.

The opening exchanges were a lively affair with both sides having chances to open the scoring.

Conrad Logan, starting his first league game since the 3 September, denied John Goddard after Jon Obika had beaten the Dale offside trap as early as the third minute.

Dale’s first sight of goal came when Joe Thompson flicked the ball to Oli Rathbone on the left. He crossed for Mendez-Laing, whose volley went just wide.

The opening goal came just before the half hour. Callum Camps did brilliantly to jink into the box before clipping a pin point cross for Bunney who powered a header on to the bottom corner for his first of the season.

Lund came agonisingly close to extending Dale's lead just before the break when he steered a first time shot just wide of the post.

The second half was all Dale and they looked likely to cause Swindon problems every time they attacked.

Mendez-Laing powered his way from the half way line through towards Vigoroux’s goal but his dinked shot, although over the stricken keeper, drifted over the bar too.

The second Dale goal came soon after when Rafferty’s free-kick fell at the feet of Lund who couldn’t miss from six yards out.

Dale attacked at will and would have had more to show if it wasn’t for Vigoroux in the Swindon goal but the keeper couldn’t do anything to deny Davies who had only been on the field for four minutes when he made it 3-0. Joe Bunney’s cross was headed at goal by Davies, with Vigoroux only parrying back to Davies who had the easy task of slotting in.

Soon after 3-0 became 4-0 after tenacious play from Davies earned his side a penalty. The striker won the ball off Ormonde-Ottewill in the corner before heading into the box. The Ormonde-Ottewill tripped the striker in his attempts to regain possession with referee Handley showing no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Davies dusted himself down to send Vigoroux the wrong way to take his personal tally to four in two games.

Hill introduced Henderson for the last 15 minutes and the striker had a trio of chances thwarted by Vigoroux. Firstly, Bunney’s quickly taken free-kick caught the Swindon defence napping with the keeper superbly tipping Henderson’s effort around the post whilst a second chance was also diverted out for a flag kick.

With the game entering its final five minutes, Logan’s long pass evaded the Swindon defence before picking out Henderson; Vigoroux again on hand to stop Dale adding to the scoreline.

The win moves Dale level on points with sixth placed AFC Wimbledon ahead of the midweek visit of Walsall to The Crown Oil Arena.

Attendance: 2,196

Rochdale: Logan, Rafferty, Keane (McGahey 45), McNulty, Bunney, Camps (c), Lund, Noble-Lazarus (Davies 54), Rathbone (Henderson 74), Thompson, Mendez-Laing.
Subs: (not used) Lillis, Tanser, Morley, Odelusi.

Swindon: Vigoroux, Ormonde-Ottewill, Jones, Rossi-Branco, Furlong, Rodgers (Iandolo 68), Doughty (c), Smith, Barry (Norris 53), Obika (Delfouneso 60), Goddard.
Subs: (not used) Henry, Evans, Thomas, Murray.

Referee: Mr D Handley
Assistants: Mr I Smedley & Mr C Ward
Fourth Official: Mr N Greenhalgh