Football: Rochdale 3 - 1 Scunthorpe

Rochdale remain unbeaten under the leadership of Brian Barry-Murphy after victory in this relegation six pointer against Scunthorpe. Veteran striker Aaron Wilbraham netted his first brace in over three years whilst defender Kgosi Ntlhe continued his own good form to add to his season’s tally. It’s a win that see’s Dale climb to within a point of safety with a game in hand.

With the bottom half of Sky Bet League One being so tight, all games involving teams in and around the bottom four are vital game with Scunthorpe starting the day six points clear of their hosts whilst Rochdale were four points from safety.

There were three changes to the starting line-up from the 0-0 draw with Oxford last time out. Aaron Wilbraham started his first game since the end of November whilst Ethan Ebanks-Landell returned from injury. Matty Done was also given the nod to partner Wilbraham and Ian Henderson in a three-man attack.

Despite the need for points, Dale started very slowly and could have gone behind inside the opening thirty second: Funso Ojo firing just wide after good work by Jordan Hallam down the right.

Stuart McCall’s side should have opened the scoring five minutes later when Tony McMahon burst down the right hand side before sending a perfect delivery into the six yard box; James Perch guilty of missing a guilt edged chance by heading over from four yards out with virtually an open goal at his mercy.

The home side finally got going fourteen minutes in, scoring with virtually their first real attack. A delightfully weighted ball over the top saw Done in a footrace with former Dale defender Rory McArdle with the Scunthorpe skipper slipping as he tried to head the bouncing ball back to Jak Alnwick. With McArdle appealing for a push, Done unselfishly squared to Wilbraham as the keeper closed him down with the striker taking a touch to steady himself before firing into the bottom corner from 12 yards out.

Scunthorpe responded well to going behind and almost levelled within a minute. Again, McMahon getting down the right only an Ebanks-Landell intervention underneath his own crossbar stopped Kyle Wootton heading into an empty net.

The visitors did draw level moments later after a mistake by Joe Bunney. The Northampton loanee sent a stray pass straight into the path of Jordan Hallam to race onto before finishing past Lonergan for his football league debut goal.

Dale looked a little rattled with Scunthorpe showing signs of edging in front. Perch sent a side footed effort from the edge of the area narrowly over whilst Lonergan denied Hallam a second when he came out to bravely block the strikers shot.

Harrison McGahey, who signed for Scunthorpe from Rochdale in the January transfer window was having a torrid return to his old employers. Being deployed as a right back, the left footed defender was booked for pulling back Matty Done.

Dale came out raring to go at the start of the second half and re-took the lead six minutes after the turn around. Good build up play from Henderson gave him time to pick out the run of Rathbone and when his shot deflected off a defender, Ntlhe slid in to direct the ball inside the far post for his third of the season.

2-1 soon became 3-1 as Dale sealed the win. McLaughlin’s driving run down the right saw him beat substitute Lewis Butroid and when his cross from the bye-line flew over Alnwick, Wilbraham was on hand to nod in his second of the game from close range.

Lonergan had to be alert minutes later to firstly palm a Harrison McGahey cross away and when Wootton picked up the loose ball on the corner of the six yard box, the on loan Middlesbrough stopper was quickly up to deny Scunthorpe a rout back into the game.

Ian Henderson thought he’d added to Dale’s advantage when he rifled in a shot from the edge of the area; only for an assistant’s flag to cut short the celebrations.

The win means its seven points from three games and gives hope for the Dale faithful who will be looking for the great escape part two but with eight games left, they need this form to continue when they travel to Gillingham next Saturday.

 

Rochdale: Lonergan, Ebanks-Landell, McNulty, Ntlhe (Keohane 86), McLaughlin, Bunney, Camps, Rathbone, Done (Dooley 90+2), Wilbraham (Andrew 79), Henderson ©
Subs: (not used) Wade, Inman, Adshead, Hamilton

Scunthorpe: Alnwick, McMahon (Butroid 46), Burgess, McArdle ©, McGahey, Perch (Hammill 71), Sutton, Ojo, Hallam, Wooton, Novak
Subs: (not used) Flatt, Borthwick-Jackson, Webster, Lewis, Olomola

Referee: Mr E Ilderton
Assistants: Mr A Moore & Mr R Bartlett
Fourth Official: Mr G Salisbury

Attendance: 3,361 (578 Scunthorpe)