The lowest point of the season

Hartlepool United 1 (Duffy 17)
Rochdale 0

Rochdale manager Steve Parkin remained defiant in the face of the pressure that is being piled on him game by game. After a third consecutive 1-0 defeat, this time at the hands of Hartlepool United Parkin remains convinced he can turn things round. A soft seventeenth minute goal was all it took to condemn a lacklustre Rochdale outfit to a seventh league defeat in eight matches, Hartlepool’s on loan Hull City striker Darryl Duffy opening the scoring with a free header.

“I’m determined to carry on, I’m determined to make sure that the players prepare properly, I’m determined to make sure that the players are motivated. The other decisions are out of my hands, I’ve just got to keep doing my job and see what happens,” said the under fire manager.

Support for Parkin from the terraces seems to be dwindling. Of the small away following there were none to support him or to condemn those that recommenced the chants for his head midway through the second half. It would have been tough for anyone to put a positive spin on this latest outing.

The opening half was one of the worst displays Steve Parkin’s side has turned out during his tenure. His team seemed to be going through the motions, hardly the sign of players that are playing as if their manager’s job depends on it. They could not keep the ball and looked completely lacking in ideas. In Barker and Sako, Parkin had chosen a front two that were each as unlikely to score as the other, whilst top scorer Chris Dagnall found himself out wide; Parkin’s team selection baffled most.

It was little surprise that the home side took the lead as Duffy nodded home from Michael Nelson’s knock down, two free headers resulting in a simple goal for the home side. The bigger shock was that Hartlepool had not stretched their lead before the break; Duffy should have scored inside the box instead of shooting weakly at Matthew Gilks and the Rochdale keeper did superbly to tip Anthony Sweeney’s shot onto the post after the tricky midfielder had danced all too easily into the Dale area.

The closest, and only, times Rochdale came anywhere close to getting into proceedings in the first half was through Keith Barker. He twice tested home keeper Dimitrios Konstantopoulos with a couple of half chances, both volleys, the first of which only brought a save thanks to a large deflection off Nelson.

Having no doubt been made aware of exactly how poor they had been in the first half in the dressing room at half time, Rochdale were stronger in the second as Hartlepool sat back and struggled to further test the Dale rearguard.

Rochdale were spurred by the introduction of Glenn Murray but it was the switch to put Dagnall in his natural striking position that had the bigger impact as the visitors best football came through him. It resulted in a chance for Murray as Simon Ramsden whipped in a cross from the right but the substitute failed to direct his header on target. It seemed so simple to see that Dagnall being played up front meant that Rochdale looked far more threatening.

Further crosses came into the box, many of which Konstantopoulos chose to punch, instead of catch, much to the annoyance of the home fans but in truth this was yet another Rochdale game in which the opposition keeper had far too quiet a game. It was the goalkeeper’s mistake to spill Alan Goodall’s long shot but even then Morike Sako was offside on the follow up.

Rochdale continued not to threaten and in the end Hartlepool could have stretched their lead on the break when Richie Humphreys found Duffy at the near post but his flick missed the target.

By 5.00pm this Saturday afternoon Rochdale could find themselves in the relegation zone. Meanwhile, the Rochdale board hold the cards as to how much longer Steve Parkin will find himself in a job. To a growing section of the Rochdale support, the clock has already stopped.

Attendance: 3,659

Hartlepool: Konstantopoulos, Barron, Nelson, Clark, Humphreys, Sweeney, Boland, Liddle, Monkhouse (Daly 69), Eifion Williams, Duffy.
Subs Not Used: Provett, Bullock, Darren Williams, Foley.

Rochdale: Gilks, Ramsden, Stanton, McArdle, Goodall, Jones, Doolan, Warburton, Sako (Moyo-Modise 79), Barker (Murray 56), Dagnall.
Subs Not Used: Mocquet, Cooksey, Boardman.

Booked: Stanton, Sako, Goodall.

Attempts (on target): Hartlepool 7 (4) Rochdale 5 (3)
Free kicks: Hartlepool 19 Rochdale 13
Offside: Hartlepool 4 Rochdale 5
Corners: Hartlepool 7 Rochdale 6

Referee: C Boyeson