Parkin Apologises After Derby Defeat

Bury 2 Rochdale 1

Steve Parkin issued an apology to the fans and accepted full responsibility for Rochdale’s dire showing in the defeat against local rivals Bury at Gigg Lane. 1300 fans travelled the short distance for the crucial derby game but they left the ground embarrassed as Bury outplayed the visitors and recorded a vital win in their bid for League Two survival.

From the outset Rochdale showed no signs of repeating the spirited midweek display against Grimsby as the hosts dictated play throughout the first half. Rochdale were forced onto the back foot through their failure to seldom string more than two passes together and the only surprise by the final whistle was that Bury had not recorded a much more convincing victory. It took just four minutes for the home side to record their first attempt on goal and loan signing Jon Daly should have done better than to find Gilks from close range.

There was only one team in it as Bury bossed a Rochdale midfield that simply had not turned up. Tom Youngs was next to try his luck and Gilks did well to deny the lively striker at the near post and fortunately for Dale Tony Gallimore was on hand to clear the rebound, which Youngs hit on the follow up. Dale were on the ropes and the knockout punch seemed only minutes away; the opening goal arrived on thirty-three minutes and when it did it was as farcical as Rochdale’s performance.

Rochdale had a defensive throw-in on the left hand side which Tony Gallimore elected to throw back to Gilks who could then propel the ball upfield, a poor decision perhaps on Gallimore’s part bearing in mind Gilks’ renowned kicking difficulties but the goalkeeper took the brunt of the blame as he took a touch and then kicked the ball straight at the closing Tom Youngs, who had the simple task of finishing into the empty goal.

With Schmeichel a spectator in the Bury goal, the home side continued to press for the remainder of the half, toying with their opposition who were being outplayed in every area of the field. The Dale rearguard managed to keep the deficit to a single goal at half time but Bury doubled their lead minutes into the second period as Rochdale continued to do what they had throughout the first half; very little. The impressive winger Lewis Gobern raced onto a Daly pass, and the quick-footed loanee beat Gallimore with ease before firing a strong shot beyond Gilks from a tight angle.

For the following twenty minutes the game became a straight contest between the Bury attack and the Rochdale goalkeeper. Gilks somehow kept the score down but if Bury had been more ruthless the home side could have more than doubled their lead. A free-header by Daly was misdirected straight at the Dale keeper, then Barry-Murphy looked certain to add Bury’s third when put clean through but Gilks saved superbly.

Finally on seventy-minutes, the visitors decided they had had enough of being out-fought and out-played and began to pass the football to each other and it brought them a goal and an undeserved lifeline. Gary Jones found himself free on goal after the ball had bounced around the edge of the Bury box, and the Dale skipper calmly placed the ball beyond Schmeichel to half the Shakers’ lead.

Rochdale finally got their acts together and Bury faced a nervous last twenty minutes but they needn’t have worried as Rochdale failed to create any further meaningful opportunities despite having the better of the play. Apart from which, Rochdale deserved nothing more than the boos that rang out from the away end at the final whistle; getting a draw from this encounter would have been blatant daylight robbery. The three points moves Bury a step further from the drop, whilst Rochdale are far from safe themselves, meanwhile Parkin’s future hangs firmly in the balance, Tuesday night’s must-win game at home to Barnet could go someway towards deciding it.