Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 Rochdale

Steve Eyre's first game in charge ended in defeat after his side went down 2-0 at Sheffield Wednesday. Rob Jones powered home the opener when he met a long Julian Bennett throw and David Prutton scored a wonder volley from 20 yards after Dale tried to clear a Wednesday corner.

The Dale manager gave debuts to Jake Kean, Stephen Darby, Neal Trotman and Ashley Grimes whilst Andrew Tutte made his second debut after playing on loan for Rochdale last season. Chris O'Grady struggled through a pre-match fitness test but was able to take a place on the bench. Other new signings Dave Lucas, Marc Twaddle and Paul Marshall also made the bench.

In front of a massive crowd of 21,174 Dale kicked off the new season and took the game to their hosts. Good work from Akpa-Akpro down the right made room for an exchange of passes with Grimes whose layoff teed up Adams but his curling effort was deflected wide.

The Owls came into the game just before the 15 minute mark. Prutton's through ball evaded the Dale defence but Madine couldn't reach and Kean gathered but the home fans didn't have long to wait for the opener. Left full back Lewis Bennett has a real weapon with his long throws although Dale looked drilled on how to deal with the threat, Megson's side took the lead when Captain Rob Jones powered a header beyond Kean from a Bennett throw.

Dale looked rattled and could have been 2 down within a minute. Sedgwick gained a yard on the Dale backline and fired a shot narrowly wide.

Gary Jones blazed over from 22 yards in a rare sight of goal midway through the first half.

Debutant keeper Kean spilled a deep free kick but thankfully Morrison slipped as he was about to fire home and Dale cleared.

The Bennett long throw continued to cause problems and as half time approached, another ball in wasn’t dealt with and as the ball dropped in the 6 yard box, a last gasp clearance saw the ball clear.

Kean had to be alert in first half stoppage time when Buxton burst into the area but the keeper was equal to the shot.

Eyre's team started the second period in the much the same way as the first and almost levelled 7 minutes in. Some great one touch football ended with a defence splitting pass to Akpa-Akpro but Weaver pushed his shot away.

Dale pushed for an equaliser and couldn't have come closer than they did on 58. Grimes picked up on the edge of the area and sent a curling right footed shot that crashed back off the inside of the post.

The game gained some heat shortly after when home captain Jones & Akpa-Akpro exchanged pushes after Dale tried to take a quick free-kick. The home fans were incensed by a Trotman challenge from behind that referee Miller seemed to let go all game, in fairness the defender took 100% of the ball but in today's game should have been penalised.

The Owls weathered the Dale pressure and almost doubled their lead just after the hour. Madine's downward header hit the bar and Holness cleared.

The game was settled with a stunning goal from Prutton. An Owls corner wasn’t clinically dealt with by the visitors and when Jones’ clearance dropped on the edge of the area, former Leeds man Prutton hit the sweetest of left foot volleys that gave Kean in the Dale goal no chance.

With a 2-0 lead, the home side where happy to sit back and soak up any pressure. A Dale corner almost lead to what would have been a consolation but a Jones shot aswell as the follow up by Grimes were blocked. Even a 15 minute run out for Chris O’Grady couldn’t muster any chances of note but at least the big striker is on the comeback trail ahead of Tuesday’s Carling Cup encounter with Chesterfield at Spotland.

It perhaps wasn’t the fairytale start that Steve Eyre’s had dreamed of but playing the first game of the season at one of the promotion favourites doesn’t shape your season.

Eyre, said: “I enjoyed the game, that’s why myself and Frank are in the game to enjoy it. We don’t enjoy getting beat but we can take things out of the game. We started well and could have scored a goal through Nicky Adams and for the first 15 minutes we were the better side but they have scored at the end of that spell.  It was a long throw which we knew about and tried to combat it all week but we didn’t deal with it. We learnt from it and it never happened again but it was too late by then. We shared the rest of the first half but games are won and lost in and around each penalty area. Nicky Weaver has made 3 good saves and Grimesy has hit the upright when we were playing well but they have scored from a long throw and a wonder goal from Prutton. At this level defending the first part of a corner is not always enough and he has smashed in the second ball.”


Att: 21,174

Rochdale: Kean, Darby, Widdowson, Holness, Trotman, Kennedy, Jones ©, Grimes, Adams, Tutte (O'Grady 74), Akpa-Akpro
Subs: (not used) Lucas, Twaddle, Thompson, Marshall

Sheff Wed:Weaver, Buxton, Bennett, Batth, Jones ( C), Semedo, Prutton, Palmer (Jones 90), Madine, Sedgwick (Otsemoboor 85), Morrison (O'Conner 81)
Subs: (not used) O'Donnell, Johnson

Referee:    Nigel Miller
Ass Referee:    Danny Gratton
Ass Referee:    Stephen Martin
4th Official:    Richard Wigglesworth