Rochdale 2 - 0 Middlesborough

Date published: 22 July 2017

Rochdale beat Championship side Middlesbrough at the Crown Oil Arena in a pre-season friendly.

A Jamie Allen free-kick was headed into his own net by Daniel Ayala for Dale's first and Ollie Rathbone turned on the edge of the penalty box and fired in the second with minutes remaining.

Dale came close to making it three in the final minute when Steve Davies sent a low ball across the face of goal. Rathbone and Calvin Andrew came close to getting a touch before the ball fell to Inman, and he forced a good tip over the bar from Connor Ripley in the Middlesborough goal.

Middlesborough's best chances came at the end of the first half when Josh Lillis pulled off two fine saves in a minute from Martin Braithwaite and Adama Traore.

Rochdale: Lillis, McNulty, McGahey, Brown, Camps (Andrew 70), Williams (Inman 65), Rathbone, Allen, Cannon, Kitching (Trialist 57), Henderson (Davies 74).
Subs: Wade, Canavan, Keane, Adshead, Morley, Gillam.

Middlesborough: Ripley; Roberts, Ayala, Gibson (Fry 14), Fabio (Friend 46), Traore (Soisalo 74), De Roon, Clayton (Capt. from 14), Tavernier (Chapman 58), Braithwaite, Gestede (Assombalonga 46).
Subs: James.

Referee: Mr D Handley.

Attendance: 1,608

Photos: Journeaux (www.journeaux.org) for Rochdale Online