A Spot of Improvement

By: Andrew Doherty
Date: 20/10/2026

I'VE been to Rochdale twice in my life: about 10 years ago to buy a car, and in 1988 to watch Fulham lose to Rochdale Hornets in the rugby league Lancashire Cup. Hornets had just started playing at Spotland, the then and present home of Rochdale FC, Town's opponents tonight.

"Grey and raining" is how I remember Rochdale, a town which can claim a grooming gang scandal and Cyril Smith.

Rochdale have had a respectable start to the season after gaining promotion via the National League play-offs. Unfortunately the team we need to be grappling with is ourselves. We can't deny that the victory over Bristol Rovers was impressive but the performances either side of that had good and bad elements. We have now lost the last four league games in abject fashion. Head Coach Artell rejected the first of these games, the away game at Newport, as somehow unfortunate, repeatedly saying we deserved to win. I was at that game and we were outfought by a team who were quicker and more resolute than we were. The squad looks unbalanced, with one aging injury-prone striker to call upon and only Pym, Turi and Kacurri performing anything like consistently. The experienced players are all out of form while most of the young players look out of their depth. Fin Cartwright has show glimpses of class, while Iwan Morgan fights and puts himself about while being played out of position in a central striker role with little or no support from teammates. It does seem as if we haven't got a full set of players who are capable of doing justice to their place in the first team, let alone meet the expectation of building on last season's league position. All the promised continuity and improvement seems to have gone out of the window, something which Mr Artell seems to deny, but if you think about it this will always be the case. The process and structure may be stabilised but players do move on, lose form and get injured. On Saturday the game was all but lost when Edon Pruti made a tackle which earned him a red card but also injured himself seriously. This injury puts things in perspective, and above all considerations of performance we all wish him and also Doug Tharme a full recovery.

Town's starting XI tonight was: Pym - Rodgers, Kacurri, Foulkes - Turi - Amaluzor, Green, Walker, Vernam - Cook, Morgan. The line-up was interesting and necessary, given that so many defenders are injured. As a result our back 3 included right back Foulkes at left back, with 16 year old Malaki Golding the only defender on the bench. Across the midfield were four players who have underperformed. Now was their chance to shine here in the cold and rain of Rochdale. Recent displays hadn't suggested we were going to be bold in our play, which is what we were needing to be, and we certainly needed to finish off the chances which at least we have been creating. Failure to do so would put us on a slippery slope here at the Spotland Crown Oil Arena.

Town, in the traditional black and white kit tonight, kicked off. Amaluzor was tripped within 30 seconds, earning Town a free kick. Vernam's cross flashed across the goalmouth. Rochdale then proceeded to take Town's defence apart with Adeyemo finding Middleton. Pym was beaten but Foulkes foresaw the danger and cleared the ball off the line. Vernam received a yellow card for obvious simulation after falling over in the box. It was an embarrassing attempt to win a penalty. Turi and Walker then combined but were unable to create a clear chance. Amaluzor was dispossessed in midfield and Rochdale broke. Foulkes had to concede a corner. A quick break up the left saw Middleton cross for Hayes whose shot went over. A misguided Town header gave Hayes another chance but his shot was blocked. Flint received the ball from the corner and sent in a good header which Pym collected with ease. On 17 minutes Amaluzor was fouled on the right. Vernam overhit it and the ball went out of play. Town had a crisp move on 19 minutes. Turi found Green who crossed for Cook but the ball was too high for Cook to put power on the header. Rochdale's attacks had purpose. Hayes won a corner after an excellent cross field ball from the left. Adeeko, who had received a yellow card earlier, was lucky not to receive another when tackling Turi heavily in midfield. The ball fell to Walker whose shot was saved. On 26 minutes Hayes managed to shake off Foulkes and surged forward but was unable to keep his balance. On 27 minutes Pym did well to cut out a Middleton cross. Green followed up with a decent attempt at the other end. Adeeko started a move for Rochdale, pushing the ball out left. A good cross was met by Brown whose unchallenged downward header went wide. Town attacked and got into the Rochdale box. An alert back flick found the onrushing Foulkes whose shot from close range was blocked by Flint. A Vernam cross then earned Town a corner from which Rodgers headed over. Town had a good spell. Turi started a move, finding Vernam who laid off to Morgan. Town's striker teed up Vernam whose curled shot forced a save from Waller. On 38 minutes, Rochdale repeated a move they had performed more than once with Adeeko in midfield picking out Middleton on the left. Middleton's cross evaded Town's defender but not Brown who was on hand to slide in and push the ball home at the far post. Rochdale 1, Town 0. Tasker had a shot soon after. Kacurri was booked on 42 minutes for a stereotypically robust challenge on Ebeeko. Town won a corner. Vernam's delivery wasn't great but Town retrieved the ball until Foulkes played the ball to no-one and out of play. The half ended: Rochdale 1, Town 0. Town were competing and playing reasonably well but Rochdale were quick at setting up attacks and knew how to exploit Town's defence, resulting in their lead.

