Dale won their first game at home since April with a 1-0 win over Tranmere Rovers thanks to a Danny Cashman winner.
How good does it feel to win at home?! We deserved that today and it's a pleasure watching us at the minute. We are trying to attack teams and it's made watching Rochdale so much more enjoyable. Dale now sit 5th in League Two. The two teams to beat us, narrowly, sit 1st and 2nd!
Team news showed there was no McNulty in the eleven, meaning Juriel Dorsett was back, thankfully.
I fancied us to get a point today before kick-off but the fact that Tranmere won the coin toss and chose to kick towards the Pearl Street end normally fills me with dread. It doesn't feel right attacking the Sandy first half does it?!
Tranmere fans travelled in numbers and were a right noisy bunch thanks to a couple of drummers but were ultimately going to end up going home with nothing from the game though I'm sure they'll wonder how. They hit the post in stoppage time when it was easier to score!
Dale had the first really good chance when Abraham Odoh did well and fed it to Beesley who turned well and curled an effort towards the far corner but Murphy did well to push it wide.
The visitors thought they'd scored on 12 minutes and to be quite honest, so did I. Hawkes cut in and curled an effort which hit the far post but looked for all the world like it was going in off the post but it ran across the line instead. Big let off for Dale.
Alex Newby showed some great skill to beat his man but his shot was blocked on 16 minutes before Tranmere danger man Hawkes had another effort, this time his effort well wide a few minutes later.
Dale were on top without doubt and creating more and more openings. Aaron Morley shot wide but he was always leaning back when he struck it and it never looked like it was going in and then came Dale's best chance when a proper old-school goalmouth scramble fell to Odoh who poked it centimetres wide of the post. Odoh also shot wide a on the half hour mark when he received the ball from Keohane.
Corey O'Keeffe did well down the right and managed to cut inside onto his left foot but he hit his effort well wide of the far post.
Jeriel Dorsett blasted over for Dale in what seemed like one-way traffic.
The fourth official held up 2 minutes stoppage time and O'Keeffe managed one more effort than he blazed over before the half-time whistle. How we weren't winning was beyond me!
The second half saw Tranmere come back into it a little bit but the half was interrupted by a lengthy injury to Tranmere keeper Murphy who had to be stretchered off with the help of the Dale medical staff as well as the Tranmere staff. I'll be honest, I don't even know what the incident was but there was going to be a fair bit of stoppage time.
With 20 minutes left, Danny Cashman replaced Alex Newby who had been fairly quiet this game.
Aaron Morley rifled an effort over the bar a couple of minutes later after O'Keeffe had done well to set him up.
There was just over 10 minutes left when a good Aaron Morley cross was headed straight at the new sub-keeper by Max Taylor. Tranmere went straight down the other end on the counter attack but a brilliant block from Eoghan O'Connell put an end to the danger after Coleman had done well palm a cross away.
On 82 minutes, Conor Grant replaced Abraham Odoh who had caused problems all game for the Tranmere defence.
Danny Cashman went close after a very neat one-two ended up with him side footing an effort on goal but the keeper did well to push it wide for a corner but Cashman wasn't going to be denied a minute later as Dale took a deserved lead. Cashman picked the ball up and magnificently slotted the ball home with the outside of his foot to make it 1-0 Dale with time running out. "Cashman (aaaaaagh), fighter of the nightman!"
Dale never make things easy and with 8 minutes of stoppage time added, Tranmere piled on the pressure. Maynard headed wide on 93 minutes before Tranmere's best chance of the game. How this didn't go in is baffling to me. A ball came across and found Feeney who had all the goal to aim for and his effort somehow hits the post and is cleared. What a let off for Dale.
Nevitt also forced Coleman into a save low down on 96 minutes but Dale managed to see the game out! A big win for Dale and one that felt really bloody good!
Get in there!!
PLAYER RATINGS:
Joel Coleman - 7 (Good performance, commanding I thought)
Corey O'Keeffe - 7 (Did well again down the right side)
Max Taylor - 7 (Good defensive performance from Max)
Eoghan O'Connell - 7 (Another good performance from the captain)
Jeriel Dorsett - 6 (Thought he was really solid for about 70 minutes but then looked shaky)
AARON MORLEY - 7 (Did well Morley today, comes in for criticism a lot but did well)
Stephen Dooley - 6 (Did alright for the most part)
Alex Newby - 6 (Bit quieter than usual today the Chorley Cruyff)
Abraham Odoh - 7 (Really caused them problems with his pace and trickery)
Jake Beesley - 7 (Good hard working performance today)
SUBS:
Danny Cashman - 7 (Great cameo, great goal and great shithousery winding their fans up)
Conor Grant and Josh Andrews not on long enough.