Hill’s men set up
ROCHDALE roared into FA Cup dreamland with a 1-0 fourth-round win over Championship Millwall at Spotland.
Ian Henderson stabbed home in the second half to take Dale into the fifth round for the first time since 2002-03, where Spurs lie in wait.
It was a night of drama up there with any yet seen at Spotland, matching and exceeding memories of wins over Coventry, Nottingham Forest and Leeds.
The Spotland surface sparked furore but to make an issue of it on the evening itself would be to excuse the visitors a shoddy showing.
Rochdale stunned Neil Harris’ dazed Lions with the tigerish quality of their midfield work, as well as utter composure in all defensive dealings.
They wasted no time in getting straight at Millwall, drawing a good chance within two minutes.
Joe Rafferty’s initial cross was hacked clear to Matt Done, hooking over a deflected cross that Callum Camps volleyed inches wide of the post.
The visitors sought an immediate response as right-back Conor McLaughlin drifted a ball over the back four but Ryan Tunnicliffe couldn’t bring it down.
For the third time in as many games, Dale scrapped their way to authority in the middle of the park and sent Millwall into submission.
There is balance to the current trio, Andy Cannon a model of industry and Mark Kitching a increasing influence - joined together by Camps’ creativity.
The first-half, a dour affair, was punctuated by fouls and free-kicks neither side could truly capitalise on.
But Dale nearly did on 40 minutes, Rafferty’s delivery finding Henderson who claimed he was tripped on the top of the box by James Meredith only for appeals to be waved away.
Their best chance of the half came when Tom Elliott won a knock-down in the Rochdale half and Tunnicliffe fired a longranger straight at Josh Lillis.
A couple of early corners helped Rochdale threaten at the start of the second-half, the first played short to Cannon who hooked a shot on target.
Moments later Rafferty’s corner was cleared back to him and his second delivery found its way to Kitching, denied by Jason Shackell’s fine block eight yards out.
The golden moment arrived in the 53rd minute from the best move of the match.
Henderson picked the ball up on halfway, spreading it out wide to Calvin Andrew and made for the box.
Andrew squared up Shackell, outmuscling the defender and forcing over a low cross for his strike partner who poked home at the near post.
Rather than sparking a response, the goal seemed only to further deflate Millwall and their attempts to then find a leveller were painful.
Big guns Lee Gregory and Steve Morison were introduced after the hour mark, trying to push as many as four forwards onto the Dale backline.
They worked their way into the box down the lefthand side, but Fred Onyedinma’s blocked shot from 12 yards was the best of a bad bunch.