Rochdale (A) Football League Trophy Tues 7th Oct 7.30pm

[Welsh_Saddler]

Chance of a Cup Run beckons as we head to Spotland hoping to reverse the 4-0 League drubbing a couple of weeks ago. Dean Smith had the players in the next day (their day off) to presumably read the riot act, and the performances and results since then have been significantly better.

Injury problems persist (of course) and Bradshaw's hamstring tweak certainly rules him out of this game and also from the stand-by list for the full Welsh squad. There's still no sign of Sam Mantom making an appearance either.

Rochdale's League form of late:

Sep 6 Crawley (A) Won 0-4
Sep 13 Sheffield United (A) Lost 1-0
Sep 16 Walsall (H) Won 4-0
Sep 20 Coventry City (H) Won 1-0
Sep 27 Leyton Orient (A) Won 2-3
Oct 4 Barnsley (H) Lost 0-1

Like the curate's egg....'good in parts'.... and Rochdale do sit nicely at 9th in the League, only 2 points away from the play-offs but at the same time only 4 points ahead of ourselves.

One familiar face in the Rochdale line-up should be Ollie Lancashire - he conceded a penalty in the 90th minute at home to Barnsley but his blushes were saved by the keeper, who therefore kept the score down to 0-1. Still a home defeat though, and if Barnsley can do it, there seems no reason why we can't - as long as we play in 'Bristol City mode'?

I'll go for a 1-2 win, our goals coming from lumpy Manset and a Jordan Cook piledriver from the touchline. :D

[SWS1]

I believe everything Welshie says, so 2 - 1 to us it is. :wink: On penalties!
But where are all the other posts? :o Come on fellas, show some enthusiasm! :D I must see us at Wembley before I die and I don't think we are going to win the League Cup or FA Cup (and, clearly, when we get promoted, it will be auto-promo just to frustrate me :mrgreen: )
I think, without Bradders, we are going to struggle tonight unless Manset or one of our other stars steps up to the plate.
Let's go!!
UTS.

[Ancient Moaner]

I believe everything Welshie says, so 2 - 1 to us it is. :wink: On penalties!
But where are all the other posts? :o Come on fellas, show some enthusiasm! :D I must see us at Wembley before I die and I don't think we are going to win the League Cup or FA Cup (and, clearly, when we get promoted, it will be auto-promo just to frustrate me :mrgreen: )
I think, without Bradders, we are going to struggle tonight unless Manset or one of our other stars steps up to the plate.
Let's go!!
UTS.

Hope to make it tomorrow night to join the other 12 or so that might make the journey!
If our friend Mon-say repeats his 'I'm a slow moving oil tanker in a football shirt' performance again, we are domed to another defeat. However, I only hope we make more of a game of it than we did that few weeks ago with the most inept, embarrassing, uninspiring capitulation of that 4-0 (should have been 8-0) walkover! Rochdale outpaced us, outplayed us, out thought us, and generally made us feel like ignominious relegation fodder.
A reply of that night and we are doomed to another early exit from a cup competition.
On a lighter note.......hope we beat them and avenge that mauling!
UTS

[PT]

Missed the fun there in the league but will be there tomorrow.

Five games from Wembley.

0-0 and then win 1-0 on pens in front of 1,234. (99 of us).

[Ghostofwalsallpast]

1-1 AET

So exit via penalties (edit) Win on penalties, I'm feelin reckless!

[saddlerphil]

0-4
Done 5
Eastham 30
Henderson 37
Butler 71 (og)
:wink: :wink:

[latviancheese]

Hopefully he keeps changes to minimum, wonder if he goes with grimes or Manset up front. Be interesting, think Manset needs some game time tho, and Butler might not have permission too play.


Wouldn't expect many changes from Dale so in for a long night I feel. Hope we can give them some payback tho

[PT]

Hopefully he keeps changes to minimum, wonder if he goes with grimes or Manset up front. Be interesting, think Manset needs some game time tho, and Butler might not have permission too play.


Wouldn't expect many changes from Dale so in for a long night I feel. Hope we can give them some payback tho

I think he'll give a few of the returning players a run out. James Chambers, Jordan Cook, Ashley Grimes maybe even Purkiss. I expect Clifford and Manset will get a start too. Unfortunately, I think that lot will make us weaker but guess they all need a test at some point so Smith might see this as the ideal opportunity.

It'll be something like; O'Donnell, Purkiss, Chambers, Downing, Taylor, Chambers, Clifford, Cook, Forde, Grimes, Manset.

