Football: Rochdale Youth Team 5 - 3 Blackpool

An eleven-minute hat-trick from Fabio Tavares helped the Rochdale AFC Youth Team run out 5-3 winners over Blackpool on Saturday (30 March).

Florian Yonsian also bagged a brace inside the opening 14 minutes to put Rochdale 2-0 up, but a goal either side of the break saw the visitors draw level.

Tavares’ three goals inside the final 15 minutes wrapped up all three points for Dale, despite a late consolation goal from the Seasiders.

The opening goal came inside just five minutes. After a Rochdale break forward, a touch from a Blackpool defender tracking back fell for Yonsian, who showed superb close control to jink past two men and the goalkeeper, to poke home from close range.

Tavares was denied by the Blackpool stopper one-on-one after being found by Florent Hoti’s fine through ball, but he couldn’t prevent Dale from doubling the lead.

Louis White drove forward and found Hoti with a pass, who saw a shot saved by the goalkeeper, but Yonsian was on hand to rifle home the rebound.

Hoti fired an effort wide as Dale searched for a third, but it was the visitors who halved the deficit shortly before the half hour mark, finishing coolly from a clever one-two.

Rochdale stopper Morgan Piper made a fine save shortly afterwards, getting down to his left to somehow turn a Blackpool effort from six-yards over the crossbar.

He then got fingertips to a close-range header, turning it wide of the far post as he flew to his right.

Piper was eventually beaten from the penalty spot, after Lewis Bradley had handled a cross to the back post.

He made another save to prevent the hosts completing the turnaround, getting behind an effort from a deep cross before the follow-up was blocked behind by Luke Matheson.

Bradley dragged a shot wide for Dale, but he was involved in the goal that saw the hosts retake the lead, laying the ball off for Tavares who struck home sweetly first-time from just inside the area.

The forward grabbed his second five minutes later, turning home a follow-up after Bradley’s low shot from the edge of the area was saved.

And his hat-trick goal was sealed in fine fashion, as he backheeled home a loose ball from the edge of the six-yard box.

Blackpool pulled a goal back late on, before Toby Phillips and White fired efforts narrowly off target, as Rochdale secured all three points.