Rochdale 0-0 Yeovil Town

Rochdale took a point in this relegation battle against 10 man Yeovil in a game that in all fairness was dominated by Steve Eyre’s side. Glovers’ keeper Rene Gilmartin was the visitors hero as he pulled off a string of fine saves to deny Dale the 3 points. Jean Louis Akpa-Akpro hit the woodwork twice as Dale did everything but score.

The Dale boss made 4 changes from the side that lost to Sheffield United last time out. Dave Lucas, who suffered concussion in last weekend’s game wasn’t fit so Matt Edwards made his first Football League start whilst Joe Widdowson made a welcome return from injury. Marcus Holness also returned from injury whilst Jean Louis Akpa-Akpro was preferred up front ahead of Grimes.

After an appeal from the club for fans to help clear snow of the Spotland pitch on the morning of the game, the pitch was fine despite the arctic conditions.

In as one sided game as your likely to see, Dale started brightly with Widdowson firing over inside 3 minutes.

In what would be a rare foray forward by the visitors, Conor Clifford forced young keeper Edwards into a low save just 2 minutes later.

Some of Dale’s football was free flowing and very easy on the eye. Adams had a shot deflected wide whilst Spotland thought their side had opened the scoring on 13 minutes. A dangerous ball into the area was headed clear but Akpa-Akpro controlled on his chest and fired a sweet volley that came back off the crossbar.

The tide off attack was all one way with Eyre’s men pinning Yeovil inside their own half. Akpa-Akpro headed wide from an Adams cross whilst the Frenchman thought he’d turned another Adams cross home but somehow the defence stopped it on the line.

Early in the second period, visiting stopper Gilmartin had to have a finger put back in after dislocating it gathering a high ball. After a lengthy stoppage and with no substitute keeper on the bench, Gilmartin re-took his place between the sticks. Within seconds, the keeper was called into action when Bunn’s angled drive was pushed away whilst Akpa-Akpro was once again denied by the woodwork after Gilmartin touched his shot onto the post.

Bunn was hauled down on the edge of the area by Huntington and Nicky Adams forced a fine save from Gilmartin from the resultant free kick

The Rochdale keeper Edwards could have been sat in the stand for what he had to do with a long range effort high over his bar the only shot by the visitors in the second period.

With 13 minutes left on the clock, Terry Skiverton’s side were reduced to 10 men. Kerrea Gilbert, who had already been booked once and warned several times by referee Sarginson, was shown a straight red card for a late challenge on Widdowson. Nicky Adams took the free-kick which was met by Bunn but his header was somehow tipped over by Gilmartin.

Dale piled forward as they looked for the elusive goal. Holness had a shot deflected wide whilst Jones’ jinking run into the area ended with a cross-cum-shot that went across the face of goal with Akpa-Akpro agonisingly close to getting the final touch.

In the end it was a point against a poor Yeovil team that will do little to satisfy the Dale fans who have been used to better in recent years.

Dale manager Steve Eyre spoke afterwards, he said: “Not for the first time this season, I don’t know how we didn’t win that game. We have to give a little bit of credit to Yeovil. Although they didn’t do too much to try and win the game, they did enough to stop us from winning it. They sat in their own half and they certainly sat deep when they went down to 10 men. I thought knocked on the door from start to finish without bashing the door down. I’ve just called on the lads to never rely on luck; we need to make our own luck. I’m pleased with the clean sheet and I’m pleased with our possession. The ball retention wasn’t as good as it should have been; we gave the ball away too much. Once we got it back we got into our flow quickly and camped on their 18 yard box.”


Att:2692

Rochdale: Edwards, Holness, Widdowson, Kennedy, Jones (c), Bunn, Adams, Akpa-Akpro (Tutte 94), Holden, Jordan, Ball (Grimes 71)

Subs (not used): Barry-Murphy. Darby, Taberner

Yeovil: Gilmartin, Ayling, Huntington, Blizzard, Upson, Ehmer, Gilbert, Wotton (c), Massey (A Williams 67), Obika (O’Brien 87), Clifford (G Williams 59)

Subs (not used): Maclean Agard

Referee: Mr C Sarginson
Ass Ref: Mr I Hussin & Mr P Marsden
4th Official: Mr C Kavanagh