Hill blames mistakes after Dickinson double does for Dale

No way through: Adam Le Fondre could not find the net against his former club

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Stockport County 2 (Dickinson 10, 56)
Rochdale 0

Stockport confirmed their play-off credentials after beating Rochdale thanks to a brace from striker Liam Dickinson.

A goal down at the break, Rochdale looked to use the blustery conditions to their advantage in the second half but Stockport defended stoutly and broke away to score a second to secure the points.

Early in the second half home goalkeeper John Ruddy, on loan from Everton, made a potentially match changing save when he kept out Rene Howe’s shot low to his left.

Minutes later Stockport doubled their lead after a defensive nightmare from Rochdale. Tom Kennedy gave the ball away not once, but twice in the build up and Stockport were able to break. The ball was played up to Dickinson and he was met by Dale keeper James Spencer who had inexplicably raced 40 yards out of his goal. The striker rounded the stranded stopper and produced a neat finish beyond the covering Nathan Stanton.

Stockport had taken the lead early in the first half and again the goal came thanks to a defensive catastrophe that the Dale boss Keith Hill would quickly want to forget. All too easily Dickinson rose completely unchallenged from an Anthony Pilkington corner and headed home from six yards.

“Goals change games,” said Hill. “We were not in any trouble and then we concede from a set play and then in the second half we concede a suicidal second goal.

“I really thought we got at them second half but its just suicidal defending, there was one mistake after another.

“It’s been the first time in my time in charge here that I’ve been really disappointed because we have not really given it our best shot tonight.”

The defeat is another blow to Dale’s play-off hopes after they looked to be back on track following the four goal demolition of Mansfield at the weekend and now Keith Hill has a worry in terms of personnel. Kallum Higginbotham had to be taken off mid-way through the first half after jarring his knee in challenge with Dickinson.

“Kallum Higginbotham is a good young player and it looks like he will be missed,” said Hill. “I wanted to have few days to relax but now it looks as though I’ll be on the phone again trying to get players in.”

Chances were evenly split in the first half but Stockport took the lead from the easiest of them. Before the goal Gary Jones fired wide for Rochdale from 18 yards out after strikers Rene Howe and Adam Le Fondre combined well.

Stockport’s opener came from their first attack but Shaleum Logan nearly doubled their lead when he tried an audacious chip from the edge of the box that sailed just over the crossbar.

The wind and the state of the Stockport pitch was making good football difficult but both sides tried to make a fist of it. Rochdale came close to an equaliser when Ashley Williams only just managed to turn a dangerous Adam Rundle cross over his own goal.

As the half drew to a close Le Fondre had a chance to score against his former club after controlling the ball well inside the area but he snatched at the shot and fired well over the bar.

In between times Gareth Owen could only direct a free header straight at Spencer from Logan’s cross.

The match officials were booed off the pitch the travelling fans at half time following some baffling decisions against Dale but ultimately the referee’s interventions had no bearing on the result and the visitors only had themselves to blame for the two goals that they conceded.

Rochdale dominated the attacking play in the second half with the wind at their backs but Stockport’s second goal meant they were happy to soak up the pressure and hit Dale on the break.

Keith Hill threw on Will Buckley and Chris Basham in the hope that someone might make use of the all the possession Dale were enjoying but, in truth, the visitors simply ran out of ideas.

The visitors huffed and puffed but Ruddy’s save from Howe with the score still at 1-0 was the only real action that the Stockport keeper saw. By the end Stockport looked as likely to extend their lead as Dale did to getting back into the game.

The home side were content to let Rochdale have the ball, they were too well organised and tough in the tackle to allow Rochdale through and in the end the only effort worthy of note in final stages came when Tommy Rowe came within inches of making it three. He picked the ball up 20 yards and unleashed a shot that had Spencer beaten but flew just past the post.

Attendance: 5,530

Stockport: Ruddy, Shaleum Logan, Williams, Owen, Rose, Taylor, Dicker (Raynes 86), Blizzard, Dickinson, Rowe, Pilkington (Poole 81).
Subs not used: Conrad Logan, McSweeney, Smith.

Rochdale: Spencer, Ramsden, McArdle, Stanton, Kennedy (Basham 69), Rundle (Buckley 62), Perkins, Jones, Higginbotham (Muirhead 36), Le Fondre, Howe.
Subs not used: Holness, D’Laryea.

Attempts (on target): Stockport 8 (5) Rochdale 11 (6)
Freekicks: Stockport 11 Rochdale 10
Offside: Stockport 3 Rochdale 0
Corners: Stockport 2 Rochdale 6

Referee: N Miller.