Dale claim away win with Shrew-d display
DALE made it backto-back away wins with a 2-1 victory over Shrewsbury Town.
Ollie Rathbone opened the scoring with his first of the season midway through the first-half before Alex Newby netted his first league goal to doubled the lead.
Aaron Pierre pulled one back on the stroke of halftime for the hosts, but Dale defended resolutely towards the end of the game to hold on for all three points.
Brian Barry-Murphy made one change from Tuesday night’s win at Burton Albion, as skipper Eoghan O’Connell returned from illness in place of Jim McNulty, who dropped to the bench.
Dale started brightly with Rathbone powering a header over from Tolaji Bola’s cross, before Newby dragged a shot wide of the far post after being found in the right channel by Jake Beesley.
At the other end, Leon Clarke glanced a header wide as the home side searched for a foothold in the game.
However, it was Dale who deservedly took the lead in the 22nd minute. Jimmy Ryan found Jimmy Keohane on the right flank, who cut back on to his left foot and delivered a dangerous cross into the area. Marlon Fossey attempted to head clear, but it struck the outstretched leg of Rathbone and flew into the back of the net.
Gavin Bazunu was equal to Clarke’s backpost header, whilst Matty Lund sent a header inches wide of the far post from an Aaron Morley corner.
Dale’s second came in the 36th minute when Newby latched on to
Lund’s flick on behind the Shrews defence, raced towards goal and kept his cool one-on-one with the goalkeeper to slot home.
Rathbone saw a left-foot snap shot well held by Harry Burgoyne, before Pierre crashed a header off the underside of Bazunu’s crossbar.
However, in added time of the first-half, Pierre did the find the net, when he nodded home a corner through a crowd of bodies.
After the break, Lund had a low shot held by Burgoyne and Morley whipped a free-kick from a tight angle on to the roof of the net.
Ryan McLaughlin replaced Newby and McNulty came on for Beesley, who picked up a facial injury, as the game entered the final ten minutes.
Eight minutes from time, Bazunu made a match-winning save, pulling off a superb onehanded stop to deny Fossey’s close-range header.
A further eight minutes were added on at the end of the 90, but Dale defended resolutely and picked up a deserved three points.
‘Dale defended resolutely and held on to pick up a deserved three points’