Hopes of a first ever visit to Wembley for Rochdale faded tonight, as they fell 2-0 to a more experienced Wigan side. Dale battled well, but in the end the difference in quality was there for all to see.

Hopes of a first ever visit to Wembley for Rochdale faded tonight, as they fell 2-0 to a more experienced Wigan side. Dale battled well, but in the end the difference in quality was there for all to see.

Well the Wembley dream is over for another year, as a valiant Dale crashed two nil to Wigan on a pitch worthy of its reputation. Dale battled hard and were unlucky not to get back into it in the second half, but the fitness and quality of the opposition proved in the end.
Wigan started very brightly and had three chances within the first five minutes all of which went past Edwards left hand post. Dale found it very difficult to get into the game, and Wigan looked more the home side. Most of their attacks came down their right with some neat passing despite the conditions. They certainly deserved something from the first few minutes, but Dale managed to hold on and gradually worked their way back into the match.

Peakey was involved in most of Dale's plays but we struggled to maintain any sort of passing game on the surface. We were often forced into a long ball game, but the Wigan defenders coped easily with the Dale forwards.

Wigan took the lead after about half an hour, by which time it was slightly against the run of the play. The move followed a corner which fell to a Wigan player on the edge of the box. His effort was rebounded off Andy Farrell to Stuart Barlow who had acres of space, allowing the ball to drop onto his right foot before firing just inside Edwards left hand post.

We saw at Orient on Saturday, that Dale crumbled following conceding a goal. This was not the case tonight as they did not allow their heads to drop. Dale almost equalised within a minute when Paul Carden had a great chance to score his first goal for the club, but he fired over from the edge of the six yard box.

Within a few minutes, both teams were almost reduced to ten following a free for all. Gareth Stoker, nicknamed Mad Dog in his Cardiff days, went in their with a full challenge, and punches were thrown as several players piled in including the Wigan keeper Carroll, who moved faster than he did all night to get involved. Stoker and his Wigan counterpart were probably both lucky to remain on the pitch as the ref took a lenient view of things, only producing a yellow card each.

The second half saw Dale dominate possession and spend a lot of time on the attack. However they produced few attempts to trouble Carroll between the Wigan sticks. Andy Barlow almost scored following a good run, but his effort skimmed the top of the bar.

We had a succession of corners, and Morris came closest when a header trickled towards the goal only for it to touch the post and go wide, though it looked like a Wigan defender may have got a final touch on the ball. Corners would either go wide or out for another corner. The Wigan defenders were dominant in the air. Morris was well marked and could do little. It looked a matter of time before Dale would score, as they pressed forward, roared on by the Sandy. Painter came on as a sub to replace Mark Bailey who had previously put in some decent crosses, as we begged for an equaliser. It was not to be, as Wigan made it two on a rare attack which finally woke up the dormant travelling support doing the best impression ever seen of a home match at Gigg Lane.

Graham Lancashire came on to a huge ovation from the Wigan fans for the second time this season, which shows the feelings they still have for him. Their memories of him give hope for the future should he ever get back to full fitness.

The last few minutes saw Dale force more corners. We came close to scoring when Holt practically headed the ball off the line, as he headed over from inches out. The next corner saw Dale score as the ball was bundled over the line but there was little doubt that there was a push and it was rightly disallowed.

Other incidents in the last few minutes saw a few of the younger members of the home terrace throw sweets at the Wigan keeper. This prompted the keeper, who had run thirty yards to get involved in a fight in the first half, complaining to the ref, leading to a large number of stewards at the front of the terrace. The kids were out of order, but Carroll must look to himself with regard to his blatant time wasting and his gestures following the second goal.

The final whistle saw many of the players race down the tunnel as trouble erupted between some of the players. Fists were again thrown. It is thought Stoker and Holt were involved in this from the Dale side of things

Dale: Edwards, Bailey (Painter), Barlow, Bayliss, Monington, Farrell, Carden, Stoker, Morris (Lancashire), Peake, Holt. Sub not used Jones
 

Photo: Action Images

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