Injuries mar decent Dale display against City

The players leave the pitch after the game at Spotland

Rochdale 2 Manchester City 3

Locals flocked to Spotland on Saturday 22 July to watch Rochdale’s only home pre-season fixture. Stuart Pearce brought his Manchester City side to town but it appeared as though many of his big-name players were still on their summer holidays as Dale scored two early goals and looked comfortable for long periods of an impressive first half for the home side.

However, as Rochdale manager Steve Parkin had to re-shuffle his entire back-line due to injuries, City took command in a one-sided second period and two penalties saw them overhaul the home side’s cushion and run out winners on a warm afternoon.

A large City following packed the Wilbutts Lane stand but it was the Dale fans who were doing the early cheering as Rochdale opened the scoring in the fourth minute. City were caught on their heels when Matthew Mills conceded a throw in deep in his own half. Ernie Cooksey was quick to throw the ball to Iyseden Christie and he raced towards goal before passing the ball across the six-yard box for Rickie Lambert to tap into the empty net.

Rochdale were looking more than competent in defence against a disappointing City front-line but Steve Parkin’s injury worries began with just five minutes played when Mark Jackson hobbled off to be replaced by Jon Boardman. Boardman was quickly into his stride alongside Nathan Stanton and the pair did a fine job of protecting Matthew Gilks’ goal with some excellent tackles.

With just eleven minutes gone Dale doubled their lead thanks to superb work by pre-season signing Adam Rundle. The skillful winger cut inside and beat two men on the edge of the box before firing across Nicky Weaver - City’s second choice goalkeeper could only palm the shot out and Gary Brown was on hand to pass into the unguarded net.

Rundle had an exciting opening half an hour as the Dale players looked to feed him constantly on the left hand side.

Rochdale were quick on the attack against a lethargic looking City outfit whose passes were going continuously astray. Iyseden Christie has clearly worked hard over the summer and it was he who created Dale’s next opening after holding up the ball and finding Rickie Lambert on the edge of the box. Lambert looped the ball over Nicky Weaver but it sailed just over the bar. Steve Parkin believes that the pair will be “a handful for anybody when they are fully fit.”

Dale were looking strong in all positions but it was Nathan Stanton who stood out above the rest with some excellent tackles in a superb first half performance. However, one such excellent tackle, winning the ball from the feet of Georgios Samaras who looked to be clear on goal, cost Dale dear as disaster struck for Stanton - his afternoon ended early due to injury, causing Steve Parkin a real dilemma with both of his centre halves forced into taking an early shower.

Dale continued to put their bodies on the line in the face of City’s attacks and they were putting challenges in all over the pitch, but when they failed to stand up to Georgios Samaras when he received the ball just inside the area it was to their cost as the Greek striker fired the ball beyond Gilks into the far corner; reducing Dale's lead to one goal minutes before the interval.

Despite the late goal Stuart Pearce must have been less than impressed with his side’s first half display, and it was clear from the way his team equipped themselves in the second half that he had had more than a quiet word with his players in the dressing room.

Meanwhile the injury problems continued for his opposite number as Alan Goodall was substituted at half-time due to a niggling groin injury; French trial player Joseph Edje replaced him.

Rochdale’s threat ended with the half-time whistle as the visitors took complete control of the second half with a fine display of possession football against their tiring opponents.

The home side continued to battle but City pulled level when Lee Croft deceived Edje and he stuck out a leg and brought the City winger down for a penalty. Joey Barton dispatched the spot-kick, sending Gilks the wrong way.

City went ahead five minutes later courtesy of another penalty kick as Simon Ramsden scythed down substitute Ishmail Miller. Fellow substitute Paul Dickov scored on his return to the City ranks, sneaking the ball under Gilks from the spot.

The remainder of the game was quiet and had very much a stop start feel thanks to numerous substitutions; typical of pre-season games. Manchester City took this to the extreme with ten minutes to go when they swapped four players at the same time and by the end their eleven was completely different from that which started.

Both sides looked happy that they had seen what they wanted from the fixture but there was still time for the small Dale squad to be reduced even further as Gary Brown was taken from the field on a stretcher after Paul Dickov’s late tackle, which surely would have been more harshly punished had it been a league game. Steve Parkin will be heading to the boardroom hoping for cash to strengthen his squad after injuries to four key players left his threadbare squad with just ten fully fit professionals.

After the game, talking to Rochdale Online, the Rochdale manager, Steve Parkin, complimented his players on a good display, however, the injuries and the squad size were at the top of his agenda: “I thought first half especially we were good, but the day was soured straight away really with the injury to Jacko [Mark Jackson]. It’s just a case of waiting to see how the injured players are on Monday. We only had fifteen players at the start and to lose another four is… it’s just something we will have to talk about with the board because we’ve got to have enough players and we will have the smallest squad in the football league.”

One major positive from the afternoon, given last season’s problems, was the superb new pitch at Spotland and the manager agreed that it was now an excellent surface, he said: “It’s a great pitch. The investment has come not before time but it has proved its worth. It looks terrific and it’s great that we now have a first class pitch and it will suit us as we showed in the first half today.”

Dale play their penultimate pre-season friendly on Thursday 27 July when they travel to face Rossendale United at Dark Lane. The game will give fans a chance to look at the younger players who will no doubt play a part in the first team at some point this season.