[latviancheese]

Hopefully he keeps changes to minimum, wonder if he goes with grimes or Manset up front. Be interesting, think Manset needs some game time tho, and Butler might not have permission too play.


Wouldn't expect many changes from Dale so in for a long night I feel. Hope we can give them some payback tho

I think he'll give a few of the returning players a run out. James Chambers, Jordan Cook, Ashley Grimes maybe even Purkiss. I expect Clifford and Manset will get a start too. Unfortunately, I think that lot will make us weaker but guess they all need a test at some point so Smith might see this as the ideal opportunity.

It'll be something like; O'Donnell, Purkiss, Chambers, Downing, Taylor, Chambers, Clifford, Cook, Forde, Grimes, Manset.

Thats still not a bad team in my eyes.

[saddlerphil]

Dave Tennant to play in goals for both!!

2-3
Ollie Lancashire, Chris Shuker for them
Wayne Evans, Ashley Grimes & Clive Platt for us!!

2346
178 of roaring Saddlers!!

[Ancient Moaner]

Dave Tennant to play in goals for both!!

2-3
Ollie Lancashire, Chris Shuker for them
Wayne Evans, Ashley Grimes & Clive Platt for us!!

1346
78 of moaning Saddlers!!

There, I've corrected that for you! :) :wink:

[JonnyOwen]

Even though we went to the declarable a couple weeks ago, we have decided to go to again for some reason, lets hope for a much better night than that one.

[DonningtonSaddler]

I hope Grimes plays and gets a couple. He was given a hard time by the home fans last time out.

[Welsh_Saddler]

Starting line-up against Rochdale:

O'Donnell

Purkiss
Downing
Chambers
Taylor

Baxendale
Chambers
Clifford

Grimes
Manset
Benning

Substitutes: O'Connor, McGillivray, Flanagan, Cook, Forde.

Ollie Lancashire missing from the Rochdale team and bench. And it looks like darling Nigel has forbidden us from playing Andy Butler in this cup game..... :roll:

[latviancheese]

ID imagine thats a 442 to be honest.

We are on the radio by the way, if anyones interested.

[Welsh_Saddler]

Odds at kick-off:

Rochdale 10/11 fav
Draw 9/4
Walsall 5/2 outsiders

:mrgreen:

It looks as though BBC aren't doing a text commentary for this game.....all I know is that Manset had a shot in the 1st minute, and we also had a corner immediately after that. However after 15 minutes we're doing better than we did in the recent League game, when we were 1-0 down after 5 minutes!!

It does look as though tonight is an exercise in watching paint dry (Johnstone's, of course) so far........

[latviancheese]

MANSET

1-0

[Welsh_Saddler]

Rochdale 0 Walsall 1 !!!!!!!! Details to follow......... :D :D :D

Manset with a left-foot shot, assist by Grimes.

[saddla]

Get in there Mathieu :mrgreen:

[SaddlerCrewe]

From the awful E&S live blog (it's better than nothing, but only just)

"Walsall stun the hosts and it's Manset with his first goal for the club. Fine little move sees Grimes slide the ball through for the striker who finishes under Conrad Logan. Rochdale seemed to be waiting for an offside flag which never came."

Followed shortly afterwards by
"Andy Taylor hacks Matt Done's header pff the line. Dale almost level."

[BarnsleySaddler]

I shall have to join late in the future if that is the score line that greats me. :D

[SaddlerCrewe]

I shall have to join late in the future if that is the score line that greats me. :D

It can't last, Welsh started the thread..

[Welsh_Saddler]

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

[BarnsleySaddler]

Grimes booked for kicking the ball away. Foolish.

Half time still 0-1. :D

[Welsh_Saddler]

Grimes booked for unsporting behaviour, according to Sky.

Half-time, and we're ahead 0-1. And on paper we are fielding a much-weakened team.

[TheSwift]

Is that 3 or 4 yellows for Grimes in all competitions now?

[BarnsleySaddler]

Ball in the net for Rochdale but offside. Saved by the flag again.

And for the second match in a row an official is injured and requires treatment. :!: :!:

[SoccerHQ]

Grimes is such a mug, can't score and could've been sent off for kicking the ball away just which would've been ridiculous with the shortage of forwards for the Oldham game.

[BarnsleySaddler]

Smith needs a stern word with Grimes, just kicked the ball away again the idiot.


ROCHDALE SUB: Cannon OFF Muldoon ON

[Welsh_Saddler]

30 minutes to go.....is there a case to be made for substitutions purely on the grounds of fresh legs???

Our opponents on Saturday (Oldham) incidentally, are currently 2-1 up at home to Barnsley.