Howe hat-trick bolsters play-off credentials

Goal time: Rene Howe (right) celebrates with Nathan Stanton

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Rochdale 3 (Howe 47, 55, 90)
Grimsby Town 1 (Taylor 85)

Rene Howe came off the bench to win the game for Rochdale with a hat-trick, making him the third scorer of a treble in four Rochdale home games.

In the end Rochdale made hard work of the win against ten man Grimsby. They dominated almost the entire second half but the visitors scored with their only attempt of the half on target.

Grimsby twice blazed over the bar in stoppage time in search of the equaliser but Dale secured the win with the last kick of the game, Howe scoring his third with a low drive.

Howe replaced Lee Thorpe due to injury midway through the first half and he opened the scoring just minutes after the re-start, heading home Adam Rundle’s deep cross.

The striker doubled Rochdale’s lead shortly after, rifling in a shot off the far post. Grimsby looked dead and buried and Rochdale dominated for long periods but they somehow came close to throwing the win away when Andy Taylor was presented with a free header.

Grimsby even sent goalkeeper Phil Barnes forward when they won a free-kick deep into stoppage time but Nick Fenton blazed high over the crossbar when the ball fell to him on the edge of the box.

Howe bagged his hat-trick with the last kick of the game as Rochdale broke away and the big striker scored at the near post.

“It was a game that we should have killed off earlier,” said Dale manager Keith Hill. “We should not have put ourselves in a squeaky bum situation.”

“It’s not about confidence with Rene Howe, it’s about work rate and I read him the riot act at half-time because I didn’t feel like he was ready for the game. He turned up with his work bag in the second half and he got his just rewards.

“I think the players will want to go again now and they can do that on Tuesday.”

The first half saw no goals but the woodwork was hit three times and Nathan Jarman was sent off for Grimsby.

The referee had already taken the names off three players, including Jarman for a late tackle on Tom Kennedy, and when he piled in late on David Perkins the referee had little choice but to produce a second yellow card.

Before the sending off Rochdale had hit the post and the crossbar. Thorpe headed against the upright from Adam Rundle’s free-kick and then Rundle went for goal himself from another set piece and the ball came back off the crossbar.

Grimsby had few chances but they hit the frame of the goal themselves when Ciaran Toner’s free-kick cannoned off the crossbar.

The visitors were up against it from the moment Jarman received his marching orders and their manager, former Dale boss Alan Buckley, was forced to change things at half time, bringing on Andy Taylor for James Hunt.

The new plan failed as within minutes of the re-start Rochdale were ahead. Intricate work on the left touchline between Tom Kennedy and Rundle resulted in the latter racing clear down the touchline and his superb deep cross left Howe with the simple task of heading home.

Dale’s lead was doubled and the three points seemingly secured when Kallum Higgbotham flicked on a long ball, the linesman kept his flag down, and Howe raced through to score off the post.

The home side went on to dominate with Grimsby seldom getting into Rochdale’s half never mind anywhere near Tommy Lee’s goal.

Rochdale began to turn on the party tricks and at times Grimsby couldn’t get near the ball.

Dale should have put the seal on the win but Adam Le Fondre missed the simplest of chances. Howe back heeled the ball to Perkins and he squared to the second half substitute who couldn’t miss but somehow did, gifting the ball to Grimsby keeper Phil Barnes.

However, it was game on again when Nick Hegarty’s cross found Taylor completely unmarked and he headed home to give Grimsby hope.

The visitors blazed over twice in the dying stages but Dale hung on and wrapped up victory with Howe’s hat-trick goal.

Attendance: 2,974

Rochdale: Lee, Ramsden, Stanton, McArdle, Kennedy, Muirhead (Le Fondre 69), Jones, Perkins (Basham 83), Rundle, Higginbotham, Thorpe (Howe 31).
Subs not used: Button, Holness.

Booked: Perkins.

Grimsby: Barnes, Fenton, Newey, Clarke (Jones 87), Bennett, Boshell, Hunt (Taylor 46), Toner, Hegarty, Butler, Jarman.
Subs not used: Montgomery, Atkinson, Bird.

Booked: Hunt, Jarman.

Sent Off: Jarman.

Attempts (on target): Rochdale 9 (7) Grimsby 9 (4)
Free kicks: Rochdale 15 Grimsby 16
Offside: Rochdale 3 Grimsby 3
Corners: Rochdale 10 Grimsby 1

Referee: D McDermid