Hockey: Rochdale Men's 2nds 3 - 1 City of Manchester Men's 3rds

Photo: Rachel Jackson

Josh Villas (in orange) scored the final goal

Rochdale Men's 2nds hockey team completed their rearranged fixture at home to City of Manchester Men's 3rds at Oulder Hill Leisure Centre on Saturday 22 October. Both teams had full squads and conditions were dry and pleasant.

Rochdale started with a half court press and so did Manchester when they were defending, the opening exchanges being cagey, but both teams were looking to get forward and create chances. It was tight for the first fifteen minutes, but Rochdale started to get the better chances as the half wore on. The first real chance came when a penalty corner was awarded for a push in the back inside the circle.

​The home team were determined to make it count. The ball came to the top of the circle, slipped wide to Bjorn Brauns and then pulled back across to Adam Massey who slotted it in with a push finish to give Rochdale an early lead. A well-executed drill straight from the training ground.

​It was not going to prove as simple a game as last week, with Manchester bringing on a forward who knew his job. Through making deep runs from behind the defence (there is no offside in hockey) and then coming in front of the back line to collect the ball from his midfielders, Manchester started to get some possession higher up the pitch. Fortunately, it was well dealt with in the first half by the Rochdale defence, making interceptions and tackling successfully when the away teams forwards did receive it.

Rochdale were still enjoying the better of the chances in the first half and could have had a second goal from a penalty flick, which was awarded after a shot from another penalty corner was blocked by a defender’s body on the line. Unfortunately, however, Rochdale failed to convert. This renewed Manchester’s energy and the momentum was beginning to change, but just before half time Rochdale were awarded another penalty corner. The ball was injected to the top of the circle and slipped wide to Brauns who slotted it in to give the home team a two-goal lead.

Rochdale went in two up at half time but started thinking this game was easier than it was. Rochdale abandoned the half court press inside the first minute of the second half. It was ok for the first ten minutes as they enjoyed more possession but it caused a lot of problems as the half wore on and they failed to add to their lead.

Manchester were able to soak up the early pressure in the second half and started to break through the Rochdale lines to win possession higher up, as the home team's midfield tired from expending too much energy too soon. For a spell of a good fifteen minutes Manchester were able to set a high press and keep the game in Rochdale’s half, with the home side unable to break out. Frustrations grew and Rochdale were reduced to nine men for a brief spell following a yellow and a green card to two of their players.

Fortunately Rochdale’s back line largely held out, until Manchester’s forward manged to receive the ball in Rochdale’s circle and win a penalty corner. They managed to get a strike off from top of the circle, which was blocked, but spilt to another forward who managed to flick it over the line to bring Manchester back to within a goal of being level.

There were a few nervy moments as the clock ran down, with Manchester coming close a couple of times to equalising. Fortunately, due to good defending and some misplaced finishing the home team managed to keep them out. They also managed to string a few attacks together as well and there was great relief when newcomer Josh Vallis picked up a spilt shot and slotted over the line to put Rochdale 3-1 up with a couple of minutes to go.

​Captain Adam Massey said: "It was a better performance than last week and it needed to be, against fitter opposition. In the main it was good, but we still have a lot of work to do on the training ground to get to where we want to be.

"Man of the match was Kane Morgan for his tireless efforts in midfield. Next week we are away at Brooklands MU with an early start but we must make no excuses."