Match Report: Rochdale 0-2 Burton Albion
Saturday, 27th Feb 2021 17:12 by Chaff

Still only one win at home all season as 10-man Rochdale lost 2-0 at home to bottom of the league Burton Albion.

Dale were back at home with another one of those relegation six pointers, this time, bottom of the league Burton Albion. The problem is we're garbage at home and Burton have won their last three away from home.

The team news came through and Paul McShane was back and that can only be a plus for us. New signing Abraham Odoh went straight into the squad and onto the bench:

Dale kicked off and got off to a great start. It seems like every one of our attackers had an effort in the same period of play. Done had a shot blocked, as did Humphrys and Newby. Come on Dale! I must have screamed "hit it" at my TV about 5 times!

Another goalmouth scramble happened at the other end on 7 minutes. A corner came in and was headed back towards the centre of the box and Burton had a few efforts blocked before Morley could clear. This is all a bit chaotic. There was even a shout for handball in there.

There was a stoppage in play as Ryan McLaughlin and Ben Hamer clashed heads and I think there was a bit of claret of both sides. Hamer got up eventually and changed shirts while McLaughlin had a big black bandage around his head.

Great link-up play between Rathbone and McLaughlin ended up with a ball coming into Newby who headed goalwards but it lacked power and direction and was easy for Garrett in the Burton net.

Former Dale trialist Jonny Smith ran at Done and got the better of the Dale left back and curled an effort on goal which Bazunu got down well to push away. Clare had a follow up which was also saved by the Dale stopper.

Straight from that attack for Burton, Dale went up the other end and won a freekick which Humphrys hit but it clipped the wall and trickled through to Garrett.

McLaughlin's head bandage came off and he had to get that put back on sharpish as Dale were down to 10 men while it was sorted.

The promising start had visibly disappeared as it seemed to be Burton who were having the better of the play. The were agonisingly close to taking the lead on 42 minutes when a free kick was headed out by McShane but only to Hamer who volleyed an effort that was going in and Bazunu pulled off a brilliant save to tip it over the bar. The corner was headed wide by Bostwick.

Done gave the ball away ridiculously which caused Dale problems and Rathbone ended up giving the foul away right on the edge of the box. It looked dubiously like it was just inside the box but it was a freekick that was given. It was blasted straight at Rathbone in the wall.

A wonderful ball from Morley from the left back position he drops to set Newby away but his cross was blocked out for the corner. The corner was taken short and ended up with Humphrys who had his shot blocked but I'm not convinced it wasn't meant for Baah instead who was stood with his hands on his hips and slow to react.

After 6 minutes of stoppage time, the half time whistle went with Burton definitely having the better of the first half after what looked like a promising start.

With no Beesley, and no Lund, BBM was trying to utilise Shaughnessy in a very advanced role, obviously for the heigh but it didn't work with Lund and wasn't working with Shaughnessy either. But why would it? He's a centre back/defensive midfielder!

With 53 minutes gone, Fondop went close for the second time in a couple of minutes. The first was a half volley he didn't connect properly with after a Shaughnessy header went wayward but the second was a great chance, he was one on one with McShane and drilled the ball narrowly past the far post. There's only one team look like scoring here and again, it's not us.

Hemmings, who had come on for Fondop, had a great chance to give Burton the lead on the hour mark. He'd got the better of McShane, a bit fortunately it has to be said but he tried scooping the ball over Bazunu into the far corner but it went over the bar.

The game was only going one way and with 65 minutes gone, Dale had a mountain to climb. A long thrown came in and McShane lost his man and allowed Hemmings in to finish past Bazunu. It had been coming. Dale are sinking without a trace here.

A double change made by BBM feels a bit late now. Shaughnessy and Morley were sacrificed for Haydon Roberts and Conor Grant. As it stands, Dale are in the bottom 4.

Roberts played in Rathbone who managed to get forward well before being brough down about 25 yards out. Newby took the freekick and blasted it straight at the wall and hit the rebound straight at a defender too. Probably the most attacking Dale had been in the second half. There are less than 15 minutes left.

Then the game was well and truly over as Rathbone was sent off. Jonny Smith pulled back Rathbone and the Dale midfielder put his head forward into Smith's face, right in front of the referee in a ridiculous lack of discipline and off he went.

A freekick was pinged in by Grant and Done had a shot at goal but it hit Humphrys before falling to O'Connell who dragged his shot trickling wide. That sums Dale up.

With 85 minutes gone, another former Dale trialist, Lucas Akins picked the ball up and managed to curl it past Bazunu into the far corner. McLaughlin didn't really do enough to stop him but it's a great finish. The game was gone now for Dale at 2-0.

Game over, finished 2-0. In a week where we needed to see us pick up wins, we've picked up one point against Northampton and it's just 1 win from 19 home games now and absolutely no sign of that ended any time soon.

I don't see how BBM survives this weekend.

Player Ratings:

GAVIN BAZUNU - 6 (Couldn't do anything about the goals and pulled off a brilliant save in the first half)

Ryan McLaughlin - 6 (Did ok, even having cut his head open)

Eoghan O'Connell - 6 (Better than our other defenders but that's not saying much)

Paul McShane - 5 (Looked unusually shaky throughout I thought)

Matt Done- 5 (Did well today both defensively and got forward when he could)

Aaron Morley - 4 (Poor, gave the ball away so many times it was painful)

Conor Shaughnessy - 4 (Did ok)

Ollie Rathbone - 3 (Stupidly sent off, banned for three games, complete lack of discipline)

Alex Newby - 5 (Offered the most in an attacking threat believe it or not)

Kwadwo Baah - 5 (Did absolutely nothing in an attacking sense)