Dale bubble burst by impressive Posh

Dale bubble burst by impressive Posh

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Rochdale 0
Peterborough United 2 (Boyd 57 McLean 76)

Peterborough won a third league game in a row to end Rochdale’s four match winning run. Rochdale slipped out of the play-off spots in League Two but can return in they beat Barnet in midweek, one of three games in hand Rochdale have on the sides around them.

The two sides cancelled each other out for large periods of the match, especially during a very cagey first half but the game turned in Peterborough’s favour when George Boyd, by far the best player on the pitch, rifled a twenty-five yard shot into the top corner. Dale keeper Sam Russell admitted that he should have kept the strike out.

Dale boss Keith Hill reacted instantly, looking to liven up his weary looking side through the introduction of wingers Ben Muirhead and Adam Rundle. The reward was almost immediate as Rundle scampered to the by-line and cut the ball back for Muirhead, only for him to fire wide from six yards out.

Peterborough secured the points with 15 minutes to play when Boyd slipped a delightful through ball to McLean, who made no mistake with the finish, clipping the ball beyond the on-coming Russell.

From then the result was never in doubt as Rochdale failed to create anything in attack and Boyd could scored in the dying stages to give a repeat of the 3-0 score-line on the opening day of the season but he fired wide when one on one with Russell.

“We were beaten by the better team today,” said Dale boss Hill. “They are a good football side and we were lacking in many areas, there are no excuses. We were not at it today and we had too many under-performers. We could have got a 0-0 but we made two second half mistakes. It was a definite mistake from Sam Russell and he has held his hands up.”

The game failed to live up to its billing in the first half with the two sides very much cancelling each other out. The best chances came the way of the visitors, however, and it was they who played the better football.

McLean and Craig Mackail-Smith, twice, failed to hit the target when well placed and McLean fired across the six yard box with no-one able to produce a converting touch.

Rochdale’s only mark in the attempts on goal column came via a Gary Jones volley from the edge of the box, which was straight at Joe Lewis, who made a comfortable save.

The opening stages of the second half were similar, Rochdale continued to toil and Peterborough remained the better side without looking particularly menacing. Their opening goal came from nowhere as Boyd collected the ball from a throw in, came inside and fired a superb strike, destined for the top corner. Sam Russell got across his goal and seemed to be in a good position to save but he appeared to let the ball go, thinking that it was going wide, but it nestled in the top corner.

Rochdale were unable to bounce back with the Peterborough centre-back partnership well on top of the Dale strikers, debutant, Lee Thorpe, who was tidy but far from threatening, and Adam Le Fondre. Keith Hill suggested that Thorpe’s presence led his defenders to play a lot more long ball up to the big striker, rather than playing through the midfield and getting crosses into the box and passes into Thorpe’s feet.

When Boyd found McLean on seventy-six minutes Peterborough’s win was secure.

Joe Lewis’ goal was only troubled when a Tom Kennedy free kick hit the wall and then deflected of Thorpe, diverting the ball goalwards but inches past Lewis’ right hand post.

Attendance: 3,076

Rochdale: Russell, Ramsden, Stanton, McArdle, Kennedy, Higginbotham (Rundle 59), Doolan (Muirhead 60), Jones, Perkins, Le Fondre, Thorpe.
Subs not used: Spencer, Thompson, Holness.

Booked: Jones

Peterborough: Lewis, Newton, Morgan, Westwood, Day, Whelpdale (Gnakpa 70), Mitchell, Keates, Boyd, Mackail-Smith, McLean.
Subs not used: McKeown, Potter, Williams, Hatch.

Attempts (on target): Rochdale 6 (2) Peterborough 9 (2)
Free kicks: Rochdale 13 Peterborough 10
Offside: Rochdale 1 Peterborough 2
Corners: Rochdale 4 Peterborough 4

Referee: D Drysdale.