Murray makes a goal scoring return

Glenn Murray won the game for Dale on his return to action after injury

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Northwich Victoria 1 (Williams)
Rochdale 2 (Le Fondre, Murray)

Glenn Murray made a welcome return to action for Rochdale by playing the second forty-five minutes and scoring the winner against Northwich in Dale’s final pre-season friendly before the season kicks off in earnest at Peterborough next weekend. Manager Keith Hill can’t wait for it to get going, saying that “the proof will be in the footballing pudding” as to whether or not his team has had a successful pre-season.

There was more than just Murray’s return to please Hill; David Perkins and Lee Crooks came through the full ninety minutes unscathed, with Perkins playing as if he had never been away from the team, proving to his manager that he is ready for the season’s opener.

Crooks was combative at centre-half and should retain his place for the weekend with Nathan D’Laryea having picked up a knock in midweek and Nathan Stanton, although he managed another forty-five minutes here, Dale having made wholesale changes at half time, the first game could come too soon for him to be fully match fit.

The same can be said of Murray who, although he took his goal superbly, was understandably a bit off the pace in the more physical aspects of his game, which make him such a vital player for Dale up front.

Murray’s absence from pre-season has seen Chris Dagnall and Adam Le Fondre form a thriving partnership and although many might expect Hill to go with a big-man, little-man front pairing for the majority of games, it will be up to Dagnall and Le Fondre to prove to Hill that he can’t leave either of them out of the side in the opening stages with Murray breathing down their necks as he returns to fitness.

Le Fondre equalised for Dale here, scoring his fourth goal of pre-season in the process. Tom Kennedy’s deep diagonal cross found Dagnall in acres of space at the far post. Dagnall went for the spectacular by hitting the ball first time on the volley and Le Fondre profited from the mistimed shot come cross by turning the ball into the empty net.

Northwich had not created many chances to earn their lead. Former Dale striker Kevin Townson headed over after good work by Ryan Brown, Northwich’s most accomplished player, but they had done little else to trouble James Spencer in the Dale goal until Chris Williams gave him no chance by spanking the ball into the top corner from outside the Dale box; a stunning effort which the Dale defence could just stand back and admire.

The visitors looked to hit back immediately. Dagnall’s shot from a tight angle was well turned away at the near post by Northwich keeper Andrew Murphy before Dale struck their slightly fortunate equaliser.

The goal brought Dale’s best spell of attacking football, too good for the Conference outfit who committed numerous clumsy fouls as the Dale pace and tempo was more than they could be reasonably expected to combat.

Dale’s best move that not did not end in a free kick being awarded their way, was completed with a good  low save from Murphy as he reacted to Le Fondre’s downward header. Dale used the whole pitch in the build up, Kennedy knocked the ball down the left channel for Le Fondre to latch onto, he knocked the ball back for Adam Rundle and it ended up with Simon Ramsden’s cross from the opposite flank having travelled across the midfield via Perkins and Gary Jones.

Perkins and Jones were linking up well and this was again evidenced when Ben Muirhead went on a mazy run and knocked the ball across the box for Perkins, only for him to dummy the ball for his midfield partner, but Jones could not produce the finish the move deserved by blazing over the crossbar.

Half-time saw eight of the likely starting eleven for the Peterborough game take a rest, with only Spencer, Crooks and Perkins playing the full match.

The second half brought little in the way of action but it did witness the save and goal of the game. The save came from Murphy, diving full stretch to turn Kallum Higginbotham’s header from a deep John Doolan cross round the post, whilst the goal came from Murray.

Collecting Rory Prendergast’s cross with his back to goal, the striker skipped in between two defenders and then feigned a shot to bamboozle a third into giving him all the time and space he needed to produce a calm finish over the advancing Murphy. Murray may have been off the pace at times, but he was simply too good for the Northwich defence in securing the win for Dale.

Man-of-the-Match: David Perkins – Keith Hill said after the game that Perkins is the sort of player who does not lose any of his sharpness whilst on the treatment table and he proved here that he is more than ready to use his harrying and busy style to full effect next weekend.

Northwich: Murphy, Battersby, Brown (Sharp), Welsh, Strong, Birch, Redfearn (Wilson), Carr, Tait (Maylett), Townson (Maamria), Williams (Byrne).

Rochdale: Spencer, Ramsden (K. Buckley), Kennedy (Warburton), Crooks, McArdle (Stanton), Muirhead (Watt), Jones (Doolan), Perkins, Rundle (Prendergast), Le Fondre (Murray), Dagnall (Higginbotham).

Attempts (on target): Northwich 7 (2) Rochdale 9 (4)
Freekicks: Northwich 13 Rochdale 21
Offside: Northwich 4 Rochdale 4
Corners: Northwich 3 Rochdale 5