Rochdale V Sutton - Match thread

[cheshire]

An eventful afternoon to say the very least!! I thought that having lost our captain after 5 minutes, conceded a red card on the stroke of H/T and been 2nd best for an hour, it was going to be one of those afternoons...then a spell of pressure, up pops Tanto and then (as the clock ticked over to 90 mins) Alastair Smith (who was one of the few players to have a good game) and cue wild celebrations!! Their winner was a great strike with quite literally the last kick of the game! It felt like we'd lost a cup final! But as has been said many times: "That's football!"

[fran1]

What emotions we all experienced up at Rochdale earlier.
Despair after the sending off, after losing Louis John to injury in the first 10 minutes.
But we were given wonderful hope when we came back from 2-0 down later in the 2nd half to level pegging at 2-2.
There was loud chanting of Matty Grays' Amber Army as we experienced hope of at least a point. But Rochdale stole the winner in the 95th minute after the ref added on a minimum of 4 minutes.
We go again on Tuesday evening at Colchester.

[Amber Aleman]

Well, yeah. Could have been worse. But, frankly, this team has still got a bit to learn about game management.

Against the odds, and down to ten men thanks to Bennett's brainless red card (as experienced player as he is should have known better), we battled back to 2-2. But, rather than 'looking after' the ball in stoppage time, we gave them the opportunity to score a very late winner - which they duly did.

We slip to tenth. A win next Tuesday would take us back into a play-off place.

[os]

It was Greavsie, who they laid to rest yesterday who said "Football was a funny old game" and he wasn't wrong.

[ian]

On a personal note I thought the staff and stewards at Rochdale were excellent and full credit for the flexibility in allowing the 117 of us to sit nearer to the halfway line rather than consigning us to the far end of the stand as planned originally.

[markf]

I hate football sometimes, although I suspect, not as muach as anyone with a Man U affiliation right now.

Rochdale isn't a million miles from Old Trafford and I was pleasantly surprised. Decent ground, brilliant view and in turns of space for the away fan, a million miles from Crawley, Northampton etc. The area around the ground was ok too. Both me and kbb were surprised that there was even street parking right outside the ground. Opposite was what looked to be a park was in fact a cemetary although there was vast swathes of unused green and woodlands and somewhere to stroll too. It certainly wasn't Corrie Street.

There fans too were pretty decent. None of this You're blah, blah blah aimed at us and to be praised, none of that from us either. Just good old fashioned supporting your team.

As for the match we started well, Will R's vision and execution giving Enzio a chance that the defender did brilliantly to block. Losing Louis was a blow but then Coby is hardly a drop in quality. The home side took over after U's initial attacking play and the movement of their no 18 and Newby caused us a lot of problems. Their first from their perspective was brilliant. Fantastic long pass and superb side footed volley. Me and kbb clapped that.

Rochdale continued to enjoy possession but as h-t loomed no more damage then came Ritchie's red card our first since Woking away last season. Matt won't be happy as our disciplinary record under him has been outstanding. Whatever, Ritchie did or didn't do, why give the ref a decision to make and an opponent the opportunity to make the most of it? A rush of blood, it happens I suppose just not normally under the current management.

I felt the worst and Rochdale used the extra man well getting wide, passing and moving and the fact only one more goal came was down to some good last ditch defending and some not so good home finishing.

I think the spark for U's was the introduction of Omar as he gave a more physical focal point up front and he was involved with the first goal and helped win the corner for the second. Two decent set piece deliveries and a case of two Sutton players taking their chance.

Then came the hammer blow. The initial clearance was from a tired player and rather than hitting the corner flag or even better, us in the stand, fell to a centre back. Rochdale moved it and then bang. Great strike but like their second goal a lack of closing down the space. 45 minutes of playing with ten men taking its toll.

To get back level was a tremendous effort and a wonder to what might have been with the full compliment. We will never know. Still, for all that, I enjoyed the afternoon. Proper support from both sets of fans and no condescending crap outside after (I expect the home fans were more relieved than overjoyed). Even the ref was pretty decent; no other cards and I rarely raised my voice at him (a tell tale sign, that!) so his paltry 6/10 in the FL Paper was a bit harsh.

