REPORT: ROCHDALE 4 WALSALL 0 REPORT: ROCHDALE 4 WALSALL 0

REPORT: ROCHDALE 4 WALSALL 0

Earlier this evening Walsall Football Club made the trip to Greater Manchester to take on Rochdale in the latest Sky Bet League One game, Cory Lees was in attendance, and shares his report below.
Earlier this evening Walsall Football Club made the trip to Greater Manchester to take on Rochdale in the latest Sky Bet League One game, Cory Lees was in attendance, and shares his report below.

My first visit to Spotland and what a night to remember (or not)!

Walsall were dealt a huge blow with the news that Tom Bradshaw and captain Adam Chambers hadn't shrugged off knocks in time to make the game but surely we had enough to compete against a side who were on the same points as us and had just come up from league 2 !

Rochdale started in whirlwind fashion with a goal on 6 minutes from Matt Done who beat Richard O'Donnell at his near post and from then on it was pretty much all the home side for the first 45.

The Walsall back four who had been highly praised by Dean Smith on their previous performance against Preston were put under constant pressure from the home side and on the half hour mark a free kick into the box found Ashley Eastham who had a free header to beat O'Donnell for the second time.

It wasn't long before Rochdale had their third goal as 7 minutes later a through ball to Ian Henderson gave him the opportunity to place his shot past O'Donnell leaving the travelling Walsall fans in disbelief as to what they were seeing.

 H/T   ROCHDALE     3     WALSALL     0   

The 2nd half started pretty much how the first half had, and not long after the restart Henderson saw a shot hit the post and he also had a one on one with O'Donnell which he put wide, so it was only a matter of time before Rochdale would score and it came from a deflected Stephen Dawson shot off Andy Butler which looped over O'Donnell and into the net.

Numerous more chances went begging for Rochdale while Romaine Sawyers saw a great effort saved by the home keeper Conrad Logan.

  F/T    ROCHDALE     4     WALSALL     0   

The Walsall faithful are getting restless now and I think it would have been different if we'd put up some kind of fight, but hopefully when key players come back from injury you'll see a stronger side and better performances.

By: Cory Lees.

  RESULT    ROCHDALE     4     WALSALL     0   
GOALS: (Done 5' Eastham 30', Henderson 37', Butler OG 71')
AT: Spotland Stadium, Rochdale.
ATTENDANCE: 2,082.
REFEREE: Mr. Andrew Madley, West Yorkshire.

 WALSALL : O'Donnell; O'Connor, Butler, Downing, Taylor; Forde (Baxendale 83'), Clifford (Morris 62'), Flanagan, Benning; Sawyers; Manset (Grimes)

Subs not usedMacGillivray; Holden, Kinsella, Bakayoko

 ROCHDALE Logan; Rafferty, Eastham, O'Connell, Tanser, Allen, Hery (Andrew 83'), Dawson, Vincenti (Bennett 89'), Done (Fenelon 79'), Henderson

Subs not used: Diba Musuangu, Lancashire, Kennedy, Bunney
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