Own goal so harsh on Hill’s youngsters

Milton Keynes Dons 2 (McLeod 80, Stanton 88 og.)
Rochdale 1 (Harper 58 og.)

Keith Hill’s first game in charge of Rochdale as caretaker manager ended in a fourth successive defeat for the league two strugglers. Hill trusted to the youngsters that he coaches in his regular role at the club by adding Joe Thompson to a starting line-up that already included 17 year old Callum Warburton, and for eighty minutes they frustrated the high flying MK Dons and took a surprise lead midway through the first half.

Hill wrung the changes to the side that lost last week to Hartlepool and ultimately cost Steve Parkin his job as manager. The biggest surprise was to leave top-scorer Chris Dagnall on the bench in place of the hard-working Glenn Murray who towed the line on his own up front as Dale sought to contain the Dons with five in midfield.

For the first forty-five minutes it worked a treat as the home side, despite all of the attacking threat at their disposal, failed to register a meaningful attempt on goal. However, the visitors managed little worthy of note at the other end either in a first half low on quality but Rochdale had completed part one of their objective; nullify the threat of the Milton Keynes’ attack.

The game sprung to life in the second half and if Rochdale were happy at half time they were ecstatic when they opened the scoring and it looked as though they might snatch an unlikely victory against the misfiring Dons.

Alan Goodall knocked a half cleared corner back into the box, Joe Thompson caused enough problems to prevent the home defence from clearing the ball once more, and it fell for William Mocquet to volley home via the post and the back of stranded goalkeeper Lee Harper. Mocquet will try and claim the goal but in truth it would not have gone in without the deflection off Harper, much like Tim Howard’s own-goal for Everton after Michael Ballack’s free-kick for Chelsea last week.

The goal gave the game the spark that it needed but the response was not immediate from a home side that was clearly out of sorts and manager Martin Allen was forced into making a double substitution as his side, who had still not looked like scoring, seemed to be meandering toward what would have been a deserved defeat.

Indeed, for a time the visitors looked reasonably comfortable and could have sealed the points on a couple of occasions. Mocquet had become a joy to watch on the right after having earlier been given a rough time of things by Dons full back Dean Lewington. Mocquet had the last laugh by selling the defender a superb dummy and racing onto the ball before whipping in a vicious cross that was well dealt with by ex-Dale defender Paul Butler. Lewington was substituted not long after.

Rochdale had one last chance to double their lead when Warburton surged at the heart of the home defence from midfield and he was given enough space to get his shot away but it was well palmed clear by Harper.

Milton Keynes undeserved equaliser came minutes later when, for the first time in the match, Dale’s back pairing of Nathan Stanton and Rory McArdle failed to deal with another long ball by the home side and Izale McLeod, who had been ineffective throughout, finally showed why he carries such a high price tag for this level by smashing the ball into the net on the half-volley after Aaron Wilbraham had won the flick on.

If the Dons equaliser was harsh then their winner was a real kick in the teeth for a Dale side that had put in so much effort. If the Rochdale fans had not been so gutted at the manner in which yet another defeat had come about they would have been able to laugh at the winning goal.

A high ball had Stanton in trouble with McLeod lurking behind him and in the end all the defender could do was stick a leg out at the ball, which saw it cannon of Stanton’s boot and loop perfectly over Matthew Gilks and into the net.

Martin Allen knew that his side had got more than they deserved as he dramatically wiped his brow when the home fans sung his name as the match drew to a close. The defeat was so harsh on Keith Hill’s young team. It was a bold first starting line-up from the caretaker manager and it almost paid off, but all of Milton Keynes’ Christmases came at once as McLeod struck and then Stanton’s own goal gave them all three points.

It was a game that did everything and nothing to belie the two teams’ league positions. The sides certainly did not appear twenty places apart but whilst the Dons won whilst playing particularly poorly, Dale lost whilst playing quite well.

Man of the Match
Callum Warburton - In a game where it was the team performance rather than that of any individual that stood out, the 17 year old typified his team’s effort by working hard for the full ninety minutes and forcing one of few saves from the home goalkeeper.

Attendance: 5459

Milton Keynes: Harper, Lewington (Smith 63), Edds, Butler, O’Hanlon, McGovern (Mitchell 90), Wilbraham, Andrews, Dyer, McLeod, Platt (Taylor 64).

Subs not used: Baines, Crooks.

Rochdale: Gilks, Ramsden, Stanton, McArdle, Goodall, Mocquet (Moyo-Modise 90), Doolan, Jones, Warburton, Thompson, Murray.

Subs not used: Rigby, Crooks, Dagnall, Brown.

Booked: Warburton.

Attempts (on target): MK Dons 8 (3) Rochdale 9 (4)
Free kicks: MK Dons 20 Rochdale 16
Offside: MK Dons 1 Rochdale 6
Corners: MK Dons 3 Rochdale 2

Referee: D Gallagher