Peterborough United 2-1 Rochdale

Rochdale gave a spirited display but ultimately came away with nothing from a fairly entertaining encounter at a cold and windy London Road. Aaron McLean and Craig Mackail-Smith gave the home side a comfortable lead but second half substitute Jean Louis Akpa-Akpro's late goal set up a nervy finish for the Posh fans.

Luke Daniels made his Rochdale debut between the sticks as the on loan West Bromwich Albion stopper replaces the injured Josh Lillis and Matt Edwards. Matt Done started on the left in place of the injured Joe Thompson. The back four was made up of Wiseman, Holness, Dawson and Tom Kennedy. Nicky Adams was out on the right with Jones and Jason Kennedy in the middle whilst O'Grady and Grant started up front. Injuries meant just 6 substitutes were named with no goalkeeper available.

Keith Hill’s side started the brighter of the two sides and almost took the lead on 9 minutes when Matt Done broke down the left. The former Wrexham man perhaps should have released the ball earlier but did pick out Adams on the edge of box but the Brentford loanee fired straight at Lewis who parried clear. As the game wore on, the home side fired a few warning shots that Dale just didn't heed. Firstly the excellent Tomlin dragged his seventeenth minute shot wide whilst immediately afterwards he went on mazy run down the right before squaring for Boyd who shot wide. Just 60 seconds later, Dale were behind. Full back Mark Little made a surging run, again down the right with his centre only partially cleared by Holness straight to McLean who hit an unstoppable first time effort low beyond Daniels.

Dale responded well to going behind with Gary Jones' deflected shot forcing Lewis to scurry across his goal to keep the ball out. Moments later and Tom Kennedy put in a wicked cross towards Adams but Lowe headed clear for the corner.

Some of the one touch football from the home side was a joy to watch at times with Tomlin a real thorn in the Dale side. He and McLean almost doubled the lead just after the half hour mark with a great one-two but he couldn’t hit the target. The front 3 of Boyd, Mackail-Smith and Mclean were a real handful with their movement with the latter 2 providing exquisite flicks in and around the penalty area but Boyd’s curling effort clipped the outside of the post.

The game was really opening up with both sides creating chances with the visitors seemingly trying the route one game. Another long ball over the top gave Done the chance to bare down on goal but Lewis in the Posh goal won the race and cleared.

Dale’s debutant keeper Luke Daniels had steady game although some of his kicking on a tricky pitch caused a few worries. The loanee had to be alert with 7 minutes of half remaining when Tomlin crossed for central defender Zakuani to powerfully head at goal from inside the 6 yard box and but for the reactions of Daniels would have doubled the lead.

Mackail-Smith also tested the Dale stopper as the clock struck 45 minutes when his speculative drive from almost on the touchline was parried over.

The Rochdale team were out a few minutes before their opponents for the start of the second half and on a cold evening in Cambridgeshire, perhaps needed to stay inside a little longer as it was the home side that came out of the blocks the quickest. Inside the first 5 minutes of the second period and The Posh doubled their advantage. Gary Johnson’s side, who had kept the ball well all game, were probing for a chance around the box with Rochdale’s defence standing firm but when George Boyd’s quick feet evaded the attention of 3 Rochdale players he played a reverse ball inside of Wiseman to Mackail-Smith who drilled the ball under Daniels from the corner of the 6 yard box.

The Dale gaffer made a double change almost immediately with Akpa-Akpro and Elding replacing Grant and Adams.

That second goal seemed to knock the stuffing out of Hill’s men who for the next 15 minutes or so didn’t see much of the ball. The home side were almost home and dry on the hour mark when Tomlin’s powerful drive from an acute angle was tipped away.

