Stalemate in season opener

Photo: Jon Coluccio

Chris Dagnall came closest to scoring for Dale

11 More Image(s) In Gallery

Rochdale and Grimsby played out a goalless draw on the opening day of the season at Blundell Park.

Dale had the better of the few chances and Keith Hill will feel as though his side could have won it in the second half. It was thanks to the efforts of Phil Barnes in the Grimsby goal that they didn’t.

Barnes made a superb save to deny Chris Dagnall, who should have scored again in the second half but could not get any power on his free header.

Adam Rundle peppered the Grimsby goal without really testing Barnes, while Grimsby had little to cheer at the other end other than when Nathan Stanton left a backpass short and Sam Russell had to save his blushes with a superb stop from Martin Butler.

Keith Hill thought it was two points lost rather than one gained. He said: “I thought the performance merited more but we needed to be more clynical in front of goal. I think should have won with the chances we created and the pressure in the second half.”

The two sides struggled to shake off the early season nerves in the first half and it was a game of few chances at a blustery Blundell Park.

The first attempt did not come until fifteen minutes gone when Gary Jones hit a rasping drive from the edge of the area. Unfortunately for Dale his goalbound effort took a huge deflection off Matthew Heywood to take it out for a corner.

Grimsby finally got in on the attacking act on half hour having done very little to trouble the Dale back line. Martin Butler collected the ball in space on the right flank and cut his way towards goal. He chose to shoot instead of cut back from the tight angle and Sam Russell was able to save low at his near post.

Other than that both goalkeepers had a very quiet half, with Phil Barnes not tested at all. He would have been with the half coming to a close had it not been for another Heywood block. Barnes had dived full length to try and stop Chris Dagnall’s flick but Heywood arrived ahead of the Grimsby stopper.

The second half was a much more entertaining affair, especially from a Rochdale perspective. Le Fondre hit a well struck shot from the edge of the box but it was straight at the keeper.

At the other end Simon Ramsden had to clear Andy Taylor’s shot off the line in what was one of few attempts from the home side.

Dale began to get on top and Barnes was finally tested and the Dale attack found a keeper in fine form. Rundle found his range with a low drive that Barnes palmed around the post and then the Grimsby keeper made the save of the match when he somehow turned Chris Dagnall’s curled effort round the post.

The half certainly belonged to the visitors and Rundle running riot on the left hand side. His next effort saw him beat two defenders cutting in from the left and firing right footed shot inches wide.

It seemed the only way Grimsby would get a goal would from a defensive lapse and it arrived when Stanton prodded a tentative backpass straight to Butler but Sam Russell was hand to produce a fine stop. Butler came close again minutes later but hit his shot straight at Russell from eight yards out after Chris Llewellyn’s cut back.

Superb Dale football finally began to carve Grimsby open for the first time in the game as the game drew to a close. Substitute Kallum Higginbotham fed overlapping full back Simon Ramsden, who produced a superb cross but Dagnall did not put enough power on his header and Barnes was able to save.

In injury time Rundle was at it again, cutting in from the left and beating men at will but instead of putting his head up and picking out Dagnall, who would have had a tap in, but he chose to shoot and the ball went wide.

It wasn’t to be for Dale on opening day but the signs were promising.

Attendance: 4,213 (696)

Grimsby: Barnes, Stockdale, Newey, Heywood, Hope, Till, Butler (Bore 90), Llewellyn, Hunt, Taylor (North 62), Heslop.
Subs not used: Montgomery, Bennett, Hegarty.

Booked: Butler, Hope

Rochdale: Russell, Ramsden, Kennedy, Stanton, McArdle, Keltie, Jones, Rundle, Wiseman (Higginbotham 75), Le Fondre (Thorpe 82), Dagnall.
Subs not used: Spencer, Toner, Lambert..

Booked: Stanton, Keltie.


Freekicks: Grimsby 10 Rochdale 17
Offside: Grimsby 3 Rochdale 1
Corners: Grimsby 5 Rochdale 9
Attempts (on target: Grimsby 6 (3) Rochdale 11 (6)