Seasiders sink Dale in rain
ROCHDALE’S 2018 got off on the wrong footing as Blackpool ran out winners on a gloomy New Year’s Day at the Crown Oil Arena.
After an evenly fought first half, the game drifted away from the home side when they made a slow start to the second half – the visitors, by contrast, enjoying their best spell after the break and capitalising with a couple of goals.
Dale finished the game on top but Mark Kitching’s goal in the 93rd minute came too late for them to apply a sustained period of pressure on the Blackpool backline.
The afternoon had started with much promise, the weather set reasonably fare and Dale kicking off with purpose.
Christoffer Mafoumbi, one of six changes for Blackpool, was called into action three minutes in when Callum Camps hit the target with a 30-yard free-kick, the goalkeeper parrying his effort.
And the young stopper, making his league debut for the club, did equally as well when punching clear Ian Henderson’s cross when under pressure from Calvin Andrew at the back post.
Andrew headed Matt Done’s free-kick into the side netting in the 15th minute of the match, by which stage the visitors had barely been inside Rochdale’s half.
That changed with a couple of set-pieces into the Dale area, the first headed tamely over by Nathan Delfouneso and the second causing genuine concern, Clark Robertson beating Josh Lillis to the delivery and heading goalwards only for Camps to clear off the line.
The remainder of the first half was evenly contested as the Seasiders started to get to grips with what was already a horrible surface, the poor pitch compounded by incessant rain which had started soon after kick off and made the most simple of passes a potential hazard.
If Dale started the game reasonably well, their opening to the second half was a source of great disappointment, Blackpool making the most of their failure to race out of the blocks.
Colin Daniel was inches away from opening the scoring with a 25-yard effort which bounced awkwardly in front of Lillis, coming off the wet surface at speed but fortunately for the home side flying wide of the post.
Daniel had arguably an even clearer opening soon after when a set-piece was only partially cleared to him on the edge of the area, the frontman curling a shot over the top.
Viv Soloman-Otabar tested Lillis with a straightforward effort, but Blackpool’s greater intent was clear by the minute and they took the lead in the 54th minute.
The home side lost possession from their own throw in and Gary Bowyer’s men broke forward with Jimmy Ryan feeding Soloman-Otobor, who in turn found Ollie Turton on the left.
His low delivery into the area founf Delfueneso with his back to goal and marshalled by Kgosi Ntlhe and Donveron Daniels. The frontman held the ball up well with his back to goal, turning sharply away from the two Dale defenders, drifting wide of Done’s challenge and Lillis’ attempt to grasp the ball before side-footing in from close range.
And Blackpool’s second came in the 67th minute when substitute Jay Spearing’s corner was headed home by Kelvin Mellor.
Andy Cannon flashed a shot across the face of goal while Brad Inman blazed a great chance over the crossbar in the closing minutes