Rochdale 0 - 1 Yeovil Town

Rochdale 0 - 1 Yeovil Town

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Rochdale lost their second successive match after going down 1-0 to Yeovil Town at Spotland this afternoon. Yeovil substitute Luke Feeman scored the only goal of the game after Owain Tudor-Jones’ effort was tipped onto the post by home keeper Josh Lillis with Freeman turning in the rebound.

Craig Dawson almost snatched a late equaliser for Keith Hill’s men but he saw his header tipped onto the cross bar. 

Rochdale manager Keith Hill made two changes to the side that lost to Exeter last weekend, Joe Widdowson returned from injury whilst Jean Louis Akpa-Akpro was preferred to Matt Done.

The game was played in difficult conditions with bright sunshine making the players vision a little awkward whilst a brisk wind was making the ball hold in mid air.

Home captain Gary Jones was the first to test either keeper with a 20 yard screamer that stung the hands of Henderson but Joe Thompson couldn’t capitalise on the loose ball.

Jean Louis Akpa-Akpro, starting his first league game since 14 August, was proving a real thorn in the Yeovil side. His pace and trickery was causing problems to the visitors but his final ball lacked the quality required.

The visitors first chance fell on seven minutes when a long ball up field from the keeper was touched on by Bowditch to strike partner Sam Williams, who found himself one-on-one with Lillis but the stopper thwarted him with a fine block.

Dale looked the most dangerous from set pieces and Barry-Murphy’s 12th minute corner was met by Dawson but the young defenders header was off target.

Hill’s men again went close after O’Grady out muscled Virgo on the half way line. He fed Jones whose vision to pick out Akpa-Akpro was superb, with the Frenchman returning the favour on the edge of the box, but Jones, falling, couldn’t keep his shot on target.

The game became scrappy in the middle of the first half.

Lillis had a couple of regulation saves to make as the half wore on, whilst Akpa-Akpro had a shot blocked at the other end.

The visitors almost took the lead in stoppage time at the end of the first half when a long range effort was watched around the post by Lillis but the referee, who made some mystifying decisions at times, pointed for a corner. From the resultant flag kick, Yeovil captain Huntingdon couldn’t quite turn the ball over the line.

The second half started in much the same way as the first with Dale on top.

Dawson again went close from a Barry-Murphy corner whilst Akpa-Akpro did well when fed down the left. The former Grimsby man rode a robust challenge and earned his side a corner. Jason Kennedy returned the corner into the mix from the back post but Akpa-Akpro couldn’t find the killer touch, although the home fans in the Sandy Lane thought the ball struck the hand of a defender but referee Haines gave a goal kick.

A rare mistake by Craig Dawson almost gave Yeovil the lead. He was dispossessed inside his own half by Sam Williams, who put a delightful ball across the face of the goal line but substitute Andy Williams couldn’t stretch to tap the ball home.

The home goal was breached not long after. Tudor-Jones’ thunderous strike was destined for the top corner but Lillis pulled off a fine finger tip save to turn the ball onto the post but whilst the Dale defence stood like statues, sub Luke Freeman was on hand to slot home from ten yards.

The visitors seemed to grow in confidence after the goal and had a few shots that Lillis saved or that were off target.

Hill’s men huffed and puffed without really causing Henderson too many problems in the Yeovil goal. That was until 85 minutes when Dawson must have thought he had scored from another Barry-Murphy corner. His header looked set to nestle in the top corner before Henderson pulled off a finger tip save to push the ball onto the bar.

Referee Haines had a big decision to make at the other end when Dawson seemed to upend Freeman in the box but the official waved play on. The fourth official signalled four minutes of added time.

Dale manager Keith Hill spoke after the game: “It wasn’t a great game but it’s a game I didn’t think we deserved to lose.

"I think Josh Lillis deserves better for the save that he made that resulted in the goal.

There wasn’t a lot between the two sides, but perhaps it was just one of those games which in turn can turn into one of those runs that can then lead to fighting relegation which will be the test in this league. It’s a test for the players as much as it is for me but the players will come through because I trust them to. It’s a great learning curve for us.

"We have no right to beat teams like Yeovil but I wanted to, perhaps we have been done by the sucker punch. I can’t remember too many clear cut chances for either side.

“You’re a product of what you do in both areas of the pitch. The fine line between winning and losing is just that. Today we weren’t good enough in front of goal. I thought we were ok in defence but we didn’t back up Josh Lillis after a great save.

"I won’t apologise for being overly ambitious at this football club. The players have got to match my ambition and when they cross that line they have to perform. And sometimes people fall by the wayside and don’t trust themselves on the pitch. The performances have got to be maintained and sometimes the players second guess themselves which results in below par performances.

“Scott Wiseman will be fit for next week. I think we do need to recruit in January and the players will agree with me.

"I brought Matt Done on to give us the attacking full back option.

"Josh Thompson has done well but he is a centre half playing at full back.

"This season could end up being a long season as we are fighting teams like Yeovil who have got League One experience and we haven’t.

"We will analyse this game in the week and go again next week at Bristol.”

Rochdale 0-1 Yeovil Town (Freeman - 66)


Att: 3150

Rochdale: Lillis, Josh Thompson (Done 77), Holness, Dawson, Widdowson, Joe Thompson (Smalley 57), Barry-Murphy, Akpa-Akpro (Elding 80), Jones (c), Kennedy, O'Grady
Subs (not used): Ryan Jones, Tutte, Flynn, Goodall,

Yeovil Town: Henderson, Huntingdon (c), Smith, Ayling, Sam Williams, Bowditch (Alcock 79), Welsh (Freeman 63), Virgo, Tudor-Jones, Gavin Williams (Andy Williams 46), MacDonald.
Subs (not used):Upson, Culver, Roberts, Gibson.

Referee: Mr A Haines
Ass referee’s: Mr M Coy & Mr AR Tankard
4th official: Mr J Whiteley