Hendo hits 200 mark in Dale’s festive feast
Club closes in on play-off places
ROCHDALE ........................ 2 AFC FYLDE ....................... 0
ROCHDALE picked up three points with a 2-0 Boxing Day win over AFC Fylde at the Crown Oil Arena.
Ian Henderson’s 200th goal in English football put Dale ahead on the stroke of halftime, before Kwaku Oduroh’s first professional goal sealed the win late on in the second period.
The result moved Dale up to eighth in the National League table, just one point outside the play-off positions.
Jimmy Mcnulty named an unchanged side from Saturday’s draw at FC Halifax Town, with new signing Finlay Armstrong making his home debut.
Dale controlled possession in the first period, with only a few half-chances created by either side for the majority of it.
Josh Kay fired an effort off target for the visitors whilst also seeing a shot held by Louie Moulden.
Jimmy Keohane had a shot well blocked whilst the Fylde defence held firm in and around their own penalty area to keep Dale at bay.
However, on the stroke of half-time, the deadlock was broken.
Moulden sent a superb long pass over the top of the visiting defence which Henderson ran on to.
With goalkeeper Theo Richardson coming off his line, Dale’s all-time leading goal scorer lofted the ball over him and into the back of the net for a trademark Henderson goal, bringing up
yet another goalscoring milestone.
Former Dale stalwart Chris Beech, in charge of Fylde, protested against the goal, claiming Henderson had been offside, but replays suggested the forward had timed his run to perfection.
Nevertheless, stung by a perceived injustice, the visitors created the better of the chances in the second half and it took a man of the match performance from Moulden to frustrate them.
Former Dale loanee
Max Conway fired an effort off target, before Moulden held a Kay shot well.
Henderson sent a header wide from a Ryan East free-kick delivery, shortly before Moulden made two crucial oneon-one saves.
The first was from Danny Ormerod, before the second from Jon Ustabasi saw the Dale stopper get clattered in a brave stop.
Fortunately, he was okay to continue.
With the Coasters piling on the pressure late on, goalkeeper Richardson joined their attack from a corner kick.
When Moulden claimed the delivery, he bowled it out to Oduroh on the halfway line, who drove at goal.
After getting past the final Fylde defender, and with the goalkeeper nowhere near getting back to his own area, the substitute rolled the ball home from 25-yards to spark great celebrations and seal the three points.
Moulden, Keohane, Ebanks-landell ©, Nevett, Armstrong, Gilmour, John, Sinclair (90’ Oduroh), Uchegbulam (73’ Afuye), East (88’ Taylor), Henderson. Unused subs: Edwards, Burgess.
RED CARD: Sinclair
YELLOW CARD: John
AFC FYLDE: Richardson, Barrett, Davis ©, Graham, Conway, Adshead, Glynn, Whitehead, Kay (Ormerod 68), Ustabasi, Charman (Haughton 68). Unused subs: Gordon, Obi
YELLOW CARD: Barrett
REFEREE: John Mulligan