Back-to-back home victories boost for Dale
ROCHDALE ....................... 3 ALTRINCHAM .................. 0
RYAN East’s brace and Kairo Mitchell’s tenth of the season ensured a commanding victory and back-to-back home wins, as Dale ran out 3-0 winners against Altrincham.
Rochdale took a firsthalf lead through Ryan East before Louie Moulden saved Connclarke’s penalty to prevent an equaliser.
East then doubled his tally just after the hour mark before a 71st-minute strike from Mitchell capped off a fine display for Jimmy Mcnulty’s side to grab all three points.
Mcnulty named an unchanged side from Saturday’s victory over Aldershot for consecutive matches at the Crown Oil Arena, with October Player of the Month Jimmy Keohane starting at right-back.
Dale began the brightest
and had the first real glimpse within the opening minute as loanee Cian Hayes cut onto his favoured left but just couldn’t find the room to fashion an opening for a strike.
Altrincham did have an early chance of their own when winger Amaluzor kept the ball well and drifted infield, his eventual attempt dragging well wide of Moulden’s left.
In-form Jimmy Keohane then committed himself forward and had a couple of half-chances on
target. The first came when Hayes and Clayton won the ball back collectively, the former laying it off for Keohane, whose left-footed attempt was saved by Ross. The ball then fell to the Irishman on the edge of the box, but his powerful volley was well blocked.
The pressure told as with 15 minutes on the clock, Dale broke the deadlock through Ryan East. The ball was initially well won back by Gilmour, with the Bradford loanee reacting to the loose ball to carry forward and slot home expertly well from just outside the area.
The midfielder was clearly full of confidence as a couple of minutes later, the ball was taken down superbly, and his half-volley from range dipped just over the crossbar.
Altrincham did begin to show their quality, with Newby and Conn-clarke picking up good areas. The visitors earned themselves a penalty on 32 minutes when Ebankslandell was adjudged to have brought down Sithole.
Conn-clarke stepped up to take, but that didn’t deter Moulden, who made a superb save to his left to deny the midfielder, who dragged the rebound wide.
The Robins were rejuvenated after the break, and they had more control with a big chance for former Dale man Alex Newby, who tried rounding Moulden, but the angle closed, and he couldn’t convert on his return.
However, it was Dale who got the all-important second, and it was that man East again.
The attacking midfielder made it four goals in four games when he latched onto John’s fine cutback from the left and ensured Ross had no chance of preventing his brace.
The attack continued to flow, and just after Hayes had a testing effort repelled well by the Altrincham goalkeeper, Dale extended their lead.
A curling ball into the area was brought down expertly well by Kairo Mitchell, who had his back to goal, but he somehow managed to spin and smash home a left-footed effort.
The visitors had one final chance to get onto the scoresheet, but fullback Jones’ low drive was saved by Moulden, who picked up a well-deserved clean sheet.
Moulden, John, East, Ebanks-landell, Clayton, Mitchell, Uchegbulam (56 Henderson), Keohane, Nevett, Hayes (72 Oduroh), Gilmour (81 Taylor). Unused subs: Rodney, Afuye.