Spotland struggle goes on

Rochdale 1 Stockport County 3

After last week’s thumping at Lincoln, Rochdale manager Steve Parkin said his team had to bounce back and “put things right”; at the first time of asking, at home to Stockport County, they failed to do so. Once again, Rochdale fans felt overcharged at witnessing another poor home performance; the premium pricing scheme coming into play for this local derby. The non-season ticket holding fans that will provide much towards a match day income will be asking whether the product is worth the price.

This game was more entertaining than the last home game, the dullest of goalless draws against Chester, but that entertainment lasted for no more than half an hour in the second half following a first forty-five showing that was utterly abject from Steve Parkin’s side. By the time Rochdale had roused themselves enough to display some passion and play some attacking football, the first half had been and gone and they found themselves two goals down.

Stockport had hardly put Dale to the sword in the first half; in fact they had as many clear cut chances as Rochdale in the first period; none. However, they looked the more likely to score simply because they nullified Dale’s attack so easily. Stockport's four man midfield overwhelmed Dale’s three, leaving their back four to deal comfortably with any scraps the three pronged attack had to feed off.

Steve Parkin might well deem that the 4-3-3 formation has run its course. It was effective away from home until last week’s disaster but it has been completely ineffective on home turf; the typical attitude of the visiting team being that if they ensure they have enough men behind the ball they can cancel Dale out and then cause problems on the break.

Stockport were masters of the art. Once they realised the home side had little to offer they ventured forward themselves but manager Jim Gannon would have been disappointed that they created little in front of goal. Would, that is, if it had not been for Ash William’s mesmerizing 35 yard wonder strike into the top corner and Mark Robertson’s late first half penalty; awarded after Mark Jackson, on his return to the side, waved his arms and turned his back on a Damien Allen far post header, the ball duly struck a flailing hand.

Steve Parkin hinted at possible changes to the formation after the game. He said, “The thing we’ve found at home is that teams have come here and got two banks of four or even brought the front men back and it makes it really difficult for you to pass the ball through them. This is something we need to look at.”

A changed Dale side came out for the second half. Changed not only in terms of personnel, Darrell Clarke and Clive Moyo-Modise entering the fray, but also in terms of mentality, clearly Steve Parkin had fired some rockets in the dressing room. Dale attacked and at times they looked dangerous. They were back in the game when they were awarded a dubious looking penalty when Robertson was adjudged to have barged Glenn Murray during his headed clearance from an innocuous Alan Goodall cross.

The home fans were roused and an exciting twenty minutes ensued and for a short time this became a true derby game. End to end stuff and both sets of fans, with the Stockport fans almost matching the Dale fans for number, generating an atmosphere that finally suggested a local rivalry between the teams.

Rochdale’s chances to equalise came and went as the changes began to make an impact. Parkin said afterwards, “To give any team a two goal start makes it difficult especially when you come off a result like the one last week. But I give the players credit for the way they came out in the second half.

“We made a couple of changes at half-time because Stockport had the two goal lead and they were making it difficult for us. We brought on Clive and Darrell and for 20 minutes or so the changes worked, we created chances but we really needed that second goal.”

Sako was on the end of Dale’s best opportunity but Ruddy did well in the Stockport goal to keep out his well struck shot from point blank range. Moyo-Modise should have done better when put through on goal as he scuffed a tame effort that was easy pickings for the keeper.

It was a telling moment, Stockport wrapped up the points with their next attack. The goal arrived in somewhat unfortunate circumstances for the home side as James Sharp, hobbling towards the touchline following a County attack, failed to get off the pitch before Bramble was put through on goal, Sharp played him onside, and the striker finished neatly. Neatly considering he had earlier somehow managed to miss an open goal having rounded Gilks. Bramble’s miss was not the only chance Stockport had to make it three before they eventually did so; Gilks did well to palm substitute Michael Malcolm’s shot onto the bar.

Rochdale were the last to impact on an exciting half but by then the game was up. The woodwork was struck at the other end when Sako’s well struck shot was directed onto the bar by Ruddy, in similar fashion to Gilks' save at the other end.

In the end then the second half was entertaining and Rochdale may have achieved an unlikely draw but, to let the facts get in the way of a good story, they were awful in the first half and Stockport deserved the points. Rochdale have won only one game at Spotland this season and have scored just one goal from open play; so there is much to ponder for Steve Parkin as Dale, after a brief respite, find themselves back in the lower reaches of League Two.