Progress despite
ROCHDALE squeezed through to the second round of the competition with a far-from-comfortable win against Gateshead.
That the high-flying National League side gave their League One opponents a run for their money was no great shock – but, having gone two goals up, the tense last half hour felt very much avoidable.
And on a day when Dale boss Keith Hill’s greatest ever signing, Ian Henderson, notched his 100th goal for the club, it was the visitors who earned the plaudits of both sets of supporters by the end of the contest.
Hill named the starting XI which had kicked off the goalless draw against Luton Town the previous weekend, Ollie Rathbone still missing from the squad due to injury.
The home side controlled the opening exchanges, Callum Camps’ miscued volleyed attempt from 20 yards almost dropping fortuitously for Bradden Inman, but the visiting defence closed ranks and the ball was hastily cleared.
The men in green came into the game with a few forays forward of their own though and enjoyed a period of play where Dale struggled to get out of their own half
Gateshead skipper Scott Barrow had the first effort on target, dispossessing Stephen Dooley just inside the Dale half and testing Brandon Moore with a low drive which bounced awkwardly in front of the goalkeeper.
Striker Luke Armstrong sent a volley across the face of goal and just when the visitors were growing in confidence, Dale struck with the opening goal on 21 minutes.
Jordan Williams and Ian Henderson combined on the left before Williams’ low cross was turned into the roof of the net by Jon Mellish.
And within 60 seconds Dale had doubled their lead when Inman raced clear down the left wing and centred the ball for Henderson to slide home his 100th goal for the club, the captain afforded a standing ovation from the home supporters beyond the usual goal celebrations.
Moore was almost punished for a slack pass out of defence which ran straight to Greg Olley on the edge of the area. The Gateshead man immediately sent the ball back towards the target, but Moore redeemed himself by blocking the shot with his legs.
Scott Boden sidestepped Harrison McGahey to collect a long pass forward and beat Moore with a curling shot which flew inches wide of the upright while Aynsley Pears in the Gateshead goal comfortably collected a 25-yarder from Camps.
Boden had another opportunity before the break when Ryan Delaney missed a clearance and the ball ran invitingly for an edge-of-the-area strike. However, his volley was poorly executed, his disappointment audible from all corners of the ground.
It appeared normal service had resumed at the start of the second half with Dale again on top.
But Gateshead scored a well worked goal to pull themselves back into the tie. From Dale’s point of view – and Moore’s in particular – it was horrific.
Mellish fed a pass into Olley on the edge of the area and his backheel flick completely bamboozled the Dale defence, leaving the advancing Mellish in the clear. The shot was pretty much straigh at Moore, who got a heavy hand to it but succeeded only in parrying it into the roof of the net.
And from that point, it was a very different tie.
Olley had a great chance to level the game up when