Rochdale 0 Manchester United 2 - Full Time Report

Photo: Jon Coluccio

New Dale keeper Kenny Arthur takes a free kick.

12 More Image(s) In Gallery

Manchester United overcame Rochdale by two first half goals in a game that lived up to the stereotype of the pre-season friendly.

United dominated for large periods, with Tom Heaton mostly a spectator in their goal, as Dale's combination of first team players, trialists and youngsters were short changed by their junior opponents.

Dale improved in the second half, but this was a game that brought much more benefit to the players than it did the spectators.

After an innocuous start, the United youngsters showed their pedigree with a fine goal, as Tom Cleverley split the centre backs with a fine pass and Fabian Brandy provided the finish to match with a touch over Kenny Arthur.

United's slick passing allowed them to dominate proceedings and Arthur had to be at his best to keep the scores down as Joshua King, on in place of the injured Brandy, drilled a low shot across goal that the Dale keeper was at full stretch to save.

The visitors continued to probe, with the pace of King often too much for the Dale backline to handle. Some strong blocks and wayward shooting kept the score down until the visitors somewhat inevitably doubled their lead just before the half time break. The ball fell for Corry Evans inside the box after a couple of nice touches and his shot squirmed in at the near post.

Dale were fortunate not to fall further behind as the half drew to a close, as Cameran Stuart's fine effort with the outside of his boot struck a post.

Keith Hill made wholesale changes to his side at half time, with only Arthur, Marlon Broomes and Adam Rundle continuing in the second half. There was the expected run out for youngsters Chris Brown, Josh Brizzell and Callum Byrne, while Jon Shaw got his first run out of pre-season.

The second half made for standard pre-season fair, although it did see Dale finally have a shot when Chris Dagnall found Shaw and he made space to curl an effort comfortably into the arms of Heaton. Dale built from there and a spectacular effort from the technically gifted Byrne stung the hands of United's young keeper.

Cleverley struck another post with a fine curled effort that had Arthur beaten before Dale should have pulled a goal back with their best move of the game. Shaw started it and should have finished it as he spread the ball to Joe Thompson but then couldn't put the back post cross away.

Rochdale: Arthur, Wiseman (Brown), T. Kennedy (Brizzell), Broomes, Dawson (Stanton), J. Kennedy (Flitcroft), Woolfe (Thompson), Jones (Byrne), Higginbotham (Dagnall), Gomez (Shaw), Rundle (Buckley).

Manchester United: Heaton, Gray (Moffatt), Simpson (Brown), De Laet, Gill, Evans (Ajose), Eikrem, Norwood, F. Brandy (King (R. Brandy)), Cleverley, Stuart, Dudgeon.