Rochdale 1 - 1 Scunthorpe United

Date published: 12 August 2017

Rochdale were denied a first league win of the season when Scunthorpe substitute Duane Holmes cancelled out Steven Davies’ opener. Holmes latched onto a through ball from Hakeeb Adelakun to slot through the legs of Josh Lillis. A few minutes earlier, Dale substitute Davies powered a header beyond Matt Gilks to open the scoring.

In the first home game of the season, Dale manager Keith Hill made one change from the team that won midweek against Mansfield Town; Jamie Allen being preferred in midfield over Jordan Williams, who dropped to the bench.

In a lively encounter, Scunthorpe enjoyed the better of the first half, although a number of their chances came about after mistakes by Dale.

Reece Brown’s weak header back to Lillis was almost seized upon by Josh Morris, but the Dale keeper was quickly out to thwart the winger.

Moments later Jamie Allen gifted the ball to Paddy Madden with a poor back-pass, and again Lillis raced out of his area to sweep the ball away.

Dale introduced Steven Davies at the start of the second half for Allen, and the striker caused Scunthorpe problems with his physical presence.

Davies won a corner early in the second half from Dale took the lead. Rathbone’s centre was flicked up at the near post and with Gilks beaten, the ball bounced back off the face of the crossbar and was turned behind for another corner. This time Rathbone’s set piece was flicked towards the back post where Davies’ diving header rifled into the net.

Davies almost doubled Dale's lead with a powerful curling shot, but former Dale keeper Gilks, at full stretch, tipped the ball over.

That save would prove to be crucial as Scunrthorpe equalised. Adelakun’s through ball looked destined for Tom Hopper but the striker stepped over the ball to allow Holmes to neatly slotted under Lillis.

Neither side really looked like troubling the score sheet after that.

Funso Ojo flashed a shot across goal for Scunthorpe.

Davies 22-yard free-kick went just wide in stoppage time.

A draw was probably a fair result as both sides and leaves both sides still looking for their first league win of the season.

Rochdale: Lillis, Nthle, McNulty, Canavan, Brown, Rafferty, Rathbone (Andrew 76), Allen (Davies 46), Camps, Done (Cannon 74), Henderson (c).
Subs: (not used) Collis, Williams, Inman, Kitching

Scunthorpe: Gilks, Sutton, Wallace, McArdle (c), Townsend, Adelakun, Ojo, Bishop, Morris (Holmes 61), Van Veen (Hopper 61), Madden.
Subs: (not used) Watson, Mantom, Redmond, Burgess, Wootton

Referee: Mr R Joyce
Assistants: Mr A Pashley and Mr K Mulraine
Fourth Official: Mr J Bell

Attendance: 3,218