A lovely lobbed ball from Turi found Green on 46 minutes. Green's cross was poorly directed. Walker was booked for a tackle after Amaluzor lost possession on 50 minutes, giving Rochdale a free kick. Rodgers headed out Francis's cross for a corner. Flint won the header but Hayes fired over. Amaluzor did well to rob Taylor but his touch was poor. Sloppy work by the Rochdale defence led to a Town corner, which was cleared easily. A Vernam run won a corner on 54 minutes. The delivery was shocking but in spite of Town regaining possession the opportunity was wasted. Town had an attack on 57 minutes. Amaluzor held the ball and supplied Rodgers who was running up the right. Rodgers ran on and delivered a cross to Cook at the far post. Cook's header was powerful and Waller was only capable of pushing the ball out to Green who headed home. Rochdale 1, Town 1. Finally Town had stepped up and put a move together. Individually Rodgers deserves great credit for his overlapping run. Town now had the momentum. On 67 minutes Walker was tripped by Hayes who received a yellow card along with the Rochdale manager who was booked for protesting. Rochdale's play was ragged. Town looked confident. An excellent cross on 69 minutes found Morgan who. under pressure from Waller and Flint, failed to control from close range. On 71 minutes Town won a corner. Waller punched Vernam's cross clear. Walker was on the edge of the box to receive the ball, drilling a low shot through the packed defence. Rochdale 1, Town 2. Town continued to make the running as Walker picked the ball up in midfield and launched an attack. Town made changes on 75 minutes, with Doyle and Finch replacing Walker and Amaluzor. Rochdale won a corner through Middleton but Francis messed it up. Town were fighting and winning challenges. Green won a corner on 82 minutes. A Morgan throw led to a Turi shot which went wide as Town continued to press forward. On 86 minutes Morgan should have finished the game off after a move up the left saw Cook expertly find space and supply the pass upon realising the angle was too tight for himself. Morgan's effort from 5 yards was cleared off the line. Turi then saw space and took the ball to the edge of the box but his effort was poor and blocked. On 88 minutes Rochdale's attacked. Tasker burst up the right and crossed. Rochdale's 40 year old warhorse Henderson got in front of the defence and hit his shot. Pym saved well and pushed the ball into the bar. The ball returned to Henderson to head it home. Rochdale 2, Town 2. Rochdale's goal came against the run of play. It now spurred them on as 6 minutes were added. Brown and then Middleton had shots before Flint rose to a header from the resultant corner. All these chances went close. Town were hanging on. Cook had a header which went over and right at the death Doyle hit a strong shot which Waller tipped over the bar. But neither side in spite of their endeavours could finish the game with a winner. So it ended: Rochdale 2, Grimsby Town 2.

Before the game Mr Artell spoke as usual in circles, in appearance and words seeming to deny there was any sort of problem in the camp. Far more convincing were the words of Kieran Green who reflected on the frustration among the players and the similar effect on the fans, before confirming the need to train hard, dig in and step up. Town did just that tonight, playing at a good tempo throughout. There were no aimless lumped balls, while Town stuck at it, deservedly taking the lead and exerting their superiority after doing so. Conceding an equaliser against the run of play was disappointing and frustrating, but the performance was better after the recent losses. Town showed plenty of character here at Spotland.

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