Rochdale v Scunthorpe United

Saturday, March 19, 2005

Football League Two

Rochdale :
Gilks, Evans, Griffiths, Gallimore, Goodall, Warner (Cooksey 63), Clarke (McGivern 77), Lambert, Jones, Bertos, Holt
Subs not used:
Edwards, Brisco, Brown

Scunthorpe United :
Musselwhite, Byrne (Crosby 66), Hinds, Angus, Ridley, Sparrow, Baraclough, Kell, Beagrie (Corden 66), Hayes (Keogh 75), Torpey
Subs not used:
Taylor, Evans

SULSESC REPORT

by Vic Duke at Spotland

YOUR editor has a nerve - one month after the game, I get asked for a match report!

What on earth does one remember about a 0-0 draw one month later? What were the highlights of the day?

Well, the Jennings Cumberland Ale in the Cemetery Hotel before the match was excellent. The Jennings Cumberland Ale in the Cemetery Hotel after the match was excellent. Neil and Karen also came back for more beer, and I even got invited to Karen's hen night in Budapest. A hen night would certainly be a first for me.

Oh, the match... well, it was my 28th Dale versus Iron fixture at Spotland - the full record now reads 13 home wins, 9 draws and only 6 away wins. This should have been the seventh away win as United totally dominated the second-half but managed to miss all the chances created. Torpey volleying over the bar from six yards is engrained on my memory (he having been well set up by a Beagrie cross and a Hayes turn back).

Apart from that, the highlight was probably Beagrie not being sent off when he should have been. A dangerous tackle by Holt on Beagrie near the touchline resulted in the descent of a grey mist around our veteran, who conjured up all his experience to reply with an attempted head butt. Referee Graham Laws produced a yellow card amazingly. Or maybe not given that he is Brian's long lost brother. Dale fans were more interested in the fact that the ref came from Tyne and Wear (something to do with Cockney rhyming slang).

For the record, Richard Hinds, on loan from Hull, made his debut in central defence. Musselwhite made a good save from Holt early on and then had nothing to do. In the second-half, good shooting opportunities were squandered by Beagrie, Hayes (he did cleverly create the opening himself) and Sparrow (twice). Not forgetting the classic Torpey miss. At least this performance was infinitely better than Meadow Lane. Perhaps we will go up after all.