Hockey: Rochdale Men's Firsts 11 - 2 Mossley Hill

Dave Gowers - Rochdale Men's Firsts

Rochdale’s first team began the second half of the season is style with a semi-final victory over Mossley Hill in the Lancashire Cup at Oulder Hill.

Having made the final in 2016, they had a determination from the beginning to go one better this year and bring the trophy back to Rochdale.

The two teams had met in the cup in 2016, which saw Rochdale run out 6-2 winners and from the moment the game began on Saturday Mossley Hill struggled to keep on an even keel with Rochdale and the tempo they were setting.

Rochdale dominated possession all the game and the 11-2 victory was a more than fair reflection of the tie.

Rochdale’s goals came from Barry Gumbley (3), scoring two of them from solo runs through the Mossley Hill defence to rifle home shots.

Captain Michael Waddicor scored twice, his first being another solo effort finding him one-on-one with the keeper and sending him the wrong way to leave an easy tap into the open goal. Waddicor later repeated the run, only this time to tee up David Gowers for his first of three for the afternoon, his second coming from a top D drive.

Waddicor also had a hand in first of Richard Borritt's two goals. Finding him free in the Mossley Hills D with a pin point pass, Borritt flicked the ball into the top corner, a skill he repeated for his second later in the game.

Rochdale’s 11th game from Keiran King, who scored with a reverse shot after James Shepherd had broke down the Mossley Hill defence - King dedicated the goal to his new born son Kalen.

Shepherd was unlucky not to get on the score sheet himself with a solo goal disallowed after an umpires call, and a later shot went just wide into the side net.

To give Mossley Hill's credit, it wasn’t all one way, they did manage to score twice and could have got a third if it wasn’t for James Deacy. Deacy was quick off his line taking the ball first and approaching attacker second.

Captain Michael Waddicor said: “Dave Gowers recent performances are like he has rolled back the years. After a fine scoring run of late, another hat-trick today has earned him the Oulder Hill Leisure Complex man-of-the-match.

"This solid win puts us in the Lancashire Cup final for the second year in a row, and I am very proud of the lads.”