Exeter City 1 - 0 Rochdale

Rochdale's six game unbeaten run came to an end in a narrow defeat to Exeter City at St James' Park. Jamie Cureton's 50th minute header was enough to give Paul Tisdale's side the points in a fairly dour game played on a poor pitch.

The Dale boss unsurprisingly named an unchanged side from that which beat Huddersfield Town in midweek. With Scott Wiseman and Joe Widdowson still sidelined, Josh Thompson and Alan Goodall continued to deputise in the full back positions.

The game began in glorious sunshine but the pitch, although heavily watered prior to kick-off, was very dry. 120 tonnes of sand placed onto the surface in the last few days meant that pretty football was not going to be on show.

It was a match that was slow to get going with the first attack of note coming on the quarter of an hour mark when Barry-Murphy found Kennedy on the edge of the box but the former Darlington man slipped. Even on the floor Kennedy managed to dig a ball out for Done but the winger was closed down and the chance had gone.

Both sides were trying to get to grips with the pitch and chances were few and far between.

Gary Jones' 'daisy cutter' flashed just wide in Dale's only real sight of goal in the opening 45.

At the other end, The Grecians were looking more likely to score. Logan's perfectly weighted through ball to strike partner Cureton, who beat the offside trap, almost brought about the opening goal. The diminutive strikers pull back was almost diverted into his own net by Barry-Murphy but Dawson cleared.

As the half drew to a close, the 214 Dale fans had a scare when Goodall let Tully go down the left. The stand in full back could only foul the home player, earning a yellow card in the process. The resultant free kick was lofted to the back post which dragged the Dale defence across and when the ball was put back across the face of goal, Lillis got a vital touch which meant Harley sliding in couldn't convert.

It was the home side who started the second half brighter and took the lead five minutes after the re-start. Archibald-Henville went on a surging run forward and eventually, after a succession of passes, found the ball at his feet wide on the right. The centre back then played a delightful ball into the area for the unmarked Cureton, almost on his knees, to head past Lillis in the Dale goal.

Joe Thompson almost dragged Hill's men back into the game within five minutes. Having rolled his man on the half way line, the youngster ran towards Jones but the keeper blocked the angled drive at his near post.

The Dale manager made a double change on 56 minutes bringing Jean Louis Akpa-Akpro and Andrew Tutte on to replace Goodall and Jason Kennedy. The changes meant a change in formation from the 4-5-1 to a more orthodox 4-4-2. The change added a bit of urgency to the Rochdale side that had been missing in the opening hour.

The visitors got their first corner and almost got a lucky break. Barry-Murphy's flag kick wasn't cleared by City and an almighty scramble resulted in Jones having a snap shot blocked and cleared. 

Dale were taking the game to their hosts, although in all fairness never really troubling keeper Jones.

Elding was brought on for Barry-Murphy as Hill went more direct with a 3-4-3 formation.

O'Grady's left wing cross was fumbled by Jones under pressure from Elding but the defence easily cleared.

Gary Jones almost caught out his namesake when he attempted a shot from a free kick a fully 30 yards out but the Dale captain's effort went agonisingly wide. 

Exeter seemed comfortable in defence and looked to break whenever possible.

The tricky Ryan Harley had a couple of chances. First a snap shot was saved by Lillis before the winger really should have doubled the home side's advantage. He picked up the ball on the edge of the box before dropping his shoulder as Holness slid in. That movement meant he had sight of goal from 12 yards but delayed his shot sufficiently enough and Dawson made a terrific block to keep the score 1-0.

As the clock ticked down, Joe Thompson was pushed back up front to become a fourth striker as Hill's men tried in vain to get an equaliser.

In fact, it was the home side who, with virtually the last kick of the game, almost made it two, but James Dunne's dipping effort came back off the bar with Lillis beaten.

In the end it was a fair result with the Dale performance not quite up to the high standard that has been set in recent weeks.

Keith Hill spoke to Rochdale Online after the game: "Without question the best team won, we could have salvaged something from the game but it would have been undeserved.

"It gives us the opportunity to address a few issues and hopefully start another run.

"We have played against an excellent side today who kept possession well, although I don't think they made too many clear cut chances.

"When we went one goal down in the second half, in the manner that we did, we left ourselves an uphill task. I think we were fortunate to get away with a 1-0.

"We weren’t quite at it today in respect to the way we want to play, the quality wasn't quite there. We did eventually end up going quite direct in search of an equaliser as at 1-0 you have always got an opportunity to get something. We made ourselves vulnerable at times in the second half because we changed it around. That energy, that urgency wasn't there that we have witnessed in previous games. I give a lot of credit to the opposition, they were excellent. They closed us down and put us under a lot of pressure.

"It's a result that brings us back down to ground, me included."

 

Exeter City 1-0 Rochdale
Cureton (50)

Att: 5363 (214 from Rochdale)

Rochdale: Lillis, Josh Thompson, Holness, Dawson, Goodall (Tutte 56), Joe Thompson, Barry-Murphy (Elding 67), Done, Jones (c), Kennedy (Akpa-Akpro 56), O'Grady
Subs (not used): Ryan Jones, Smalley, Flynn

Exeter City: P Jones, Tully, Duffy, Dunne, Archibald-Henville, Harley, Golbourne, Cureton (Stewart 87), B Jones, Logan, Sercombe.
Subs (not used): Krysiak, Noble, Nardiello, Cozic, Edwards, Thomson

Referee: Mr S Tanner
Ass referee’s: Mr J Busby & Mr S Knapp
4th official: Mr M Russell