Win lifts Dale out of relegation zone
ROCHDALE secured their first home league win of the season on Saturday, with a deserved 2-1 victory over Barrow AFC.
Liam Kelly put Dale ahead in the 18th minute, before Scott Quigley doubled the side’s advantage fifteen minutes from time. Niall Canavan halved the deficit in the 90th minute.
Jim Bentley named an unchanged side for the match at the Crown Oil Arena, following the 1-0 win over Newport County last weekend.
The visitors struck first, with Billy Waters firing across goal and narrowly wide of the upright after four minutes.
It was a relatively even affair during the opening exchanges, despite the early chance for the Bluebirds, but Rochdale started to get a foothold on the game and created several opportunities.
Femi Seriki had an effort from the edge of the area held by Paul Farman, before former Barrow forward Quigley came inches from breaking the deadlock. He rose highest to meet Kelly’s ball to the back post, heading narrowly wide of the upright and into the side netting.
James Ball then sent a low shot past the post from 25-yards.
And Kelly opened the scoring soon after, in the 18th minute. From a Jimmy Keohane throw in, he beat his marker before curling into the far bottom corner.
Quigley stung the hands of the ‘keeper after some great play up the left saw him skip in on goal and get away a powerful strike. He then had a shot blocked on the edge of the area.
Up the other end, Barrow’s Joshua Kay squandered an opportunity, heading over from sixyards.
As Dale got in again, Abraham Odoh struck wide through a packed box from 25-yards.
The side were then kept out by an excellent Farman save. After Quigley drove forward over the halfway line, he played in
Odoh who squared first time to Kelly. The goalkeeper got down to keep out Kelly’s powerful shot.
Before the half was out, Kelly fired over from a free-kick and Rochdale took a one goal advantage into the break.
Barrow came close to an equaliser inside the opening sixty seconds of the second half but Waters headed narrowly wide of the upright at the back post.
Harrison Neal then, soon after, had a header from the edge of the area comfortably held by Richard O’donnell.
Dale were through on goal in the 66th minute when they hit the visitors on the break. Quigley raced forward before sending an inch perfect pass to Devante Rodney who tried to chip the outrushing Farman, but the goalkeeper got a hand to it to divert it away from goal.
Sam Graham was then denied on the line from Kelly’s free-kick, with Patrick Brough hitting clear his goal-bound effort.
But Dale finally doubled their advantage in the 75th minute. Dale had put the visitors under a sustained amount of pressure which lead to Rodney whipping a ball across the face of goal, where Quigley dived in to turn home at the back post.
It could have been three a couple of minutes of later, but Seriki saw his low effort deflected narrowly wide of the upright.
A couple of substitutions followed in quick succession with Connor Malley and Tyrese Sinclair replacing Kelly and Rodney, respectfully.
In the 90th minute, former Dale defender Niall Canavan halved the deficit, when he rose highest to head home from a corner.
A third change followed, as Odoh made way for Jim Mcnulty.
The visitors threw everything at Dale as they went in search of an equaliser and deep into the six minutes of stoppage time, captain Ethan Ebanks-landell put in a superb block to deny Ben Whitfield’s near certain goal-bound effort, diverting it wide of the target.