Hockey: Rochdale Men’s Seconds 3 - 2 Lancaster & Morecambe Men’s Seconds

Dave Edwards - Rochdale Men’s Hockey Seconds

Rochdale Men’s Hockey Seconds capitalised on last week’s impressive victory at Windermere when they beat Lancaster & Morecambe on Saturday.

After the poor start to the season Rochdale needed to get all three points and keep the momentum going.

It was a difficult start to the game with both teams playing attacking hockey, but Rochdale took an early lead from a Dean Close goal.

Both teams were evenly matched and it didn’t take long for Lancaster to equalise from a top D shot that the Rochdale keeper could not see until it was too late and the teams went in level at half time.

The second half continued in much the same vain as the first, with both teams pushing forward and it was Lancaster who scored next.

Dave Edwards, the Rochdale keeper, had made a great save but whilst back peddling to his goal line the Lancaster striker shot again in the only place he could have and they took the lead.

This was a real test now for Rochdale as in previous games this season heads and confidence had dropped.

However, they continued to take the game to Lancaster and drew level from what could be one of the goals of the season. A shot from outside the D was deliberately left by all the Lancaster defence and keeper, who was off his line, to go wide, but nobody has spotted Graham Burley charging in from the wide right of the goals, with a last minute dive across from the baseline he managed to get the faintest of touches on the ball to score.

The manner of the goal only proved to fire both teams up for a breath taking last 15 minutes.

James Whittaker saved one attempt off the Rochdale line to deny Lancaster, who never gave up, but the glory went Josh Robinson. Receiving the ball on the edge of the D, and fully aware of the oncoming keeper, he neatly dragged it around him and slotted the winner into the open goal.

The win meant remain sixth in the table.

Captain Karl Wynn said: “This game typified how difficult this season is going to be; most teams in this division are not going to be push overs. We are going to have to dig deep each and every week. The Quat-Chem man-of-the-match went to keeper Dave Edwards - he kept us in the game when things were tough, which gave the whole team confidence.”