Friday 6th October 2006 - 7.30pm

 0

Rochdale

5 

 23

Sam Russell 

1

Matt Gilks

 27

 Ville Vaisanen

14

Gary Brown

 3

 Craig James

12

Alan Goodall

 21

 Joey Hutchinson

19

Lee Crooks 68

 5

 Patrick Collins

18

Nathan Stanton

 8

 Micky Cummins

8

Gary Jones

 26

 David Rowson

5

John Doolan

 7

 Neil Wainwright 16

16

Keith Barker

 19

 Martin Smith 56

21

James Sharp

 13

 Barry Conlon 46

26

Morike Sako  80

 25

 Alun Armstrong

9

Chris Dagnall 83

Substitutes

 11

 Simon Johnson 46

2

Simon Ramsden

 14

 Carlos Logan 56

4

Ernie Cooksey 68

 6

 Kalu Ngoma

7

Darrell Clarke  83

 2

 David Duke 16

11

Jon Boardman

 1

 David Stockdale

20

Clive Moyo-Modise 80

SCORERS

BOOKINGS

Stuart Ashworth at the 96.6 TFM Arena

Rochdale manager Steve Parkin took an unchanged side to Darlington and basically destroyed them. Five goals without reply against a side without a manager had the home side screaming for the heads of the board whilst the fans in the opposite end cheered their side home to victory.

It would have been impossible to predict the outcome of this one early on as the home side looked hungry to put recent events surrounding the managerial and boardroom upheavals firmly behind them.

Darlington started strongly but despite putting Dale on the back foot in the opening few minutes they never really gave 'keeper Gilks much to think about.

The game and in fact the whole evening was turned completely on its head with just seven minutes played. Rochdale took the lead after a half cleared corner was headed back into the box by man-of-the-match Gary Brown and after a Alan Goodall lay off Sako dug out the ball from under his feet superbly before driving a low shot across Sam Russell and into the far corner.

Darlington never recovered from the early set back and Dale were in no mood to let them off the hook. Steve Parkin's side continued to put the pressure on and with 13 minutes on the clock Keith Barker went close to making it two. The Blackburn loanee brought out the best in the Darlington 'keeper with a first time effort from a Gary Jones left sided cross, Russell spread himself well to block the effort on the line.

Darlington's evening got worse just a minute later Craig James was sent off following an over the top challenge on Gary Brown and he took his sides chances of getting anything out of the game with him as he trudged off down the tunnel.

In total disarray the Darlington side muddled around the pitch chasing the shadows Steve Parkin's side were casting and on 20 minutes the visitors doubled their lead. It was Alan Goodall who sniffed the opening at 25-yards and buried a raking shot past Russell that flew into the net off the underside of the crossbar

Dale were lining up the shots like children waiting in turn for throws at a coconut shy and next to chance his arm was Lee Crooks. Sadly for the Rochdale midfielder his powerful 20-yard shot was saved by Russell.

It wasn't long before Dale notched with their third of the evening and this time is was Sako who doubled his tally. In a complete reverse of his first, Sako touched the ball on to his left foot to jink past the defender just inside the box before stroking the ball into the far corner.

Just before the break the big man almost sealed his hat-trick with an acrobatic over head bicycle kick but this time the Frenchman was off target and saw his effort drift wide of the post.

Rochdale did get their reward just before halftime and it was Chris Dagnall who got into the act with a splendid team goal in stoppage time. Keith Barker ended the pass count on around 14 when he slid the ball into the Dale striker and he made no mistake with a clinical low finish.

The second half sadly failed to live up to the first but it was Dale who continued to dominate the ten men of Darlington.

Chances were rare in the second half with just Sako going close from a corner after Alan Goodall had nodded the ball back across the goal.

Darlington, backed by a noisy home crowd managed to stage something of a fight but they knew in the hearts the game was beyond them and despite having a good ten minutes of possession they never once troubled a solid Dale rearguard.

The biggest celebration of the night arrived late on as Clive Moyo-Modise came on for Sako and with virtually his first touch scored his first league goal for his club.

It was another well worked passage of play and a lovely lay off from Dagnall put the young striker in and he showed great composure in his preparation before slotting home past Russell.

The young striker had a great chance to make it to after a slide rule pass from John Doolan help spring the offside trap. Moyo-Modise raced through and as Russell came to meet the Dale striker side-footed the ball just wide of the far post.

Following four minutes of added time the referee signalled the end of a miserable night for Darlington and the beginning of mass celebration behind the goals in Dale end.

Match Stats

ATTEMPTS

 7

ATTEMPTS

 18

ON TARGET

 2

ON TARGET

 9

FREEKICKS

 13

FREEKICKS

 14

CORNERS

 7

CORNERS

 7

OFFSIDE

 4

OFFSIDE

 5

YELLOW CARDS

 1

YELLOW CARDS

 1

RED CARDS

1

RED CARDS

0

POSSESSION

38%

POSSESSION

62%

Star Player

Darlington

Rochdale

 Micky Cummins

Gary Brown 

 Because the match sponsors said so.

 Pint-sized yes but grew massively in staute with a solid display on the right of Dale's defence.

Managers Comments in Brief

Neil Maddison

Steve Parkin

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