Dodds gets Dale back to winning ways

Mansfield Town 1 (Hjelde 45)
Rochdale 2 (Murray 9, Dodds 90)

Substitute striker Louis Dodds headed a late winner for Rochdale at Field Mill, giving the visitors their first victory at the ground since 1994. The game played out much like an end of the season match between two teams with little left to play for but as the game meandered towards a dull draw, Dodds rose to get Rochdale back to winning ways after their Bank Holiday defeat to Barnet.

Rochdale manager Keith Hill’s team selection was the first indication that this game might be one of experimentation in preparation for next season, rather than one where the two teams pushed whole heartedly for a result. Simon Ramsden vacated his usual right back position to start alongside Rory McArdle at centre half; Gary Brown filled in at full back. Meanwhile Hill used two youngsters on the wings, Glenn Poole started on the left, whilst Joe Thompson filled in the right wing position vacated by Ben Muirhead, who ended his loan spell and returned to Bradford in midweek.

The Dale boss said: “If we had won the game on Monday the side might have been a bit different but we didn’t but the lads who have come in have played absolutely superb. It’s credit to them, they want to win and they want to be part of the squad and they want to be part of Rochdale’s future.”

Hill’s new look side began the game brightly and they took the lead just nine minutes in. Glenn Murray scored his twelfth Rochdale goal of the season when he latched onto Brown’s long through ball with the Mansfield defence caught flatfooted. Carl Muggleton, the home keeper, advanced to meet Murray but the Dale striker calmly lobbed him and the ball bounced into the roof of the net.

Brown had to at his best at the other end to flick Mickey Boulding’s cross away from the head of the well positioned Barry Conlon at the back post. However, there was little Brown or his taller defensive colleagues could do when Matt Hamshaw hit a pin point cross for Conlon to nod a looping header that had Mattew Gilks scrambling in the Dale goal before striking the post and being hacked to safety.

Rochdale struggled to build on their early momentum and the clearest chances, on the few occasions when either side stopped going through the motions, fell to the home side. The best chance of an equaliser came to Boulding but he showed a lack of confidence in front of goal and when he did finally shoot it was straight at Gilks.

Other than that it looked as though Rochdale would hold their lead quite comfortably as forward momentum for both sides broke down almost as soon as it had begun. With the last kick of the half, however, Mansfield drew level as Conlon’s aerial prowess finally paid off. He got a flick to Hamshaw’s free kick and Jon Olav Hjelde had the freedom of the six-yard box to ram the ball home. “[It was a] sloppy goal for Mansfield; we conceded from a set play, which we don’t normally do,” said Hill.

The game looked well set up for either side to push on for more goals in the second half but the final forty-five minutes were dull, desperately, desperately dull as poor passing combined with some decent defending meant that neither goalkeeper had a testing shot to save. The most admirable of the defenders was Mansfield’s Alex John-Baptiste who constantly got the better of Murray and strike partner Chris Dagnall whenever they tried to get past him and he was one of few players that had the composure to start the home side off in their attacks.

The goalkeepers continued to enjoy basking in the warm Mansfield sun until Dodds took the decision upon himself to say that the game would not finish in the most predictable of draws and snatched all three points for the visitors. Brown was the provider once more, this time much higher up the pitch as he got to the by-line on the overlap and chipped an excellent near post cross for Dodds to glance into the far corner.

Man of the match – Gary Brown – Brown showed that he is a more than adequate squad player on his first start for the club in nearly two months. He assisted both goals by very different methods and was admirable in his defensive performance by not putting a foot wrong at the back.

Attendance: 2,023.

Mansfield: Muggleton, Mullins, Hjelde, Baptiste, Kitchen, Hamshaw (Arnold 63), Lloyd (Rory Boulding 75), Dawson (Gritton 88), Hodge, Conlon, Michael Boulding.
Subs not used: White, Sleath.

Rochdale: Gilks, Ramsden, Goodall, McArdle, Perkins (Bates 84), Thompson (Rundle 63), Crooks, Brown, Poole, Dagnall (Dodds 73), Murray.
Subs not used: Rigby, Flitcroft.

Attempts (on target): Mansfield 6 (5) Rochdale 7 (4)
Free kicks: Mansfield 14 Rochdale 21
Offside: Mansfield 10 Rochdale 3
Corners: Mansfield 5 Rochdale 7

Referee: P Melin.