Dale cash in at
ETHAN Hamilton’s second-half goal secured Dale’s first three points of 2019 with a 2-1 win over Walsall at the Banks’ Stadium.
Ethan Ebanks-Landell opened the scoring in the fourth minute, rifling home a half-volley into the top corner, before the hosts equalised through Joe Edwards before the break.
Hamilton’s composed finish restored the lead 14 minutes into the second period, and Dale held on for a hard-earned three points.
“I’ve seen progression over the last month but we haven’t got the results. I thought it was important that the players who played at Barnsley last week got a second chance to at least show the same performance levels today,” said Dale boss Keith Hill.
“I was really encouraged by last week but we’re in a position now where the importance of the game is the result, and we’ve got the three points today.
“There were some mistakes which are typical of side that is struggling at the wrong end of the table, but it’s brilliant for the lads to remind themselves of what it feels like to have a winning week, and we’ve got to build on it.
“We know that we’re not the end product and that we need to improve to improve our opportunities to get results like we’ve got today, but there was a lot of courage out on the pitch and I’m pleased with the way we started the game.
“I’m also really pleased with the goals, and we got a little bit of fortune because it could have gone either way – it could have been 2-2. But I thought we deserved the win, not just on today’s performance but because we’ve been rolling into this.
“I’ve been trying to encourage the lads and we’ve been rolling. We rolled in the second half against Peterborough and I thought we did against Fleetwood to a certain degree, and then at Barnsley we missed out on what should have been a point.
“I’m pleased that we got the three points today because it would have been hard to keep singing the tune to the players of what I expect and not getting the results, so they’ve got a bit of sugar.”
Hill named an unchanged side from last weekend’s outing at Barnsley, with new signings Rekeil Pyke and Joe Bunney on the substitute’s bench.
Dale got off to the perfect start, breaking the deadlock inside four minutes.
After Ian Henderson had already sent a driven effort narrowly over from 25-yards, Ebanks-Landell’s touch and half-volley from Rory Holden’s corner found the far top corner for his first Dale goal.
The goalscorer glanced another header wide of the far post from Stephen Dooley’s free-kick, either side of Calvin Andrew headers from set-pieces which flew narrowly off target, as Dale dominated the opening stages.
However, the home side grew into the game and levelled nine minutes
‘It’s brilliant for the lads to remind themselves of what it feels like to have a winning week’
before the break through a fine solo effort from Edwards.
He carried the ball from just inside the Dale half to the edge of the area, before firing beyond the outstretched Josh Lillis