| Well what can you say? A 37 year hoodoo was ended when Clive Platt flicked in a Lee Todd free kick in the dying seconds to give Dale victory in a match when neither team had looked capable of winning it. This was a long way from being a classic Dale performance, but once again, fitness levels and character shone through and Dale snatched a last minute winner.
Dale just about deserved the win, having hit the woodwork twice during the match, and kept "two bob" Exeter at bay throughout. The Home side offered very little in response, and never looked like scoring.
Around 300 Dale fans made the journey to the ground that Dale wins forgot. We'd have took a point before the game, but given the lack of quality shown by Exeter, three points was always available. They had just two shots on target to speak of in the entire game. It may have been an off day by Dale, but again they never looked like losing.
St. James Park is showing signs of improvement. The terrace behind the far goal has been redeveloped and they are in the process of constructing their Big Bank terrace into an all seater stand. However, the roof on the new terrace covers only about half of the terrace. Dale fans were not afforded such luxuries and we had to make do with a choice between the uncovered terrace behind the goal, or a block in the Exeter City "grandstand". Given the hassle we had to endure in their last season, most Dale fans opted to risk the wind and the rain in the open terrace. It was a worthy decision!
Dale went into the match with a couple of enforced changes. Despite picking up a recurrence of his ankle injury on Tuesday, Clive Platt started the match following Tony Ellis's withdrawal with a knee injury during the week. Christian Lee came in for his first start for the club, and there were recalls for Michael Oliver and Paul Ware in midfield, with Dave Flitcroft missing thru a hernia op, and Phil Hadland relegated to the bench. This meant that Dale reverted to the 5-3-2 formation, which was probably requied with the players we had out on the field.
The game itself consisted of very few chances. With Dale's slightly more defensive line up, Exeter City never looked like scoring, and they only had two efforts which caused any panic. Edwards was firm at the back, and dealt with any crosses with ease in a swirling wind.
Dale had the best chance of the first half when Christian Lee hit the cross bar. He had received the ball on the edge of the box, before letting fly. The ball went through a crowd of players before hitting the woodwork with the Exeter keeper nowhere near it.
Exeter's only chance of the first half came courtesy of young West Ham starlet Gavin Holligan, currently on loan at St. James Park. He put in some good work on the right hand side of the penalty box, before seeing his shot very well saved by Neil Edwards.
That was it for the half, except for a a little spat on the pitch between Dave Bayliss and Lee Todd who needed Captain Neil Edwards to separate them at one point. Just a spot of handbags, much to the delight of the home fans, and it all looked sorted by the time the second half started.
The second half was very similar to the first, as it was very tight, with few chances for either team. Dale's best effort came when Gary Jones broke through the Exeter backline, and he hit the post when one on one with the keeper (albeit from a tight angle). He should have done better, and he knew it judging by the reaction on his face after.
With time running out, Dale very nearly blew it! A cross came over from the left hand side, and Lee Todd attempted a headed clearance. However, he headed the ball straight to an unmarked Exeter attacker who was within the six yard box. Whether it was just the pace of it, but all that he managed to do was head it straight at Edwards who caught it with ease.
Almost from the resultant clearance, Dale grabbed the late winner. Substitute Phil Hadland, on for Tony Ford MBE, got the ball on the right wing and went on a run. He was putting pressure on defender Campbell, and attempted to play the ball past him and run after it. From our position behind the goal, we had an almost perfect view of this, as Campbell deliberately blocked Hadland's run instead of going for the ball himself. Well it was right in front of the linesman (no guarantee's with that Lino!), and he'd been booked. The ref felt he had no option but to send him off, and it would be hard to argue with that, and he awarded Dale a free kick.
Lee Todd stepped up and took the free kick, and Clive Platt broke through, getting in front of their keeper Armand Van Helden, and got the slightest of touches, but it was enough to send the ball into the back of the net. Well it was Rotherham (a) all over again as Platt went straight to the fans in the away terrace and soon disappeared under a mixture of fans and Dave Bayliss, with bodies and drums flying everywhere.
There's something extra sweet about a last minute winner. Something you can't really describe. It's that change in emotion from feeling quite normal to all of a sudden being the best moment in your entire life. Forget weddings, births of relatives, and all other things that are supposed to be the high point of your life. A last minute winner beats the lot.
The drive back involved a lot of little chuckles to myself, as I replayed the goal over in my head. It was made all the sweeter because it was at Exeter where we just don't win. It's an unwritten footballing rule. Dale don't win at Exeter. Mind you, you know what happened last time we won at Exeter. Watch out Bill Clinton!
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