Rochdale’s resilience keeps title charge on track

 

Tyler Smith has the speed, now we want the finish.

If bounce-back-ability really is the mark of a good side, then by mid-October Rochdale were beginning to look like a very good one indeed. Each time Jim McNulty’s men had been knocked off course this season, they responded with purpose − and points. The convincing win over Yeovil Town was no exception, coming just a week after an FA Cup exit at the hands of York City.

It was another performance that reaffirmed Dale’s resilience and stretched their formidable league form to 11 wins from 13 outings. In truth, this was as routine as they come − a composed, measured display that spoke volumes about the maturity and mindset of a team quietly going about its business at the sharp end of the table.

Quite simply, Rochdale produced another professional performance, brushing aside Yeovil with an authority that never required them to shift out of second gear.

There was a notable absentee from the matchday squad as Ethan Ebanks-Landell missed out following the birth of his son earlier in the day − a happy milestone that, fortunately for Dale, did little to unsettle the rhythm of a side increasingly comfortable in its own skin.

From the opening whistle, it was clear Rochdale had too much for their visitors. The first half was a lesson in controlled aggression and sharp, purposeful possession. Yeovil had fleeting spells of early promise − more down to fortune than threat − but were soon penned back by waves of Rochdale pressure. By the interval, the 3-0 scoreline flattered the visitors, with only profligate finishing or bad luck preventing a more emphatic margin.

Rochdale wasted no time asserting their authority, opening the scoring inside five minutes through the ever-reliable Mani Dieseruvwe. But it wasn’t just the finish that stood out − it was the build-up. The move featured a long sequence of passes − across the pitch, sideways and backwards − a patient, probing rhythm that felt like the culmination of years of structured planning. When the gap finally appeared, Kyron Gordon burst in behind on the right and delivered an inch-perfect ball across the box, where Dieseruvwe arrived with poise to tap home his 11th goal of the season from close range. It was another example of Dale’s trademark routine − an outside centre-back crossing for the centre-forward to score − something that looks simple only because of the meticulous repetition behind it on the training ground.

The second was a textbook counter, as Devante Rodney seized space in midfield and surged forward with intent. A slight tactical tweak saw him drift centrally more often, and Yeovil never looked sure who should track him. His perfectly weighted pass carved open the defence, and Dieseruvwe, brimming with confidence, took a single touch before dispatching a clinical finish low into the far corner − an outcome that felt inevitable from the moment the move began.

The third arrived just before the interval, capping a first half of near-total control. Aidan Barlow fed Dieseruvwe, who worked his way through a congested penalty area. Though his path to goal was blocked, the loose ball broke kindly for Ryan East, who made no mistake in steering home his third of the campaign.

After the break, the narrative barely shifted. Rochdale continued to dictate proceedings, carving out chance after chance but failing to convert any of their many opportunities. Yet, such was their command of the match that the result never felt in doubt. The second half became a chance to manage legs and minutes, with several fringe players given valuable time on the pitch − a luxury few sides can afford so routinely.

But if there were any doubts about depth, both Liam Hogan and Tarryn Allarakhia laid them to rest. The latter, in particular, was electric − constantly stretching Yeovil’s shape and offering a dynamic outlet that created space for others. Against more compact or challenging away-day opponents, someone like Kevin Berkoe is key, but Allarakhia’s influence in matches such as this can’t be overstated.

All told, it was another professional performance. Rochdale weren’t just the better side − they dictated every phase of the game and continue to look like a team with more gears yet to shift through.

Next came the trip to Surrey: Dale visited Woking, a club marooned in the lower reaches of the National League, and fans − buoyed by the emphatic dispatching of Yeovil the week before − travelled south in confident mood. Rochdale’s faithful had every reason to believe another commanding performance was in store. And, in many ways, it was. The game was played almost exclusively in one half; a siege met with stubborn defiance. Dale dominated the ball for long spells, but where the swagger and incision of Yeovil had been, there lingered only industry and frustration.

