Dagnall at the Double

Boston United 0 Rochdale 3

Striker Chris Dagnall helped Rochdale to their first away win of the season as his brace and John Doolan’s last minute goal gave Dale a 3-0 win over fellow League Two strugglers Boston United. Judging by this game it was clear which of the two teams will be in the deeper trouble come the end of the season as Rochdale took their chances clinically, whilst Boston laboured in front of a home crowd which became increasingly frustrated with their sides’ efforts.

Dale showed their intent to overcome last weekend’s home defeat to Wycombe from the off and as early as the first minute their first chance arrived when Morike Sako burst clear down the left and squared the ball beyond the reach of goalkeeper Marriott, only for Chris Dagnall to be crowded out at the far post.

Rochdale continued to hurt a Boston defence that simply did not look comfortable with Dale’s front three; Chris Dagnall providing the perfect foil for the big men Sako and Keith Barker. It was Dagnall who pounced to open Dale’s account in the seventh minute. The Boston defence were all at sea as they failed to deal with a Lee Crooks corner. The ball skimmed off the head of home defender Ellender, for Dagnall to prod into the roof of the net at the far post.

The perfect start for the visitors and they looked to build on that lead by playing some excellent first half football. At the other end they were equally adept at dealing with Boston’s half-hearted attacks. The tough tackling of Mark Jackson typified the tightness of the Dale back line; the former Kidderminster man firing in to win the ball at every opportunity.

However, it was Jackson’s mistake, which almost cost Dale a needless equaliser. Jackson was casual in allowing the ball to run through to Gilks, giving Elding chance to put severe pressure on the Dale keeper. A freak goal almost ensued as Gilks’ kick hit the oncoming Elding and flew inches past the post.

Two long balls then proved to be the difference in deciding who got the next goal. Boston wasted theirs when ex-Dale forward Paul Tait beat the offside trap and took the ball down the right. With only the keeper to beat, Tait chose to square the ball from a tight angle and Gilks was on hand to palm the cross out and then gather at the second attempt.

Gilks continued to frustrate the home side by superbly keeping out Francis Green’s thirty-yard pile driver, which was destined for the top corner and it was from a long Gilks kick that Dale’s second goal arrived. Gary Jones flicked the ball on and Dagnall raced in behind the back line and clinically fired the ball into the top corner when one on one with Marriott.

Dale saw out the half by playing some excellent midfield football; Crooks, Jones and the man Steve Parkin described as “our most consistent player of the season so far” after the game, John Doolan formed some intricate triangles, giving each other plenty of time on the ball and the three of them hardly wasted a pass all afternoon.

However, such footballing quality proved hard to come by in the second period. Dale were less fluent and as you would expect Boston came into the half eager to overcome the deficit. The Dale defence held firm under considerable pressure and Gilks was seldom troubled by the Boston attack.

That said, Gilks was troubled by the actions of his own back four. Mark Jackson just about managed to put a defensive header over the bar but when fellow defender James Sharp got his head to a David Galbraith free kick it looked for all the world like an own goal and a lifeline for Boston would be the result, only for Gilks to dive full length and palm the ball out; yet another magnificent stop by the in form keeper.

The poor quality of the half continued, both sides huffed and puffed but Dale were happy not commit too many men forward to their infrequent forays forward, whilst Boston seemed to simply lack the ability to create anything meaningful.

That was until ten minutes from time when delightful footwork by Galbraith on the edge of the Dale box allowed him to put Elding in behind the Dale back line for the first time in the game. Elding’s idea was right, open up his body and fire across Gilks, but the execution went horribly wrong as the ball sailed over the bar and into the ungrateful arms of one of the Boston fans behind the goal.

Cue the sucker punch from the visitors as John Doolan rounded off Dale’s afternoon. The ball broke to Rochdale substitute Clive Moyo-Modise after some attempted passing along the Boston back line went horribly wrong. Modise passed to Doolan who had no-one but Marriott to beat, and the scouse midfielder did that by side-footing a delightfully cool finish into the back of the net.

The third goal meant that the three points were safely secured as Rochdale had finally put the finishing touches to the moves that have been evident in all of their recent fixtures, but without that crucial cutting edge. Dale put a poor Boston outfit to the sword in convincing fashion. The home fans rallied at the final whistle by clapping off their players, amidst chants to sack manager Steve Evans, but in truth they must be worried about their prospects for the season based on this showing.

Steve Parkin reflected on Dale’s first away win: “It’s a terrific win for us and I think it’s one that has been coming. I think that we’ve had some games where we’ve not played great but we’ve still had chances and not scored. Today thankfully we created chances and scored them.”

Dale face another away trip this Wednesday night when they travel to Wrexham and it is a game that could be made more difficult by the injuries sustained by two key members of the Dale back four in this encounter. Mark Jackson hobbled off mid-way through the second half with a reoccurrence of the groin problem that has plagued his early season, whilst James Sharp battled through the game with a sore Achilles.

Parkin expects a hard fought encounter against the Welsh outfit: “It’s a tough, tough game away at Wrexham. I think that they’re always very strong at home. If we play the same way and defend with the same spirit it should be a good game.”