Hockey Plate Cup Quarter Final: Rochdale Ladies 3 - 1 Didsbury Northern Fifths

Player-of-the-match went to Paula McDonald

Rochdale's win against Didsbury Northern Fifths saw them progress to the semi-finals of the Plate Cup.

Rochdale started quietly but as the first half progressed began to get into the flow of the game which was end to end but neither team could find a break through.

Rochdale's in form striker Jenny Banks failed to keep her cool and got yellow carded for 'reacting' to a bad tackle. This left Rochdale temporarily a player down.

The bulk of possession was going in Rochdale’s favour; they won a series of short corners running up to half time, but no matter what they tried they couldn't convert the chances.

Rochdale's passing improved in the second half and they started to work more as a team. Intricate short passes from Paula McDonald, Gemma Holdcroft and Roisin Pickering made it difficult for the Didsbury defence and early in the second half Ashleigh Hoyle broke the deadlock for Rochdale.

Rochdale continued to put pressure on the Didsbury defence and they cracked again and Hoyle scored her second of the game with a strike following a pin point pass from McDonald.

With only 10 minutes to go Banks, now back on the field, crossed the ball to Becky Knowles who smashed the ball into the net.

Didsbury did not give up though and within two minutes they had grabbed a goal back from a well worked counter attack, but it was too little to late, and Rochdale marched into the semi final draw.

Captain Kie Leech said: "The first half was hard work and when Jenny Banks was unfairly yellow carded, we all needed to dig deep. Once again our defence was brilliant, particularly Dionne Collinson. The second half we were much better and looked completely in control."