Good Week Ends With Hard Fought Draw

Rochdale ended a successful week by getting a point against a well drilled Shrewsbury Town outfit. Dale went into the game with confidence after their recent exploits on their travels and it took them just six minutes to turn that confidence into the opening goal. However, in Shrewsbury they were up against tougher opposition than Boston and Wrexham and the Dale defence was under pressure to hold onto their lead and they eventually conceded the equaliser midway through the second half.

In an entertaining affair at Spotland, the visitors played the more impressive football and at times put the Dale defence under severe pressure, particularly from set pieces, but they seldom turned their dominance into chances. At the other end, Rochdale certainly had the better opportunities but they failed to score a second and that cost them what would have been perhaps an undeserved three points.

Shrewsbury played some good early football but it was Dale who created the best chance on the break when Chris Dagnall skipped past one man and then sent Sako clear down the left but the tall striker hit a tame effort, which was comfortable for Mackenzie in the Shrewsbury goal.

However, when Sako and Dagnall linked up again minutes later it resulted in the opening goal. This time Dagnall fed Sako on the opposite side and his low cross was turned behind by Neil Sorvel. Lee Crooks took the corner kick and former Shrewsbury defender James Sharp rose to power a bullet header into the top corner of the net.

The goal didn’t affect the Shrews mentality and they continued to cause problems for the Dale defence with the lively Derek Asamoah and midfielder Ben Davies proving to be particularly difficult customers with their pace. It was the latter’s speed and trickery that gave the visitors their first clear chance. Asamoah skipped past Sharp and pulled the ball back for Michael Symes but he scuffed his shot into the grateful hands of Matthew Gilks.

Shrewsbury won a total of eleven corners in the game and was from one of these that their next chance arrived when Sagi Burton got his head to Davies’ cross but again Gilks saved the poorly placed header.

How the home side did not make it two at the other end minutes later not even goalkeeper Mackenzie will know as he somehow kept out consecutive efforts from Barker and Dagnall. Good football by Dale on the right saw the ball played out to Brown from Sako and his low cross was turned towards goal by Barker but Mackenzie turned it over the bar, although in truth he probably knew little about it.

From the resulting corner Chris Dagnall stole in at the far post and his powerful header seemed destined for the back of the net from close range only for Mackenzie to stick out a leg and scramble the ball off the line.

Shrewsbury continued to cause problems from set pieces but they were not turning their possession into anything that might trouble Gilks in the Rochdale goal. Dale held out to half time but Steve Parkin clearly had some food for thought going into the break with his side struggling to get any time on the ball.

Whatever was said at half time did not serve to solve the problem as Shrewsbury continued were they left off. Set pieces were again their main form of attack but they still they couldn’t find their range when they did win the header in the Dale box. The closest they came was when Dave Edwards headed on target but Gilks was able to tip the ball over the bar.

They may not have deserved it but once again Dale should have given themselves a cushion when Keith Barker raced onto a Nathan Stanton long ball that split the Shrews defence. Barker did the right thing by lobbing the advancing Mackenzie but his effort sailed over the bar when it ought to have bounced into the empty goal.

Rochdale paid the ultimate price when the visitors equalised on the hour. Again it was Asamoah who carved out the opening by stealing a yard on Gary Jones on the right touchline before firing a wicked low cross in to the near post. Substitute Andy Cooke was on hand to scramble the ball home between Gilks and the covering Nathan Stanton. Stanton was injured as Cooke finished and was forced off to further deplete Dale’s defensive options.

Ernie Cooksey came on at the same time as Stanton’s replacement, Jon Boardman, and it was a change that benefited the home side as they managed to stem the Shrewsbury’s dominance in the midfield and enabled them to push on in search of a winner but Lee Crooks’ twenty-five yard scorcher was the closest they came, and that was well tipped over by Mackenzie.

The draw was a fair result but Rochdale would be disappointed that could not get that second goal that would have seen them claim three wins from as many games. Steve Parkin agreed that his was the better side in terms of chances. He said: “In terms of the ninety minutes it was one point gained today but if you look at the chances than it’s two points lost.

“We were not at our best but we had clearer chances than Shrewsbury despite all of their pressure."

Parkin also had a word to say about the small section of the home fans that abused him for taking off Chris Dagnall towards the end of the game. “It’s been a difficult week in which we have taken seven points out of nine and to get verbally abused by the supporters for taking Chris Dagnall off, who was absolutely shattered because of the effort he’d put in, is beyond belief.

“We did not move the ball around the pitch as we wanted but we were fully committed. I think five weeks ago we would have lost the game but we battled and earned a point. Hopefully we can continue that attitude at Darlington on Friday.”