Football: Rochdale 3 - 0 Gillingham

Ian Henderson scored a superb first career hat-trick as Rochdale cruised to their first home win in the league against struggling Gillingham.

Henderson scored a quick fire double with two good finishes early in the first half before completing his treble with an acrobatic volley midway through the second half.

Ryan Delaney and Henderson both had goals ruled out for fouls as Rochdale’s dominance proved too much for Gillingham.

Josh Lillis returned from injury to take his place in goal whilst Ryan Delaney was available again after missing last weekend through international duty with Republic of Ireland U21s. Veteran Aaron Wilbraham and youngster Matty Gillam were both preferred up front.

Dale took the lead in the ninth minute when Calvin Andrew held off a defender before poking the ball through for Henderson to run on to and neatly finish past Tomas Holy.

Henderson doubled his own and his side's tally with another swift move. Gillam sliding the ball through with Henderson expertly putting beyond Holy.

Rochdale had a third goal ruled out minutes later; Delaney powering a header into the net from a Sam Hart corner but referee Martin Coy spotted an infringement on keeper Holy.

Gillingham came into the game as the half wore on with striker Tom Eaves having a couple of half chances. Firstly, he steered a cross over the bar from close range before his best chance, four minutes before the interval, a free header across goal bouncing wide of the far post.

Rochdale started the second half on the front foot with Henderson heading in what he thought was his hat-trick goal; instead the refreee ruled it out for a shirt pull.

Callum Camps tried his luck from almost the half way line with an audacious attempt with the keeper off his line, but the ball sailed just wide of the post.

Eaves came close for Gillingham five minutes into the second half with a speculative first time shot from 20 yards out, but his effort crashed back off the face of the cross bar with Lillis beaten.

Henderson wasn’t to be denied the match ball and earned it with a spectacular scissor kick. Andrew capitalised on a slip from full back Bradley Garmston, which gave the big striker the time to cross. The ball fell to Wilbraham just inside the area on the left hand side and when he sent it back into the danger area, Henderson acrobatically volleyed beyond the despairing dive of Holy.

Rochdale: Lillis, Rafferty, McGahey, Delaney, Hart, Camps, Rathbone, Andrew (Williams 76), Gillam (Adshead 90+2), Wilbraham, Henderson © (Done 89)
Subs: (not used) Moore, McNulty, Perkins, Matheson

Gillingham: Holy, Fuller, Ehmer, Lacey, Garmston, Parrett (Hanlan 83), Byrne, Reilly ©, O’Neill  (Nasseri 71), Parker (List 57), Eaves
Subs: (not used) Wilkinson, Rees, Hadler, Ogilvie

Referee: Mr M Coy
Assistants: Mr P Newhouse & Mr C Ward
Fourth Official: Mr A Backhouse

Attendance: 2.925 (194 from Gillingham)