Rochdale (Away) (FA Cup Replay)

RUSHING out of work to watch the mighty Hatters on a cold and rainy Wednesday night at Rochdale in an FA Cup First Round replay wasn’t what I had been expecting to do when we led 3-0 on Saturday, but that’s exactly what ended up happening.

After a couple of pre-match beers, we sat down for the evening’s entertainment at about 7.45pm, ready for the 8pm kick-off.  The ground looked empty and there were only approximately 150 travelling Hatters.  With the game being rearranged at such short notice for live coverage on ITV4, it was no surprise that only a brave few made the long journey to Spotland.

The Matchday Programme (priced at £2.50)

With the hosts flying high in League Two, we were worried that we were going to get a thumping.  The ground itself looked a tidy little place, with a new stand at the side of the pitch that was pillar-free and housed the travelling Luton Town supporters, and the opposite stand a slightly older construction that had several pillars which restricted the home supporters’ view somewhat.  Behind one goal was a small, terraced stand where the majority of the Rochdale fans congregated and the opposite end was a larger seated stand that again had posts.  All in all though, it looked a smart little ground and more than adequate for the 2,500 average home attendances Rochdale are getting.

The game kicked-off and we looked very poor.  Rochdale absolutely battered us with wave after wave of attack, their movement and passing too good for us.  Our midfield looked slow and unable to get close to the home side’s players and we were thankful to goalkeeper Shane Gore for two vital saves.  In particular, the Rochdale wingers Adam Rundle and the highly impressive Tom Kennedy were causing us all kinds of problems.  Kennedy’s set-pieces were also very good and it was a miracle that we went in even at the interval.

However, much to the surprise of the travelling hardcore Hatters fans, we came out in the second-half like a different side.  We weathered the storm early on, Gore making another splendid save, before taking the lead against the run of play through a well worked goal.  Burgess picked the ball up down the left and fed in Craddock who centred for Kevin Gallen – my favourite player this season – to slide in at the near post and give us a lead we hardly deserved.

However, from that moment on we looked the better side and Rochdale’s heads seemed to drop after we took the lead.  We extended our advantage through Gallen again.  A Nicholls corner was headed back at the far post by Pilkington.  The 16-year-old Dale goalkeeper Taberner could only parry the ball out and there was Gallen to head home from all of a yard out and seal the away win.

The game petered out after that and the few Hatters fans who had made the long journey continued to sing their hearts out until the very end and, as the whistle blew for full-time, it was surprisingly the mighty Hatters who would travel to another high-flying League Two side, Rotherham United, in the FA Cup Second Round.

All in all, it was a satisfying, but perhaps slightly fortuitous win.  However, my view was slightly impaired during the match because… we weren’t actually there!  Yes, unfortunately, for the first time this season we missed a match.  We had planned to go to Rochdale on Tuesday 17th November, but when the game was brought forwards for live coverage on ITV4, I was unable to get out of work commitments at such short notice.  Batesy also already had tickets to go to the 02 to see wrestling (gimp – how old is he?) that his girlfriend had brought for him, so it was impossible for us to go.  Still, I watched it on TV.  We are slightly gutted that we missed the game, but the aim was always to go to every league game first and foremost and it was out of our hands being able to go to Spotland at such short notice.

Oh well, we’re into the Second Round most importantly.  I also ensured the evening was as realistic as possible, making my dad charge me £14 to watch the TV, cooking a burger and leaving it to go cold before I ate it, enjoying a few beers and urinating on the toilet floor at half-time.

COME ON YOU HATTERS!

James

The Matchday Programme (priced at £2.50)