Rochdale see three-goal lead slip away

ONCE again the weather saw to it that both early push backs, for the Ladies and Men’s second teams, were postponed, but by mid-afternoon the Men’s 1s fixture against Ormskirk was deemed fit to play by both umpires.

The fixture was always going to be a physical game after the heated cup tie last year which saw Rochdale take the spoils.

This time round Ormskirk started the better of the two teams, pinning Rochdale in their own half.

This has become a feature of Rochdale’s season this year as they struggled to get their passes going and Ormskirk’s constant pressure saw them overturning the home side’s possession, Rochdale seeming to be invite them to attack at will.

Eventually, as the game got going, Rochdale started to find some momentum and they began to push up through the gears.

Mark Eden in defence had found his range with penetrating long balls, deep in to the Ormskirk half and Rochdale strikers James Shepperd and David Gowers were picking them up and causing the Ormskirk back four all sorts of trouble.

With the Ormskirk defence occupied with Shepperd and Gowers, gaps began to open for the Rochdale midfield to take advantage and it was captain Michael Waddicor who led by example.

On a typical Waddicor run from deep he managed to break through the Ormskirk defence and wrong foot the keeper to make it 1-0. Barry Gumbley was to make it 2-0 after another solo run from midfield, around the top of the D and rifling a shot pass the keeper.

Winger Keiran King made it 3-0 and put Rochdale in control before half time.

The second half saw Rochdale become complacent, with poor passes believing they had won the game.

Ormskirk never gave up and soon found themselves back in the game with two quick goals to pull it back to 3-2.

Rochdale needed to stem the tide and as they began to get back into the game, it was clear that Ormskirk had a game plan to foul Waddicor whenever he began to run from deep.

Ormskirk had seen the threat in the first half and were happy to play overly aggressive hockey and several times put horrible challenges in on the Rochdale captain, leaving him upended on the floor with several cuts to his legs, despite shin guards.

The lenient Ormskirk umpire often only warned the players when most umpires would have at least shown a card.

To add insult to injury, Ormskirk also managed to draw level just as Rochdale were gaining back control.

Rochdale did get a fourth goal through Gumbley, his second of the game, which should have been the winner.

However, after a poor call from the umpire, Ormskirk gained a short corner which they dispatched straight down the middle of the Rochdale goal and ending the game in a 4-4 draw.

Waddicor said: “This is the first time we have dropped points all season and we are disappointed with both the result of today’s game and the way in which it happened. We felt several umpiring decisions did not go our way today and some of the Ormskirk team shouldn’t have been on the pitch after the deliberate fouls they had made.

“But at 3-0 up we should have finished the game off and never allowed them back in to it, which shows we still have lots to work on.”

The Oulderhill Leisure Centre man of the match went to Waddicor.