Pre-season friendly: AFC Fylde 1 - 2 Rochdale

Want to buy this photo?

Ian Henderson scored Rochdale's second goal

Rochdale won an entertaining friendly against a very athletic AFC Fylde team with a goal either side of half time from trialist Nathan Eccleston and Ian Henderson.

Having already played 45 minutes each in a behind closed doors friendly earlier in the day, the Dale players again played half a game as preparations continued for the start of the new season.

Keith Hill named two of his three trialists in the first half eleven, Nathan Eccleston and Theo Robinson both started up front. The duo were among three players who travelled on the recent training camp in Tenerife, aiming to earn a contract with Dale.

Fylde, who play in the Conference North, started the game brighter and had a couple of sights at goal early on. Chris Churchman struck the bar from 25 yards whilst Bohan Dixon brought about a low save from Johny Diba in the Dale goal.

Rochdale took the lead through Eccleston after 25 minutes when the striker, who played seven games for Rochdale when on loan from Liverpool back in 2011, found space in the box to comfortably dispatch into the bottom corner.

With a complete new starting eleven in the second half, Dale looked sharper against their lower league opposition who didn’t have the luxury of a complete fresh side.

The lead was soon doubled through Ian Henderson. The second half captain turned his man brilliantly on the edge of the area before lifting the ball over the on rushing keeper.

Former defender Marcus Holness is back at Spotland trying to get a deal but the evening was marred when Holness was carried from the field with what looked a serious injury in an innocuous looking challenge. With Holness lay prone on the floor, AFC Fylde trialist Jason Gilchrist tucked the ball past Josh Lillis to half the deficit.

Holness’ replacement was River Humphreys, a player who won the Fiat Professional Trade trials and chose Rochdale for his one month trial with an English Football League club. The defender, who currently plays for amateur side Runcorn Linnets, didn’t look out of place and made a wonderful goal line block to keep his side in front.

The remainder of the game was seen out with little action as Dale recorded a first win of pre-season 2016.