Lund lifts spirits
SATURDAY’S defeat by Hull City had the potential to demoralise a Dale side who travelled to Burton second bottom of the League One table – but Brian BarryMurphy’s assertion that his squad would not be dragged down by the result rang true at the Pirelli Stadium.
There, Matty Lund’s second half goal against his former side earned BBM’s men their second victory of the season and served as a reminder that, while Dale will start as underdogs to the likes of Championship-chasing Hull and Ipswich, they are capable of competing in this division clear of the relegation zone.
Given the changes in key personnel over the extended summer – enough has been written about the departures of Ian Henderson, Callum Camps, Calvin Andrew, Aaron Wilbraham et al – there was always going to be period of adaptation.
Swindon was a poor performance, Ipswich and Hull proved too good, but otherwise, in the games against Portsmouth, Accrington, Fleetwood and now Burton, Dale have been a match for the opposition, regardless of the outcome of those games.
There were two changes from Saturday - Haydon Roberts made his debut, replacing captain Eoghan O’Connell who missed out through illness, while Jim McNulty came in for the injured Paul McShane.
Rochdale were the better side during the opening exchanges, but Burton came within inches of opening the scoring in the 21st minute when Kane Hemmings crashed a low cross off the post, before Vassilev’s header was calmly defended away by Roberts.
Alex Newby saw a powerful strike blocked behind for a corner, while on the half hour, Roberts found Jimmy Keohane with a great diagonal pass. Keohane’s dangerous ball into the area caused problems for the hosts and Rathbone was able to fire narrowly wide of the upright before a late offside flag went up.
Joe Powell curled an effort well wide from outside the area soon after, but neither team could break the deadlock in a highly competitive first half and the sides went in level at the break.
Burton struck first in the second half, but Powell’s effort failed to test Banzunu and it went well wide of the target.
And in the 49th minute, Rochdale opened the scoring, as Lund netted against his former side. The midfielder met Aaron Morley’s free-kick into the area and he sent a looping header over Kieran O’Hara and into the far corner to put Dale 1-0 up.
There was a superb break from Dale shortly before the hour mark as Tolaji Bola found Newby, but his low delivery was turned behind just in front of Beesley who had got himself into a dangerous position.
Rochdale were in control as they went in search of a second while defending resolutely to keep the Brewers’ threat in front of goal to a minimum, and Bazunu’s first save of the half came in the 69th minute when the ‘keeper clawed away a cross in from the right that could have crept in under the bar.
Ollie Rathbone had a low shot held by O’Hara, before Dale’s first change of the game followed three minutes later, as Newby made way for Fabio Tavares.
Keohane then sent a halfvolley wide after a Morley corner was cleared away to him 25-yards from goal.
Up the other end and Ben Fox curled a 35-yard free-kick narrowly wide, while Ciaran Gilligan head past the post from a ball in from the left as Burton
Albion tried to find a way back into the game.
In the 84th minute, McNulty made way for Ryan McLaughlin in Dale’s final substitution of the match having suffered cramp.
Rochdale continued on the front foot right until the end, and, with a minute left to play, Rathbone drove forward from just inside the Burton half and saw an effort tipped superbly behind.