Revival continues with four more

Grimsby Town 0
Rochdale 4 (Ramsden 13, 72, Murray 45, Rundle 66)

Rochdale began the New Year as they finished the last by chalking up a consecutive 4-0 victory. Grimsby Town were the latest team to suffer at the hands of the revival that is being led by Caretaker Manager Keith Hill and he has done his chances of landing the job full time no harm at all during his four game tenure. This latest result was the most impressive, Grimsby, who have a decent home record and are a better side than Boston, were blown away in the strong winds at Blundell Park.

Hill, bravely, stuck with the same side that gave Boston a Christmas stuffing, stating that there was no way he could leave out any of the players that had achieved Dale’s best home result of the season. The temporary manager was rewarded with another four-goal performance with unlikely goal scorer Simon Ramsden grabbing a brace against his former club, whilst Glenn Murray’s excellent form continued and Adam Rundle repaid his manager’s faith with a deserved goal.

However, the goals did not flow until after the visitors had weathered an early storm as the Mariners made a good start to the game and should have taken an early lead but Nick Hegarty placed his free header from just six yards out straight into the grateful arms of Matthew Gilks. Gilks was called into action again soon after as his side made a nervy start, this time tipping Peter Till’s curling shot over the bar.

As the home side reflected on the early missed chances the visitors set about taking theirs as Ramsden opened the scoring. Phil Barnes had earlier kept out Adam Rundle’s effort in an all action start to the game but had no answer to Ramsden’s strike as his defence deserted him. Ramsden was allowed to chest down a Rory McArdle knock down and volley into the far corner.

Grimsby saw a lot of the ball from then on but they found themselves up against a defence and goalkeeper in fine form. Alan Goodall, impressive throughout, produced a superb last-ditch tackle to deny Isaiah Rankin after good link up with Martin Patterson. Patterson himself then tried his luck but again Gilks turned the effort over the bar.

It looked as though Dale would take their slender lead into the break but Grimsby gifted them a crucial second just before the half time whistle blew. John Doolan was left free to receive a short corner and his excellent deep cross was a gift for Glenn Murray and he nodded home without a potential marker in sight.

The home side set about putting things right by starting the second half in a similar fashion to which they started the first but the Dale defence continued to keep them at bay. Away from goal scoring glamour, Ramsden did his defensive duty by denying Till and Gilks continued to frustrate Patterson with an excellent close range stop after the Mariners forward had outstripped McArdle.

Again Dale had survived and with Grimsby’s attack worn down they could concentrate on further goal grabbing exploits. Chris Dagnall missed a header from a yard out when he failed to convert William Mocquet’s cross and Murray fired inches wide on the turn from the edge of the box but a third goal was not far away.

It came thanks to more superb link up play between Murray and Dagnall, who have formed a superb partnership over the festive period with four goals and two assists between them. Dagnall picked up the ball on the right, crossed for Murray, who produced a wonderful back header to set up Rundle who volleyed into the net emphatically.

Ramsden stuck the knife into his former club by completing the scoring and some generous defending by his former teammates once more assisted him. William Mocquet whipped in a low corner to the near post and the Grimsby defenders left the ball in the belief it was going out of play but they paid for their misjudgement as the ball hit the foot of the post and fell for Ramsden to finish from six yards.

With the Dale fans cheering every pass from then on and to chants of “we want five” Chris Dagnall almost granted their wishes but he failed to cap another man of the match performance with a goal as his attempt from a tight angle raced across the face of goal and inches the wrong side of the post.

The visiting fans had to make do with four but they were probably more than happy to settle for it. They travel to Wycombe on Saturday for the next stage of the Keith Hill revolution. Whether or not the board think he is ready to take the job on full time, Hill has certainly given them something to ponder after Dale’s last two performances. The position is still very much vacant and Hill’s credentials for filling it seem to grow game on game.

Man of the Match
Chris Dagnall – The scouse favourite covered every blade of grass as his pace and trickery caused the home defence problems all afternoon. The only thing missing was a goal and he would be disappointed at missing a couple of good chances but that was the only blemish on another superb performance from Dale’s best player of the season so far.

Attendance: 4302

Grimsby: Barnes, McDermott, Newey, Boshell, Fenton, Rankin (Reddy 65), Harkins, Hegarty (North 46), Till, Patterson, Pulis (Bolland 46).

Subs not used: Murray, Ravenhill.

Rochdale: Gilks, Ramsden, Goodall, Stanton (Crooks 46), McArdle, Jones, Doolan, Rundle (Thompson 86), Mocquet (Brown 77), Dagnall, Murray.

Subs not used: Rigby, Cooksey.

Booked: Ramsden, McArdle.

Attempts (on target): Grimsby 10 (5) Rochdale 17 (8)
Free kicks: Grimsby 21 Rochdale 12
Offside: Grimsby 3 Rochdale 4
Corners: Grimsby 8 Rochdale 8

Referee: J Singh