Hockey: Rochdale 3 - 1 Carlisle

James Shepherd wonder strike sealed victory for Rochdale Firsts Men’s Hockey

Rochdale made the long trek up to Carlisle on Saturday and kept the pressure on the other teams around them at the top of the table with a comfortable win.

Rochdale started very strongly and dominated most of the possession throughout the half.

A strike from Dave Gowers was too powerful for the Carlisle keeper to hold and it slipped under him and into the back of the net to give Rochdale an early lead.

Rochdale's dominance in midfield from Michael Waddicor and Mark Eden allowed them to have a spare man always available for the overlap.

Eden got around the back to cut in to a crowded box and crossed the ball; the cross took a nasty deflection and was knocked in at head height by Keiran King.

Rochdale's third came from a run from the half way line by Waddicor who saw James Shepherd open, the pass was perfect and Shepherd took a first-time shot from the top of the D that flew into the top right-hand corner.

Vice-captain Mark Eden said: "Carlisle hardly left their half in the second half with us defending a very high line. Our defence was excellent and the movement from the forwards superb."

The Oulder Hill Leisure Complex man-of-the-match went James Deacy.