Football - FA Cup Fourth Round Replay: Rochdale 1 - 0 Millwall

Date published: 07 February 2018

Ian Henderson scored the only goal of the game as Rochdale booked a place in the fifth round of the FA Cup for only the third time in their history. The Dale captain slotted home a Calvin Andrew cross from close range to earn Dale a televised home tie against either Newport County or Tottenham Hotspur (that game to be played on Wednesday 7 February).

On the back of a first league win away from home on Saturday, Dale came into this replay full of confidence with the Dale manager making one enforced change from the side that beat Northampton at the weekend - Harrison McGahey started on the right of a back three replacing Scott Wiseman who was not eligible.

Much of the week has been about getting the pitch at the Crown Oil Arena playable after having two recent postponements as well as a rugby game being postponed. The ground staff and a hardy group of volunteers worked all day Monday and through the night into Tuesday to ensure the game went ahead, albeit on a heavily sanded pitch.

Rochdale started very brightly against their loftier opponents and almost grabbed the lead inside the first minute. Matt Done’s deflected shot found Andy Cannon but his first time cushioned volley went just wide.

The first half was a very scrappy affair with neither goalkeeper really troubled and the only real talking point was Ian Henderson’s call for a penalty four minutes before the interval, but referee Tim Robinson waived away appeals.

Both sides had half chances at the start of the second half.

A real scramble in the penalty area that Millwall struggled to clear ended with a wayward shot from Done.

Dale keeper Josh Lillis was comfortable with a shot from distance off Fred Onyedimna.

The only goal arrived nine minutes into the second half and it was a goal started and finished by the skipper Henderson. Dale’s leading marksman clipped a perfectly weighted ball from inside his own half over the top of the right back for Calvin Andrew to chase down. The big striker looked like he had lost out to Millwall central defender Jason Shackell whose sliding tackle looked to have dispossesed him but Andrew's tenacious play saw him wriggle free before sliding a pass to Henderson, who had continued his run from his own half, who hit a low shot inside the right hand post.

The goal was no more than Dale deserved and despite Millwall throwing on the experienced duo of Lee Gregory and Steve Morison, they comfortably held on to record a famous win and set up a money spinning fifth round tie.

Rochdale: Lillis, Rafferty, McGahey, McNulty, Delaney, Done, Camps, Cannon, Kitching, Andrew, Henderson ©.
Subs: (not used) Moore, Ntlhe, Thompson, Inman, Rathbone, Gillam, Adshead.

Millwall: Martin, McLaughlin, Hutchinson ©, Shackell, Meredith, Thompson, Williams, Tunnicliffe (Gregory 63), Ferguson (Morison 63), Onyedinma (Wallace 78), Elliott.
Subs: (not used) Archer, Romeo, Saville, Cooper.

Referee: Mr T Robinson
Assistants: Mr S Hudson and Mr P Dermott
Fourth Official: Mr S Duncan

Attendance: 2,790