 Tuesday, 28th Sep 2010 23:30 by Col Is there a finer sight in football than seeing a packed out away end suddenly having the empty blue seats outnumbering supporters in less than a minute? If results were earned by possession, chances, complaints to the referee, free kicks, big wage packets and taking camp in the opposition half, than this game would have been all over by half time as Huddersfield could have offered a declaration. But if results are earned by effort, endeavour, team play, confidence and (to borrow a Keith Hill phrase just for one moment) a big pair of cahunas, then the 3-0 scoreline didn't do us justice as we produced a performance to make every Dale supporter grin from ear to ear with immense pride. Forget the 7-2 at Stockport (sorry Elding), the numerous footballed to death performances dished out last season, forget the win at Southampton claimed by many to be the best result in our league history, or the million other displays under Hillcroft that have made these past four years so very special, on the day when Keith Hill became the fifth longest serving manager in Dale history (overtaking former Dale and Huddersfield defender Dave Sutton), we produced a display that would have made Keith Hill prouder than any other game during his reign. Huddersfield were everything that we're not. With an away support outnumbering the Dale following by a good three or four hundred, the Huddersfield side were arguably amongst the favourites to win the division this season, and there will be many out there who would claim (before kick off at least) that not a single Dale player would make it into the Huddersfield side. But ickle old Rochdale did it once again. A match report doesn't do it justice. This was a night where you had to be there, if only to understand the manner of the evening. The scoreline suggests a hammering of our Yorkshire opponents, but this was very far from the case. This was a game where Huddersfield threw everything at us, and no doubt some of their younger fans will be scratching their heads at how this wasn't a handsome victory for the Terriers. It wasn't negative by Dale. We just didn't seem to be able to do anything about it. We were on the foot behind the back foot for pretty much the entire game. But what stood out for me was that we never stopped concentrating, we never stopped running, and we never stopped battling - not that we could afford to, for a single second. We went into the game with a number of changes. Matty Done was given his first League start for the club coming in for loanee Andrew Tutte, and Joey Thompson was back in the first team for Anthony Elding. We also had what was presumably a last minute injury to Joe Widdowson, with Alan Goodall making his first League start since his return to the club and only six subs on the bench. Right from the offset, you could see how the game was going to pan out. With Dale attacking the Sandy Lane end of the ground in the first half, it was the visitors that took control of the game early on. Playing nice, attractive football, they knocked it about for fun, and there was a fair bit of chasing shadows from the team wearing AC Milan style shirts. But in fairness, it was everything that we were no doubt expecting as the 3,174 strong away following did their best to turn Spotland into a Red Rose version of the McAlpine Stadium or whatever its called these days. But then in what was our first foray into the Huddersfield half, we chucked the script into the bin by taking the lead. There was a little bit of fortune in how the goal came our way. A BBM free kick was crossed into the box, but an attempted clearance saw the ball fall pretty much at the feet of Jason Kennedy, and he continued his astonishing goalscoring run by finishing with ease past Town's England U-21 keeper. From this moment on, I couldn't possibly describe what happened chance by chance. I seemed to take more incredulous looks at the time than we had touches of the ball at times, but in doing so, the gameplan was working a treat. Shots reigned in and those in the first few rows of the Pearl Street stand must have been in real danger at times. It was frightening at times just how much possession that the visitors had throughout this first half, and the game very much took on the complexion of an FA Cup game, and you'd be forgiven for thinking there were two divisions between the sides rather than just two League places. But as this went on and on, you started to realise that despite all this possession and all these chances that the Dale keeper Josh Lillis wasn't actually being forced into making many saves at all. Busy he may well have been, but these chances that were coming the way of the visitors were half chances, and snatched as the Dale defence stood firm and resolute At the other end......... there was no other end. We tried clearing it, but it just seemed that we were unable to get any sort of meaningful possession at all. But any frustration only came the way of Huddersfield who were by now appealing for the most ridiculous decisions at every opportunity, helped by a bench that was actively orchestrating pressure onto the referee continuing into the tunnel at half time. With seconds running out in the first half, we had a real opportunity to add to our lead, as Joey T broke clear of his full back. Taking it out wide, before cutting in, his close range effort was pushed out for a corner, but referee Hegley ruled that the one minute time allowed had expired. Second half? Business as usual. My vantage point in the Sandy Lane end was unfortunately a box seat as the majority of the game's action took place within thirty yards from where I was stood as the second half proved to be a carbon copy of the first half. Lots of Huddersfield play, lots of Huddersfield chances but lots of Dale effort in reply that more than matched anything that Huddersfield could offer. But there was one crucial difference between the halves. Clark's half time bollocking of the referee did its job as from out of nowhere, Huddersfield started getting every decision going. At times it was embarrassing as they threw themselves to the floor, with striker Joe Garner (not to be confused with Joel) the worst culprit. But despite everything going against us in this way, we never let it affect us for a moment, and even though it seemed set up for Huddersfield to get back on level terms from one of their controversial free kicks, the resultant efforts usually ended in hilarity rather than genuine hearts in mouth moments. One such free kick was blasted out of play before those attacking and defending were even ready for the ball. In fairness to Huddersfield, it would have been easy for them to give up as they must have started to feel like tonight was never going to be their night. But that comfortability that comes when you know the game is in the bag never actually came at any stage of the game, and that ability to score was always there. But to repeat what I said earlier, that was what stood out for me. This was almost 90 minutes of facing a barrage from the early season league leaders, and for the entirety, we played with a determination that no other side in the country possesses. I did say almost 90 minutes. For with 89 minutes on the clock, sub Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro announced himself with a goal that might just have called Jonah's Goal of the Season at Southampton into question. If you think Michael Owen against Argentina, you are on the right lines, as he chased down a ball, beat the last defender, and taking the ball wide-ish, he chipped the ball over Smithies in the Huddersfield net to double Dale's lead, and a produce a beautiful looking Wigan Walk in the away end. It was a stunning strike by the Frenchman, producing one of those great stranger hugging moments in the home ends which suddenly outnumbered the away fans for the first time since about 5:30pm. In terms of hard work, this was just what we deserved as having soaked up everything the Terriers could throw at us. And if that wasn't enough, the fans weren't even given the chance to calm down following J-Lo's goal when Chris O'Grady grabbed a third. Breaking into the Huddersfield box, he awaited the keeper going to ground before turning and leaving him adrift on the floor and launching it into the back of the net to make it 3-0. Those strangers who missed out on a hug a minute earlier weren't left disappointed this time. There remained time enough for Huddersfield to finally break the Dale back line but they did so via foul means, with the goal rightly chalked out. Lee Clark's words of wisdom at the half time must have been forgotten by referee Grant Hegley, and a late Novak volley again troubled those in the terrace behind the goal as it sailed high and wide. And so the Keith Hill dreamland keeps on and on and on. For those of us who have seen the dark times of days old, this current Dale is unrecognisable to the side that first gave us that Dale bug, and you have to question just how far this journey will take us. I don't think for one moment it is hyperbole to suggest that there isn't a side in the country that can do what we are doing right now on the wage bill that we have to offer. Christ, we were punching above our weight when we finished sixth or seventh from bottom in the old Rochdale division, so God knows what you can say about this. Fourth place in League One, unbeaten in six games and yet another wonderful chapter wrote in the Keith Hill book of fairytales. There may have been four managers to have held the job longer than Hill, but none can surely hold a candle to Hill's ongoing achievements. This is footballing porn. Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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