Saturday 3rd March2007 - KO 3pm

 4

Accrington Stanley

 2

1

Matt Gilks

 41

P. Kazimierczak 

2

Simon Ramsden

 2

 Peter Cavanagh

 16

David Perkins 

 12

 Philip Edwards

23

Rory McArdle

 5

 Michael Welch

12

Alan Goodall

 36

 Alan Rodgers 46

5

John Doolan

 40

 Tony Grant 46

19

Lee Crooks

 6

 Andy Proctor

6

Ben Muirhead 

 17

 Andy Todd

17

Glenn Murray 90

 14

 Romauld Boco 68

10

Adam Le Fonde

 10

 Paul Mullin

11

Adam Rundle 66

 27

 Shaun Whalley

Substitutes

29

Lewis Edge

 9

 Andy Mangan 46

21

Charlie Cowyn-Platt

 3

 Leam Richardson 46

11

Rory Prendergast 66

 20

 Jay Harris 68

7

Stephen Turnbull

 7

 Sean Doherty

30

Lewis Dodds 90

 38

 Mauro Almeida

SCORERS

 Rundle 14, Murray 25,32, Le Fondre 82 (pen)

BOOKINGS

Perkins 22

Rogers 10, Welch 27, Whalley 33, Edwards 62, Cavangh 79

Stuart Ashworth at Spotland

Rochdale continued their move up the table with a convincing win at Spotland over a physical  Accrington Stanley.  Rochdale started brightly and it was a theme they maintained for most of the game, putting visitors Accrington on the back foot from the very first whistle. 

With Nathan Stanton suspended Dale manager Keith Hill brought the experienced Lee Crooks into the heart of his defence.  There was a defencive change on the right too with Simon Ramsden replacing the injured Gary Brown at right back.

Bradford loan signing Ben Muirhead was enjoying his afternoon on the wing getting great joy out of Accrington Stanley's Alan Rodgers in the left back position. 

Rochdale's other flank was proving just as dangerous with Adam Rundle spearheading wave upon wave of attack as Rochdale threatened, even at that early stage, to notch up a cricket score.

With 14 minutes on the clock poor defending by Accrington from their own corner led to Rochdale registering the first of the afternoon.

The visitors left just two defenders back to cope with Muirhead and Le Fondre and when the ball was cleared, they were in trouble.

A ball by Doolan out of defence found Muirhead on the right flank and he scampered down the line before squaring to Le Fondre in the box.  His shot was saved by Kazimierczak but the loose ball found Rundle and he slotted home at the back post.

Ten minutes later that lead was doubled after Ben Muirhead  claimed assist number two after his freekick found the head of Glenn Murray who, unchallenged, finshed from nine-yards.

Alan Rodgers was saved from his second yellow card of the afternoon when he felled Muirhead but with Dale in possession the referee waved played on though seconds later Michael Welch flattened Murray, a move that took the limelight off.

Four minutes later Murray shook off any pain with his second of the game in a carbon copy of Dale's first.  Accrington failed to learn their lesson after winning a corner of their own just past the half hour mark.

Again Dale broke with a numerical advantage and again they slammed home from a Le Fondre pass, with Murray there to simply tap home.

Murray should have claimed the matchball three minutes later after he was fouled inside the box and referee Mr Shoebridge pointed to the spot after no advantage was gained from the loose ball.  Murray dusted himself down and took the penalty but the 'keeper guessed right and pushed the ball away, diving to his right.

The second half began with Accrington making a couple of changes with Andy Mangan and Leam Richardson coming on for Tony Grant and Alan Rodgers.

The switch seemed to work for a while with the visitors enjoying the best of the early ball.  Nothing much for gilks to do though a few early efforts needed watching.

That effort from Stanley ebbed away as Rochdale grew stronger with the dominance came the chances with a McArdle header denied by the keeper, who then kept out Murray moments later from an almost identical corner routine. 

With 70 minutes played Accrington got a goal back after a Whalley corner skimmed off the head of Dale's David Perkins and it found Mullins at the back post and he finished from close range.

Rochdale restored the balance after man of the match Glenn Murray proved too clever for Welch and his turn inside the box resulted in Dale's second penalty of the afternoon which Le Fondre tucked away.

Mullins should have scored his second of the afternoon in injury time after he got the better of the Dale defence but his shot was fired over from 12 yards.

Moments later his colleague Andy Mangan got through and showed the striker how to find the back of the net with a low shot almost on the whistle.

This was a convining win against an uncompromising Accrington side and it was one that should convince anyone Rochdale won't be near the drop zone come May.  Dale have opened a 10 point gap and performances of late suggest that gap can only get wider.

Match Stats

Rochdale

Accrington Stanley

ATTEMPTS

 15

ATTEMPTS

6 

ON TARGET

 10

ON TARGET

 1

FREEKICKS

 25

FREEKICKS

23 

CORNERS

 5

CORNERS

 8

OFFSIDE

 8

OFFSIDE

2 

YELLOW CARDS

 1

YELLOW CARDS

 5

RED CARDS

0

RED CARDS

0

POSSESSION

52%

POSSESSION

48%

Stats by PA

Star Player

Rochdale

Accrington Stanley

Glenn Murray 

Looking more and more like the ideal Grant Holt replacement by the game.  Never gives up, never gives in and always gives 100%

Deserved standing ovation at the end.

Managers Comments in Brief

Keith Hill

 John Coleman

 "That's the worst display from my team in 8 years I've been in charge.  You leave the back door open, you get burgled."

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