The same moves that sliced through defences a week earlier now faltered in their final act. Crosses fizzed through the six-yard box unclaimed, half-chances skittered wide. The ruthless precision that defined the victory at Spotland was replaced by a chorus of “if onlys”.

Credit, too, to Woking goalkeeper Will Jääskeläinen − agile, alert, and in no mood to oblige Rochdale’s ambitions. In the instances where the visitors were more precise, his interventions denied Dale a lead and ultimately preserved a point for the home side.

Defensively, Rochdale remained composed − perhaps even too composed. The odd Woking counter never looked truly menacing, even if, on reflection, it might have warranted more alarm. Still, this is a side whose back line has conceded only seven times in 14 league outings; assurance, it seems, has become part of the club’s DNA.

The ongoing left wing-back selection remained a point of quiet debate. Here, Kevin Berkoe was restored to the starting line-up but it was substitute Tarryn Allarakhia who once again caught the eye. For the tactical arm-wrestles against promotion contenders − Carlisle, Forest Green, York to come − Berkoe’s more disciplined approach may have its merits. Yet in matches like this, where Dale all but annex the opposition half, it is Allarakhia’s flair, his willingness to drive, cross and improvise, that offers a richer threat. His late deliveries into the box were not only a personal showcase, but a timely reminder to his teammates of the rewards that can come from attacking the air rather than the angles.

In the end, Rochdale were one scrambled goalmouth effort away from another good win. Instead, the ball stayed out, and two points slipped quietly away. Such is football’s familiar cruelty − a game of fine margins and frustrated sighs, where even dominance can feel like defeat. Still, the result means Dale end October at the summit of the National League table with two games in hand on their immediate rivals for the crown.

There was no way through for Mani D at Woking.

The month’s activity wasn’t quite finished there, however, as the much-maligned National League Cup returned to the midweek calendar. This time Dale hosted Manchester United’s fledging side, losing 2-0.

There are evenings in football when the outcome seems almost secondary − when the result itself feels like a footnote. This was one of those nights: a low-key fixture that felt more like a training exercise than a competitive match. With Dale’s fringe players given their chance to impress again, the game drifted by with little of the spark or intensity that had coloured the previous two ties against Premier League 2 sides.

Perhaps that was inevitable. The National League Cup, for all its intentions, struggles to inspire much energy from either the stands or the pitch. The fringe players, many of whom are still learning each other’s rhythms together in a complete XI, demonstrated a tardiness in possession that has been a rare Dale trait under Jim McNulty. It wasn’t disastrous − just oddly flat. It’s hard to take much from the game, beyond a gentle reminder of how tough it can be to find cohesion when minutes are scarce.

Still, there were glimmers worth noting. Casey Pettit, in particular, looked tidy and composed, echoing the promise he showed in pre-season. He remains a player many supporters expected to see more of by now, and performances like this one − gritty but assured − suggest his moment may yet come.

Up front, Tyler Smith worked hard, his pace occasionally unsettling the opposition, but questions linger over whether he offers enough beyond that raw speed. Levi Amantchi too, showed only in flashes what he could offer in this role and was guilty of missing what was perhaps Dale’s best chance on the night. By contrast, when Dale have a striker willing to make clever runs and link play − as we see with Mani Dieseruvwe or saw last season whenever Ian Henderson led the line − the attack seems to hum with greater purpose.

As the rain began to fall, attention turned to another familiar concern: the pitch. The surface, already showing signs of strain, will surely become a talking point again as the winter months close in. The club have promised an update on plans to mitigate the issue “in due course,” but, on nights like this − when the rain slicks the turf and the ball skips unevenly − that promise feels increasingly urgent.

A free weekend now awaits Dale, due to the lack of participation in this year’s FA Cup. It is a welcome break as the coming schedule shows no mercy. Eight matches in 26 days, including the final National League Cup group clash, will push every sinew of this squad. With four consecutive Tuesday nights to navigate, and another England U-19 call-up for Ollie Whatmuff, the coming month will lay bare just how deep Rochdale’s resources truly run.

As always, my thanks to TVOS/Dan Youngs/Rochdale AFC for use of images.