Stalemate closes home campaign

ROCHDALE ....................... 0 BOREHAM WOOD ........... 0

DALE’S final home game of the season ended goalless against Boreham Wood.

Jimmy Mcnulty made three changes from Saturday’s game. Tyrese Sinclair, D’mani Mellor and Dan Sassi came into the starting eleven, in place of Jimmy Keohane, Cian Hayes and Sam Mather.

The visitors, knowing a win would lift them out of the relegation zone, started the quicker of the two times and did have the ball in the back of the net after six minutes, although it was ruled out for offside.

David Agbonthoma saw an acrobatic overhead kick held by Jacob Chapman and Femi Ilesanmi fired wide from distance as they searched for the opener.

But Dale soon found their stride and Sinclair’s whipped cross for Mellor was close to being turned home by the on-loan Wycombe Wanderers man, who was impressing on the left.

Ryan East came closest for Dale when he crashed a 25-yard effort off the face of the crossbar after some patient build-up play from Dale.

Mellor then steered a header wide before seeing another shot blocked as Dale looked the most likely to break the deadlock before the break.

After the break, East saw a shot blocked, and Mellor had a well-struck first-time effort soundly stopped by goalkeeper Nathan Ashmore.

Lee Ndlovu sent a couple of efforts off-target for the visitors, whilst Devante Rodney and George Nevett did the same for Dale.

Mitchell headed a Cian Hayes cross over the bar, who had been introduced on the hour mark.

But he nor his teammates, nor the opposition, could find a route to goal that would provide a winner, and Dale’s final home game of the season ended goalless.

Mcnulty spoke after the game of how well George

Nevitt had adapted playing in the unfamiliar leftback role.

“I thought he was outstanding, genuinely, for a young boy, with Boreham Wood and how much of a physical handful they are, I thought he was outstanding playing at left back,” he said. “I thought his his awareness, his technical ability, his confidence travelling with the ball belied his age. That’s a tough task out of possession that he did brilliantly and in possession he showed the quality that we know he’s got, which is why we’ve had faith in such a young boy playing so many games for us all season long.

“It was the epitome of the levels of performance he’s shown beyond his years throughout the season. He was really accomplished tonight.”

And looking ahead to next season and building on their first year in the National League, Mcnulty insisted the supporters had an important role to play.

“The support is everything, it’s imperative to success and it’s truly appreciated by all of us,” he said. “I feel it when I’m on the sideline and games are still in the wrestle stage – that support, the singing, the players feel it and I definitely do. That will be imperative for us moving forward, to build on what we’ve done this year.

“I think our home record has come off the back of home support, it’s our job to inspire the fans and and make them positive but it’s also the fans’ job to transmit positivity to the players and let them know that you’re going to back them even when this gets a little bit hairy.

“In the main this season we’ve we’ve rebuilt that, which is something we talked about loads over the summer almost as if it was a little bit of a dream to do so and I think we’ve managed to do that and it was evident again tonight in a very tight affair and it’ll be it’ll be crucial going forward into next season.”