Leaders too strong for brave rivals
ROCHDALE were travelled into Manchester to play current top of the league, Didsbury Northern Ladies 5s, for their last match before the festive break.
Just like last week Rochdale dove straight into the match, undeterred by the fact they were playing an unbeaten team, and the two teams looked to be evenly matched.
After some back and forth between the two teams Rochdale managed to breakthrough with some excellent one-two work from Gemma Hodcroft and Paula McDonald which Roisin Pickering.
It led to a short corner from which Sarah Ransome took a shot where there was free space on the right hand post, but unfortunately it went just wide.
Didsbury were just as determined as Rochdale and pushed back for their own attacks, but some good hustling and chasing from Sarah Ransome slowed them down before they came up against the wall of Dionne Collinson and Gill Owen in the centre defence with Becky Knowles and Kieran Leech backing up and creating space to get the ball back to the Rochdale midfield.
The few times Didsbury managed to trouble keeper Kate Brammer she saw it off. The whole team tracked up and down the pitch well to cover and attack.
After seeing off another Didsbury attack Owen took a free hit up to Pickering who went on another run down the right wing on her own attack, a quick roll out to get around the defenders saw her into the D but the keeper was able to save her shot and to leave Rochdale without a goal.
Didsbury kept pushing, but McDonald and Sarah Ransome were on hand to help Collinson mark out the Didsbury players to give Leech enough space to tackle and then drive it halfway down the left wing before Didsbury were able to halt her run. Leech took the sideline free hit and smashed it to Hodcroft who weaved between and battled with opposition players before being awarded a free hit. McDonald took it as Rochdale pushed up the pitch but Didsbury had also rallied.
Eventually Didsbury were able to open up enough space in Rochdale’s D by constantly switching around the D and land themselves the first goal of the match.
Disappointed but not deterred, Rochdale dug in and retaliated with their own attack. A free hit from Didsbury’s defence was easily intercepted by McDonald who won a free hit on her run into Didsbury’s
defence, after which she changed tack and dragged it more to the side this time and attempted to cross it to the far post but it deflected off the opposition.
Didsbury’s second goal came from their movement pulling Rochdale away from the D before overloading with attackers before the defence could recover to give them the space to create a three on two scenario.
After a midfield battle. Hodcroft was able to hit the ball into space on the right wing for Pickering to run onto, unfortunately it was slightly too far ahead and slightly too fast for her to reach despite her best efforts.
Sarah Ransome was able to take a defence clearance into the midfield and drive it down the pitch to pass it to Knowles at the top of Didsbury’s D, with a defender in her way Knowles turned and rolled it out to open up some space and took her shot once she was back in the D and landed herself a goal.
Despite some excellent work from Rochdale’s defence, especially Jennie Ransome coming on with some fresh energy and Brammer making some excellent saves, Didsbury got lucky with their third goal where an attempt to defend the ball deflected it right in front of the keeper.
The final score was 3-1 to Didsbury, with goal scorer Becky Knowles.
Player of the match was Gemma Hodcroft and umpire’s player of the match was Gill Owen.
Captain Knowles said: “Great team effort shown today, we battled well and each week we are getting stronger.”