Camps conjures up
CALLUM Camps’ stunning first-half strike proved enough to beat Mansfield and secure Rochdale a place in the second round of the EFL Cup.
It took a late penalty save from Josh Lillis to prevent the tie going into extra time, but overall, Dale were good value for the win.
Hill made several changes to the team which had started the League One season with a 2-0 loss at Portsmouth four days earlier, due in part to Keith Keane’s suspension following his dismissal against Pompey and injury to Jamie Allen, who sat this one out.
In all likelihood, Hill would have utilised some of the players who started on the bench at the weekend anyway.
So Matt Done and Jordan Williams came into the side, while Niall Canavan replaced Keane in central defence and Rafferty too Allen’s place in the midfield.
A day of unrelenting ranfall made the Field Mill pitch difficult for both sides, but Hill’s team were quick to settle and take control of proceedings against a Stags side which included former Spotland favourites Rhys Bennett and Will Atkinson.
Williams almost found the net in the opening minute of his Dale bow, his angled header only just off target.
Dale goalkeeper Lillis was forced into a save by Jimmy Spencer before the visitors took the lead in the 17th minute with a stunning strike from Camps.
The midfielder punished the home side by curling a 25-yard shot into the top corner when Mansfield failed to adequately clear Williams’ corner.
When Kgosi Ntlhe conceded a soft corner, the Stags enjoyed a short period of pressure during which the Dale goal led a charmed life.
Atkinson smashed a stunning volley against the woodwork with Lillis beaten and then Spencer capitalised on a loose pass from Ntlhe but fired narrowly wide.
Their composure regained, Dale finished the half in the ascendency with Camps seeing a shot deflected wide, a Williams saved and Done denied a goal by Bobby Olejnik in the Mansfield goal.
With the sodden Field Mill surface proving increasingly difficult, the home side looked to up the pressure on the visitors’ goal in the opening exchanges of the second half but both Atkinson and Omari Sterling-James fired wide when well placed while another Sterling-James’ effort was deflected into the arms of Lillis.
Dale almost doubled their lead when full back Ntlhe’s cross deceived Olejnik and struck the crossbar.
Striker Steven Davies entered the fray in the 65th minute, replacing Williams, and he had a hand in creating a chance for Ollie Rathbone, the midfield man’s wellstruck effort clipping the outside of the post.
There was a cameo appearance for loan signing Brad Inman, who replaced Done with ten minutes to go, though he had few opportunities to demonstrate his flair in the opposition half as Mansfield mounted a late push for an equaliser.
In the 81st minute they were handed a golden chance to take the tie into extra time.
Canavan was penalised for a foul on Danny Rose in the area, but SterlingJames fired the resulting spot kick straight down the middle of the goal and