The double change made by Hill meant The Posh defence were a little more stretched with Akpa-Akpro using his pace to good effect but it was Done who came closest to half the deficit on 66. A raking ball over the top by Dawson picked out Done who cut inside the full back but saw his left foot effort crash off the outside of the post. Done was again at the heart of things when he picked out Akpa-Akpro just moments later but the Frenchman’s effort was blocked by the home man of the match Zakuani but the Dale substitute wasn’t to be denied for much longer. Gary Jones played a delightful ball direct to Akpa-Akpro, who with a suspicion of hand-ball took the ball down between the 2 central defenders before unleashing an unstoppable volley beyond the despairing dive of Lewis for 2-1.

Keith Hill’s men had silenced the home crowd and in doing so had given themselves hope of at least a share of the spoils. Immense pressure was applied with Wiseman whipping in a wonderful ball from the right that curled away from the keeper but no Dale player was close enough to apply the finishing touch whilst the best chance of a leveller came with 2 minutes left of the 90. Matt Done picked a perfect ball between the defence to Jason Kennedy but just as the former Darlington man was about to pull the trigger, Zakuani again slid in with a perfectly timed challenge to deny him.

Craig Dawson’s looping header deep into stoppage time was Dale’s last chance to take something from the game but in the end, Hill’s men just fell short against a side that last season were playing 2 levels above Rochdale in the Championship.

Keith Hill speaking after the game, said: “We were playing against a better opposition; I think that is obvious to everybody. When you look at the 3 strikers they have got in Boyd, Mackail-Smith and McLean, they should be playing in the Championship if not the Premier League. For me, and I’m not a Peterborough supporter, but those 3 players should have moved in the Summer. It’s a travesty that they are playing League One football.

“Without a question the goal was a blow but the main thing about being a defender is your brain ability as well as your physical ability and I just think we got caught cold. We gifted them both goals but they are a very good side and at 2-0 up they were showboating slightly, but we put the fear of god into them with respect to scoring the goal and we did have quite a lot of the ball after that and could have quite easily got something out of the game, but you can’t give quality opposition the type of goals that we gave them. But I must say their front 3 plus Tomlin worked us really hard and at times we just had to stand back and applaud them. There is no embarrassment about losing here but we have to face reality and realise were we are in the food chain and to come here and compete is one thing, but we’re in a league where we want to win football matches but unfortunately when we are playing this type of opposition, it’s highly unlikely if they turn up with their A game.

“I can’t see why anybody is debating whether its handball or not, I think it was a good goal and a bit of sour grapes from any supporter that suggested it was handball. That gave us the opportunity to go and get something out of the game and stopped them from showboating as well so really pleased with the response from our players because I’ve been involved in changing room situations where your losing games and playing against better opposition you can go the other way and lose those games 4 or 5 nil. Matt Done could be whatever he wants to be, I’ve spoken about him before, he’s got great pace, he’s got good ability but he just needs to trust himself a bit more and make sure he continues his educational journey as well as his social journey.

“It’s been very difficult in terms of training over the last fortnight but we have got good energy, we played with good energy tonight. We won’t over react or under react to this defeat or any other defeat against any side in League One. Bournemouth next week is another game that we will look at in isolation. Bournemouth have done excellent over the summer in their recruitment drive and their retention of players. It’s no surprise they are doing well; I have a lot of respect for Eddie Howe (Bournemouth manager).”


Peterborough Scorer: McLean 19, Mackail-Smith 50

Rochdale Scorer: Akpa-Akpro 79


Att: 4233 (134 away)

Rochdale: Daniels, T Kennedy, Dawson, Holness, Wiseman, Adams Akpa-Akpro 54), Jones (c), Done, J Kennedy, Grant (Elding 54), O'Grady.
Subs (Not Used): Widdowson, Barry-Murphy, Josh Thompson, Gray

Peterborough United: Lewis, Little, Langmead, Zakuani, McLean, Boyd (Piergianni 90), McCann (c), Mackail-Smith, Rowe, Tomlin (Mendez-Laing 90), Clayton
Subs (not used): Collis, Wesolowski, Davies, Ofori-Twumasi, Williams

Referee: Mr M Haywood
Assistant refs: Mr WE Grunnill & Mr RA Mackay
4th official: Mr A Suton