Rochdale 3-4 Barnsley (AET)

Rochdale crashed out of the League Cup at the first hurdle after an enthralling extra time defeat to 10 man Barnsley. Trailing 2-1 in stoppage time at the end of the game, Coleman’s men were handed a lifeline when The Reds keeper Ben Alnwick appeared to headbutt Dale substitute Ray Putterill leaving referee Sutton with no option but to show red to the stopper. Having used all 3 subs; defender Bobby Hassell donned the gloves but it was the 10 men that would go on to win in extra time.

After a summer of change, John Coleman gave debuts to eight players with another six new names on the bench. Josh Lillis and Phil Edwards made second debuts after previous loan spells at the club whilst Cavanagh, Ryan Edwards, Donnelly, McIntyre, Adebola and Pearson all made their bows.

This first round tie had been eagerly awaited since the draw after Dale had been pitted against Barnsley; the club Keith Hill left Spotland for 15 months ago. It also meant a return for a number of ex players who have joined Hill at Oakwell with Scott Wiseman, Matt Done, David Perkins, Kelvin Etuhu and Chris Dagnall all returning.

It was Rochdale who got off to a flying start when they took the lead on six minutes and in doing so scored the first goal from any team in the 2012/13 season. Great work from Donnelly down the right gave him space to pick out Tutte on the edge of the area and with a first time effort curled the ball over Alnwick from 20 yards.

The forward play was all from Dale and they should have doubled their lead on 13 minutes through Ashley Grimes. Grimes, one of only four players in the match day squad left over from last season, met a Tutte cross but his header was wayward from seven yards out.

Keith Hill’s side came into the game with plenty of injury concerns and they were made worse on 16 minutes. A challenge between Dale’s Kevin McIntyre and Barnsley’s Jim O’Brien left the Oakwell midfielder in a heap on the floor after O’Brien landed awkwardly. It was later discovered he had dislocated his shoulder and was being treated in hospital.

With O’Brien off, it signalled the return of a former Dale favourite in Chris Dagnall. The stoppage for O’Brien seemed to upset Rochdale’s rhythm with Barnsley getting a foothold in the game.

Matt Done tested Lillis from distance and then the former Dale man almost embarrassed Lillis moments later. The keeper came rushing out of his area but was out manoeuvred by Done but his centre was cleared by Ryan Edwards.

Alnwick had to be alert when Cavanagh and Grimes tried their luck whilst Dagnall headed wide at the other end when well placed.

With seconds remaining of the opening 45 minutes, Barnsley equalised. A deep free-kick was lofted into the area with the un-marked Stones heading back across goal and inside the far post.

The second half started much like the first with Dale on top. Grimes was at the centre of the action in the opening moments of the restart. He first saw Alnwick easily pick off a 22 yard shot whilst Cavanagh’s clever through ball was easy pickings for Grimes but the striker couldn’t control. Kennedy saw a shot go agonisingly wide when Coleman’s side were asking all the questions.

As the game wore on, Hill’s men came into the match. Done glanced a header wide from inside the area after Etuhu’s cross whilst some desperate defending by Dale ended with Dagnall having a shot blocked after a mêlée.

With 11 minutes left Barnsley took the lead. Craig Davies turned Phil Edwards far too easily on the edge of the area before firing a low shot which seemed to go through Lillis.

With the game looking like it was settled, the travelling fans began to celebrate when the fourth officials board showed three added minutes. Some even made their way for the exits looking for a quick getaway not realising what drama was still left to unfold.

Home sub Ray Putterill chased down a long ball which was gathered by Alnwick but he took exception to Putterill’s presence and inexcusably aimed a head butt at the Dale man. After consultation with his linesman, referee Sutton showed Alnwick the red card and awarded Rochdale a penalty.

Having already used their allocation of substitutes, full back Bobby Hassell took the gloves but was sent the wrong way by Kennedy from 12 yards to send the game into extra time.