This is obviously a step up from NL and the passing and movement is quicker and more accurate. The finishing too is a step up and we have been done by four great strikes in the last two matches. You just can't give these guys the space or time cos they will hurt you.

Whoever wears the captain's armband seems to have a curse upon them at present so Rob Milsom beware.

Colchester next and another toughie as some tired limbs will be on show Tuesday night. But the lads need not be despondent as they have all done superbly so far and I suspect surprised many observers. We have a great, hard working squad and for four minutes yesterday afternoon that attribute almost earned an unlikely point.

[os]

Oct 24, 2021 18:33:30 GMT markf said:

Great strike but like their second goal a lack of closing down the space. 45 minutes of playing with ten men taking its toll.

You beat me too it, I was going to add one of Swindon's goals came from the same area. Normally someone like Eastie would be just in front of the back 4, closing down.

Is there any news when we might see Kenny D again?

[backhome2016]

Down to 10 men, pull it back to all square, only to concede the loser deep into stoppage time. That was our story, but at the same time, up in Scottish League One, Dumbarton were down to EIGHT (through three sending offs), when they equalised (90+4 minutes) against the 11 men of Airdrieonians! Cue scenes.

Then try to visualise those same celebratory players slumped across the pitch when, on 90+6, Airdrieonians scored the winner.

Football, eh?

[Andy K]

What could have been a battering turned into a close defeat. Very odd game, and I don't quite agree with Matt's assessment of the first half oddly. I thought we started really well, but Louis getting injured seemed to knock the stuffing out of the side. I felt like you could visibly see the confidence just draining away. That was most visible to me around the 35-40 min mark where we have a bit of play which involved us passing the ball around for about 3 or 4 minutes with no end product. It felt like a training game kickaround. No fault of the players per se, but just highlighted how much the early injury of a key player seemed to effect the mentality of the side.

Saying that, one of the things this team has in spades is the ability to come back fighting, especially in the second half (which seems to be a thread that's running throughout the season). Being a man down (and whether or not Bennett made contact with the stamp, the intention was obvious) and coming back from 2-0 was superb.

I started a countdown timer at the exact point the 4th official held up the 4 min board. The goal went in with 1 second of injury time left to play. Before that you could see a number of Rochdale fans leaving the ground.

To me, that was a potential point lost, but in all honesty over the 90min a point was the most we deserved. I don't think it's an unfair result, and it felt a bit like Halifax away last season. This time however we went home pointless.

There's no reason (barring early injuries and silly red cards) why we can't go to Colchester tomorrow and come away with something.

[markf]

How do you know what Richie's intention was?

Yesterday, Ronaldo did similar with an opponent on the deck and the ball in the guy's mid drift he kicked the ball with some venom. Only got a yellow. Ronaldo looked to have been aiming for the ball which he got.

[Andy K]

Oct 25, 2021 13:11:21 GMT markf said:

How do you know what Richie's intention was?

Yesterday, Ronaldo did similar with an opponent on the deck and the ball in the guy's mid drift he kicked the ball with some venom. Only got a yellow. Ronaldo looked to have been aiming for the ball which he got.

I don't. Nor do you. And both of those are irrelevant.

It's the opinion of the officials that count.

[markf]

Oh yeah and they always get it right of course. Phwah.

And if you don't know his intentions why did you say they were obvious?

[Andy K]

Oct 25, 2021 14:57:16 GMT markf said:

Oh yeah and they always get it right of course. Phwah.

And if you don't know his intentions why did you say they were obvious?

No empty room to pick a fight in today Mr Frake?

I'll let you be the arbiter of the intention of a player stamping his foot aggressively in the vicinity of the player who had just fallen (and I think he wasn't fouled).

[markf]

If asking you a question about a statement you made is picking a fight then you must be getting more sensitive as you grow older.

One post you say his intentions were obvious the next post you say you don't know his intentions.

I wonder why I am confused?

[Andy K]

I said it was obvious what his intentions were. Not that I knew what they were.

I'm sure I don't need to either explain the difference or how irrelevant it is in terms of the outcome.

But feel free to carry on making an issue in the same way you did to Del last week.

Shame that, because I really liked your write up of the game, you undermine yourself by being petty.