Football: Rochdale 1 - 2 Blackpool

Rochdale v Blackpool

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Rochdale remain in trouble at the wrong end of the table after defeat against Blackpool at a rain swept Crown Oil Arena.

Nathan Delfouneso gave Balckpool the lead ten minutes into the second half. Kelvin Mellor headed a second twelve minutes later. Mark Kitching gave the Rochdale fans a glimmer of hope when he fired in a late goal but it proved to be nothing more than a consolation.

Dale supporters hoped the new year would bring new hope for Dale after a disastrous festive period that has left them rooted in the relegation places of League One.

In awful conditions with wind and rain pounding the Crown Oil Arena, the pitch took a real battering throughout the game.

In a first half without much action, Dale came close to breaking the deadlock inside the opening three minutes when Callum Camps stung the hands of Mafoumbi in the Blackpool goal with a powerful free-kick from 35 yards out.

Some Dale fans thought Calvin Andrew had headed their side into the lead midway through the first half, but his back post header from a deep Done free-kick went the wrong side of the post.

Blackpool rarely threatened in the first half. The closest they came was saw Callum Camps clearing from in front of goal after Josh Lillis failed to gather a ball into the area.

The opening goal came early in the second half when Delfouneso jinked his way past three defenders before stroking the ball into Lillis’ goal.

Blackpool’s second came from Jay Spearing’s corner on the left with defender Mellor seeing his downward header bounce up and into the roof of the net.

It could have been far worse Rochdale when a breakaway by Blackpool saw three attackers come up against one defender, but Donervon Daniels did superbly to deny Soloman-Otabor when he seemed likely to score.

With five minutes added time shown by the fourth official, Dale woke up and really pressured Blackpool.

Substitute Bradden Inman should have done better when picked out by Camps, but he fired high over the bar from 12 yards out.

Kitching’s late consolation came when a Cannon corner was only partially cleared; Inman played a perfectly weighted pass through the heart of the Blackpool defence and Kitching was on hand to slot home his second of the season.

With the added time almost up, Henderson was tripped just outside the box by Spearing, but Camps’ 20 yard free-kick was deflected over.

Rochdale: Lillis, McGahey (Thompson 69), Daniels, Ntlhe, Done, Camps, Kitching, Cannon, Rathbone (Inman 64), Andrew (Williams 75), Henderson ©
Substitutes: (not used) Moore, McNulty, Keane, Adshead

Blackpool: Mafoumbi, Mellor, Robertson, Tilt, Turton (Anderton 76), Cooke (Philliskirk 77), Ryan © (Spearing 64), Longstaff, Delfouneso, Soloman-Otabor
Substitutes: (not used) Allsop, Aimson, Quigley, Roache

Referee: Mr A Backhouse
Assistants: Mr M D’Aguilar and Mr B Gordon
Fourth Official: Mr G Hilton

Attendance: 3,165