FA Cup Third Round
Rochdale 2 - 0 Leeds United

Rochdale 2 - 0 Leeds United

Rochdale booked their place in the next round with a thoroughly deserved victory over Championship side Leeds United at Spotland. Scott Hogan opened the scoring on the stroke of half time when he met a Peter Vincenti cross. Dale were the more dominant side throughout but had to wait until the 84th minute to calm the nerves when Ian Henderson’s precise volley sealed the passage through.

Dale boss Keith Hill made three changes to the side that lost on New Year's Day. Michael Rose, sent off in the game against Scunthorpe, served his one match ban with Matt Done replacing. There were starts for Rhys Bennett at left back whilst Joe Bunney was a surprise inclusion ahead of Graham Cummins.

In front of a near sell-out crowd, Dale started very brightly seeing lots of the ball but couldn’t trouble goalkeeper Paddy Kenny.

As the game neared the 15 minute mark, Leeds stepped up a gear and came close to breaking the deadlock. Danny Pugh’s teasing freekick found the head of Matt Smith but his header was cleared by Lund.

The game started to open up and was a real end-to-end affair.

Hogan beat the offside trap but Kenny pulled off a fine stop with Henderson unable to capitalise on the follow up.

Leeds’ leading scorer Ross McCormack was having a quiet afternoon but found himself with a good chance on 18 minutes. Central to goal and just 15 yards out, the Scottish International looked set to pull the trigger until Bennett stuck a foot in to divert the ball away.

The last 15 minutes of the first half belonged to Dale.

Kenny had to be quick off his line to deny Hogan whilst Henderson will feel he should have done better when played in by Vincenti but his shot went only into the side netting.

With the board showing two minutes of added time at the end of the first half, Henderson shot weakly at Kenny and then Hogan’s turn and shot hardly troubled the veteran stopper.

Seconds later and Kenny could do nothing to stop Hogan scoring. Vincenti’s right wing cross was perfect for Hogan to jump in between two defenders and head beyond the keeper.

With manager Brian McDermott’s half time team talk ringing in their ears, Leeds came out looking slightly more hungry and almost levelled eight minutes after the re-start. Smith’s header beat Lillis but Bunney was on the line to head clear.

That signalled Dale to step up a gear, with Henderson causing problems for the Championship side's backline. Hogan's cross from the right found the former Colchester man but his clipped shot was easy for Kenny.

The keeper again had to be alert to race off his line as Henderson was played in but the stopper got there first to clear.

McCormack flashed a shot just wide on the hour mark whilst Pugh forced a save from Lillis at his near post with what would turn out to be Leeds’ last real attack of the game.

From 75 minutes it was all Rochdale as they began to turn the screw on the former FA Cup winners.

Vincenti dragged a shot well wide from a great position whilst Hogan saw his toe poked shot deflect wide off a defender.

Hogan’s pace caused Leeds no end of problems and when he picked out Vincenti, the Jerseyman was denied by a great Kenny save.

Next came a moment of genius from the man-of-the-match Henderson. Substitute Graham Cummins beat the offside trap to race down the right flank before crossing perfectly to Henderson. The winger’s coolness in cushioning a volley over the rooted Leeds keeper and into the top corner was perfection personified and, as the home fans celebrated a famous victory, the Leeds fans headed for the exits.

Many had already left when Kenny brilliantly denied Henderson his second with a world class save in the top left hand corner.

The celebrations after the full time whistle showed what this victory meant to players and supporters alike, and with £67,500 handed out in prize money, a day like today can be pivotal for a club the size of Rochdale.

All eyes will be on ball 14 in the draw for the fourth round (Sunday 5 January 2pm) as Hill and his team will be looking for another big scalp in the next round.

Attendance: 8,225

Rochdale: Lillis, Bennett, O’Connell, Lancashire, Done, Vincenti, Lund, Cavanagh (c), Henderson, Hogan, Bunney (Cummins 71)
Subs: (not used) Thomson, Rafferty, Eastham, Donnelly, Allen, Dicker#

Leeds: Kenny, Pearce, Wooton (Hunt 76), Zaliukas, Peltier (Poleon 84), Murphy, Austin (c), Pugh, Byram, McCormack, Smith
Subs: (not used) Lees, Brown, Tonge, Ariyibi, Cairns

Referee: Mr M Jones
Assustant Referees: Mr M Jones & Mr M Howes
Fourth Official: Mr P Marsden