Millers make most of misfiring Dale
ROCHDALE were left to rue missed opportunities and a fatal lapse of concentration as they were edged out by a single goal in a hard-fought encounter against an industrious Rotherham outfit, at Spotland on Saturday.
The visitors made light of an abysmal away record – this was their second victory on the road in 18 months - when in the 57th minute, centre-back Richard Wood took advantage of sloppy marking to convert Anthony Forde’s corner.
It was enough to claim the points, as the hosts, despite late pressure, failed to hit the target. Three minutes after the Rotherham goal Steven Davies headed against the bar from close-range and in the closing stages Ian Henderson had an effort cleared off the line. The best chance, though, fell to substitute Brad Inman in added time. Joe Bunney’s corner was headed back across goal by Davies, Inman timed his run into the six-yard box perfectly but, having lost his marker, he blasted over from four yards. There was still time for Davies to head wide from the last move of the match; his failure to convert summed up Rochdale’s afternoon.
A thoughtful Keith Hill was disappointed not to have taken something from the game and acknowledged his team’s failure to convert the chances on offer.
He said: “I believe we had enough opportunities to get something out of the game. In seasons gone by we would have won that game but at the minute we are not firing going forward. We have sorted our shape out to prevent too many opportunities for the opposition.
“There are goals in the team but they have to be sure they are being clinical and clean when the opportunities come along.
“It’s, as I have said, the small detail. When a throw in is taken it should go to one of my players, when a corner is taken it is a goal-scoring opportunity for us, it shouldn’t go out of play or behind.
“Okay the game the game is about mistakes, but not about those mistakes when the ball is dead and we should be retaining the ball and doing better.
“The players are showing the right amount of effort, the right amount of endeavour but we have to get the key ingredients which are the salt and pepper of any meal and make it the winning formula.”
The opening forays were nip and tuck with both teams working hard to control the midfield. Rochdale engineered several openings with fast, flowing first touch football, but the final killer pass was lacking and clear cut chances few and far between.
The first moment of note arrived in the 17th minute, Davies spinning and unleashing a longrange dipping effort which was marginally high.
Rotherham, too, had chances, Will Vaulks, who had replaced the injured Lee Frecklington after four minutes, heading over and Richie Towell forcing a superb save from Lillis, as he raced off his line to smother the shot.
The last chance of the half came in the closing seconds, Henderson unable to reach Davies’ through ball, keeper Richards O’Donnell scrambling clear.
The second half started in the same vein with neither side able to carve out clear-cut chances.
The goal, when it came was a catalogue of errors. The referee awarded a mysterious free kick as, not for the first time a Rotherham player fell over with little or no contact.
The ball was lobbed into the box and appeared to be going dead until Lillis intervened and fumbled, conceding a corner. And, as luck would have it, Wood pounced to score what proved to be the decisive goal.
Three minutes later Davies hit the bar and despite the arrival of Inman, Calvin Andrew and Jordan Slew from the bench Rochdale were unable to convert their chances and, perhaps, get at least one point from the game, which they surely deserved.
Lillis; McNulty, McGahey, Camps (Inman 71), MJ Williams, Rathbone (Andrew 61), Done (Slew 81), Davies, Daniels, Bunney, Henderson, Subs not used: Rafferty, Ntlhe, J Williams, Moore. Yellow cards: McNulty, Bunney, Williams, Henderson.
O’Donnell, Cummings, Wood, Ihiekwe, Mattock, R Williams, Potter, Frecklington (Vaulks 4), Towell, Forde (Ajayi 88), Moore (Clarke-Harris 90+2). Subs not used: Emmanuel, Ball, Price, Yates. David Coote
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