DALE PUT ON A
THE Youth Team’s fixtures for the 2021/22 EFL Youth Alliance League season have been confirmed.
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●● AUGUST
Port Vale (H) - Saturday 7 August
Blackpool (H) - Saturday 14 August
Scunthorpe United (A) - Saturday 21 August - EFL YA Cup
Bolton Wanderers (H) - Saturday 28 August ●● SEPTEMBER
Preston North End (A) - Saturday 4 September - 10.30am kick-off
Oldham Athletic (H) - Saturday 11 September
Walsall (A) - Saturday 18 September
Lincoln City (H) - Tuesday 28 September - EFL YA Cup, 1pm kick-off ●● OCTOBER
Shrewsbury Town (H) - Friday 1 October - 1pm kick-off
Grimsby Town (H) - Saturday 9 October - EFL YA Cup
Salford City (H) - Saturday 23 October
Accrington Stanley (H) - Saturday 30 October ●● NOVEMBER
Fleetwood Town (H) - Saturday 13 November
Carlisle United (A) - Saturday 20 November
Tranmere Rovers (A) - Saturday 27 November - 10.30am kick-off ●● DECEMBER
Morecambe (A) - Saturday 4 December
Port Vale (A) - Saturday 18 December ●● JANUARY
Blackpool (A) - Saturday 8 January - 10.30am kick-off
Oldham Athletic (A) - Saturday 15 January
Preston North End (H) - Saturday 22nd January ●● FEBRUARY
Bolton Wanderers (A) - Saturday 12 February - 10.30am kick-off
Fleetwood Town (A) - Saturday 19 February - 10.30am kick-off ●● MARCH
Carlisle United (H) - Saturday 5 March
Shrewsbury Town (A) - Saturday 26 March ●● APRIL
Accrington Stanley (A) - Saturday 2 April
Morecambe (H) - Saturday 9 April
Salford City (A) - Saturday 23 April
Tranmere Rovers (H) - Saturday 30 April ●● MAY
Walsall (H) - Saturday 7 May
ONa hot, sultry Tuesday night, Rochdale welcomed Rotherham United to Spotland, in conditions more suited to teams preparing for the 2022 World Cup in Dubai.
Following Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Fleetwood Town they again faced League One opposition and again gave a good account of themselves.
This match followed a similar pattern, Dale dominating the game for long periods, particularly in the first half, establishing a two-goal lead and then having made numerous changes conceding two late goals.
And yet again the home side’s style of play will have given their fans optimism for the season ahead being both effective and entertaining.
The opening exchanges belonged to the hosts, Alex Newby firing just wide and Aaron Morley’s sizzling low drive unnerving Viktor Johannson in the visitors goal.
With Morley and Ollie Rathbone’s driving runs into the box unsettling the visitors defence Rotherham scrambled to keep Dale out and unfortunately the ball refused to bounce kindly for the hosts.
The second half started much as the first, Newby’s trickery causing alarm in the Rotherham back line, they again managed to hang on.
Rochdale came close to breaking the deadlock when a last-ditch header from Joe Mattock prevented Newby from latching on to Abraham Odoh’s threatening cross.
One minute later, Rathbone reaped the reward for his blistering runs when he was hacked down in the box, Jake Beesley calmly slotting home the spot kick.
The home team’s trialist ‘keeper was then called into action for the first time, saving Mickel Miller’s point- blank header.
Rochdale doubled their advantage when Morley’s stern tackle won back possession deep in his own half.
He released Newby who set up Beesley for his second.
Morley and Rathbone then left the field to a wellearned ovation as Dale manager Robbie Stockwell rang the changes.
Odoh might have added a third when Stephen Dooley skipped through the defence, slipped the ball to the Dale winger whose curling shot was inches wide of the far post.
The introduction of Chiedozie Ogbene breathed new life into Rotherham and with eight minutes to go he cut inside from right and steered the ball into the bottom corner.
Ogbene was then fouled out wide and the subsequent free-kick, a whipped in in-swinger, was met by Michael Ihiekwe, who rose unmarked to nod home.
Once again Dale had been undone by late goals but the performance rather than the result was more important. And there was much to admire.
SUBSTITUTES:
ROTHERHAM UNITED:
Viktor Johannsen; Joe Mattock, Dan Barslaser, Richard Wood, Kieran Sadler, Ben Wiles, Freddie Ladapo, Wes Harding, Mickel Miller, Joshua Kayode, Jake Hull.
Josh Vickers; Chiedoze Ogbene, Jamie Lindsay, Shane Ferguson, Michael Ihiekwe, Michael Smith, Josh Chapman, Jerome Greaves, Jake Cooper, Jacob Gratton.
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SUBSTITUTES:
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