Dale's Losing Streak Continues

Wrexham 2 - 1 Rochdale

Rochdale travelled to Wrexham on Boxing Day clearly fired up in the hope of turning round their recent league form and they took the lead in an exciting first period. However, they were undone when the home side were awarded a controversial penalty right on the half time whistle. Then, after the break, Wrexham took the lead after a stunning strike from Darren Ferguson that was fit to win any game of football, despite the fact it was one of Wrexham’s few shots on target.

Steve Parkin bravely chose an attacking team to take on a Wrexham side that has excellent home form, a 4-3-3 formation was restored with Blair Sturrock’s return to first team action and the tactics worked superbly in the opening exchanges and the fact that Wrexham keeper Mike Ingham put in a man of the match display spoke volumes for the visitor’s performance. Ingham was called into action during the first ten minutes when he tipped a Gary Jones effort round the post after a half-cleared corner found the Dale skipper on the edge of the area.

The home side responded and would have taken the lead had it not been for Tony Gallimore. The ball was threaded through to Mark Jones who ran at the Rochdale goal, exploiting the space between Dale defenders. Gilks left his line to intercept but Jones placed a cool lob over the Dale stopper only for Gallimore, who kept his head, to clear the ball off the line, whilst his fellow defenders were still appealing for offside.

Both sides battled hard on a difficult surface but it was the visitors who took the lead after a well-taken goal on the counter attack. Neil Brisco took advantage of the space in front of him and took the ball towards goal before spreading the ball to Jones who had made an excellent run into space on the right. Jones put in an excellent cross, which was begging to be headed home, and Paul Tait did the honours at the back post, giving Ingham no chance.

The goal seemed to fill the visitors with confidence and they continued their attacking outlook on the game. Rickie Lambert was next to produce a superb Ingham save, as the Wrexham goalkeeper caught Lambert’s looping header at full stretch. Ingham was then rewarded for his efforts as Wrexham equalised against the run of play thanks to a refereeing decision that was far from convincing. With five minutes to go before the interval and Rochdale looking comfortable in their lead, Gareth Griffiths was adjudged to have held Lawrence down in the penalty area after a cross came in. There were no appeals from either crowd or players but the referee pointed to the spot and Matt Crowell sent Gilks the wrong way with a well-taken penalty.

Rochdale responded well to the setback and could have restored their lead before the break had it not been for another goal line clearance. Lambert took a deep corner and Ernie Cooksey rose above his marker and headed past Ingham, only for Mark Jones to hack the ball clear of the Wrexham goal.

Both sides had chances to take the lead just after the interval as Wrexham upped their own tempo whilst Rochdale tried to maintain that of the opening period. Gilks was called into action in the opening minutes as he stopped a long-range effort from Walters. Rochdale then had a chance of their own as another Lambert corner caused problems. The ball fell to Sturrock and he fired at goal from close range but Ingham somehow saved with his feet. Rochdale were then shot down once more; the next time Ingham had the ball in hand he whacked it up field and the ball dropped to Ferguson who hit an unbelievable first time shot which rifled into the top corner from thirty-five yards.

The visitors tried not to let the goal affect them but this was a major blow to a side that is desperately struggling for results at the moment. Still, Rochdale had chances to take something from the game and should have done better with two excellent opportunities. Firstly, Rickie Lambert jinked his way down the left before cutting the ball back for Jones who failed to hit the target with his shot. Paul Tait then missed a golden opportunity after a cross found the tall front man in acres of space in the six-yard box but he was caught in two minds as his cross-come-shot went wide of the mark with Alan Goodall the intended target for the knockdown.

When your luck is out there is little you can do to reverse that fact and proof that Rochdale’s luck was truly out came in the closing stages when Goodhind’s speculative cross sailed goalwards and evaded the flapping Ingham but rebounded of the inside of the post and away to safety. The full time whistle followed and Rochdale’s run of defeats continued but a much improved performance finally gave the fans some optimism that a turn in fortune might not be too far away and that their next game might add some much needed points to the tally.