The instruction from Coleman and Bell was clear with an outfield player in goal, shoot on sight.

Central defender Ryan Edwards tried from just inside the Barnsley half whilst pressure by Craney on McNulty almost led to an own goal as the defender put a bit too much power on a backpass but Hassell just got to the ball.

With many expecting a Dale onslaught, Barnsley took the lead. Dagnall beat the offside trap to neatly slot the ball beyond Lillis.

Dagnall was becoming a thorn for the Rochdale defence. Another through ball picked out ‘Daggers’ but this time he tried rounding Lillis and was forced wide but he wasn’t to be denied for much longer.

Cywka jinked his way down the left before pulling the ball back for Dagnall to volley into the top corner from inside the area.

The game looked over but just before the half time interval of extra time Coleman’s men were back in it. Curran had a shot cleared off the line by Wiseman with a follow up shot handled in the area by McNulty. Kennedy again stepped up to take the spot kick and duly dispatched to make it 4-3.

Rochdale again pressed and threw everything at the Championship side.

Craney’s diving header was pushed away by Hassell whilst Kennedy was denied his hat-trick by some superb last gasp defending by McNulty.

Another mêlée ensued but this time in the Barnsley area with Putterill being denied by Hassell who was having a fine game between the sticks.

Cavanagh tried to lob the diminutive Hassell from distance but the ball went the wrong side of the bar.

The stand in keeper was again tested by McIntyre’s ferocious volley but he wasn’t to be beaten.

Craig Curran should have taken the game to penalties in stoppage time at the end of extra time when his free header from six yards went wide.

It was a dramatic opening to the new season which ultimately ended in defeat for Coleman’s men.

Many positives can be taken from the game although the manager disagreed when he spoke afterwards “I don’t know how to put it into words just yet. I’m frustrated as we have thrown it away, we shouldn’t have to score five goals to win at home.

"I know they are a Championship side but if you’ve watched the game, we were comfortably equal to them.

"There are no positives to take. You can’t be positive when you’re beaten by 10 men and no goalie can you? It’s a fallacy if you try to take any positives from it.

"We aren’t going to crawl into a hole and hide, we will be positive in the next game we play. We will learn from how bad we were today.

"We know we can play well and we know we will create chances but we cannot defend like we did today it was absolutely atrocious.

"We lost the game in a 20 minute spell in the first half from us passing them to death and not allowing them a kick to turning into the Wimbledon of old and smashing the ball long. It’s just not us, I don’t know why we did it and we invited them back into the game.

They’ve got a cheap goal right on half time which should have been defended and we haven’t put them under enough pressure in the second half and let a soft goal in.

"We have to do better. We get given an absolute gift of a lifeline when we probably didn’t deserve it and in extra time we miss chances early on and then gift them two goals.

"Some of the chances we missed just defy belief.

"Credit to their keeper but the lad who came on as sub keeper has made more saves than my keeper has made all game. Now I expect my keeper to make some saves and he has to as accountable as anybody else.

"Forget the seven goals, we had the two best chances of the game when Ashley Grimes and Craig Curran had free headers so I don’t see how anybody can take any positives from that.”

 

Rochdale: Lillis, McIntyre, P Edwards, R Edwards, Pearson, Cavanagh (c), Tutte, Kennedy, Donnelly (Putterill 75), Grimes (Curran 84), Adebola (Craney 84)

Subs: (not used): Smith, Bennett, Rafferty, Barry-Murphy

Barnsley: Alnwick, Stones (Hassell 85), Foster, McNulty (c), Wiseman, Perkins, Done, Davies, Etuhu (Cywka 70),O’Brien (Dagnall 18), Mellis

Subs: (not used) Lidakevicius, Goldbourne, Dawson, Digby

Referee: Mr G Sutton
Ass Referee: Mr A Tankard & Mr M Salisbury
4th Official: Mr P Dermott