Familiar fate sees Dale fall at Wigan
AHEAD of an extraordinary game against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on Wednesday evening, Rochdale played their part in an all-toofamiliar script in their League One encounter at Wigan on Saturday.
Dale were underdogs against a side looking likely to gain automatic promotion to the Championship and having just knocked Manchester City out of the FA Cup.
However, they defied their lowly league status and matched the home side for long periods – only to concede a soft goal, a habit they have never shaken off since the start of the campaign.
While Keith Hill made two changes to the starting eleven from the midweek draw against MK Dons – Scott Wiseman and Ollie Rathbone coming in for Stephen Humphrys the illness-hit Joe Rafferty – Paul Cook, the Wigan boss, made seven changes to the line-up he’d fielded against City.
Even so, while such wholesale changes frm most other clubs in the division might be cause for optimism among opponents, Wigan replaced like for like in terms of quality and this was still a strong side, featuring central defender Donervon Daniels, who spent the first half of the season on loan at Dale.
Just as they did against MK Dons four days earlier, Dale made a reasonably bright start to the game and for ten minutes looked the better side.
But as supporters have witnessed so often this season, the promising passages of play did not amount to a goal and Latics were quick to seize on that, breaking the deadlock in the 12th minute.
When a Dale attack broke down it was a straightforward punt downfield from goalkeeper Christian Walton was flicked for James Vaughan and he nodded the ball through for Michael Jacobs to race onto and fire wide and low into the far corner of Josh Lillis’ net.
From there on, Wigan’s confidence grew and they were the stronger side for the remainder of the half, going close to scoring a second through a Vaughan header which flew over and a Jamie Walker effort which was parried Lillis.
For Dale, Callum hit a long-range effort wide and later teed up Ian Henderson for what would prove to be the visitors’ best chance of the afternoon. Camps’ dinked through ball was perfect for Henderson, the frontman taking the shot early and firing a half-volley from the edge of the area inches wide.
Jamie Walker rounded Lillis but ran into too tight an angle to squeeze the ball home and the half ended with Hill replacing central defender Jim McNulty – who had earlier been booked – with striker Steven Davies, partly to protect McNulty’s availability for the showcase game at Wembley, and partly to increase Dale’s sharpness in front of goal.
But after the break it was still the home side who were asking the more serious questions and Lillis had to beat away a powerful near post effort from Jacobs.
Sam Hart came on for Rathbone to make his Dale debut after joining on-loan from Blackburn Rovers in January, shortly before Lillis saved a stooping header from Vaughan.
Dale created a superb chance to equalise when Davies’ cross towards the back-post found the unmarked Henderson, but he headed over the crossbar.
Billy Knott came on for Camps with Dale’s final change midway through the second half, and his right-footed cross to the back-post found Hart, whose header lacked power and was comfortably held by Christian Walton.
Wigan came close to a second again when Max Power curled a stunning free-kick off the underside of the crossbar, while Scott Wiseman headed over the bar when picked out by Henderson’s delivery.
Hill admitted he was gravely disappointed to be beaten.
“I’m devastated really, because the goal that decided the game was a terrible goal,” he said.
“We had to earn every opportunity that we created and we didn’t put those opportunities away. I don’t think Wigan earned the goal scoring opportunity that led to the winner.
“It was novice defending at best, so I’m disappointed but it’s difficult at the minute, and the players are going through the same rollercoaster that I am. They know they’re better than the position and the results that we’re in.
“Two thirds of everything we do is as good as it was last season, but results are dictating where we are in the league. It’ll affect confidence, although it hasn’t affected performances.
“I’m trying not to bring any pressure to the players and that’s why I’m out here so quickly after the full-time whistle, because there’s no point in me having an hour debrief with the players, that’s long gone. I’ve got to pick them up because they’re giving me everything. The intelligence that they have to use is not 100 per cent all of the time, and over 95 minutes that’s going to cost you, which it has done.
“There was nothing wrong with what we did up until they scored. There was nothing wrong with the personnel, I was reasonably happy with the way we were playing.
“But for us to be attacking and then their goalkeeper kicks a goal kick and they score – that’s ridiculous.”