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Can't remember who it was against now, or the score, but it was Mark Hilditch at the Pearl St end
The ball across had beaten everyone, including the keeper, leaving Spoonhead with a tap-in from two yards, but the ball stopping in the mud right in front of him somehow confused him and threw him off balance. By the time (about five seconds) he'd untangled his legs the ball was cleared. We all just started laughing!
I haven't seen the thread you refer to but I remember Mellodew missing a real sitter in an FA Cup game against Barnsley at Spotland. The 'Dale had got a good draw 0-0 away on the Saturday but were losing 1-0 right at the end of the game when Mellodew managed to put a header over the bar from about 1 yard out. It was one of those were it was harder to miss than it was to score !
Team that night for the old timers on here.
Harker
Radcliffe Parry Ashworh Ryder
Whitehead Leach Rudd Butler
Mellodew Smith
Sub Reg Jenkins
I'm a bit puzzled with Graham Smith up front and Reg on the bench although Smith played no 9 in both ties. Maybe Reg wasn't fully fit although he came on for Smith later at Spotland. Terry Melling who was the regular no 9 at that time must also have been injured.
I haven't seen the thread you refer to but I remember Mellodew missing a real sitter in an FA Cup game against Barnsley at Spotland. The 'Dale had got a good draw 0-0 away on the Saturday but were losing 1-0 right at the end of the game when Mellodew managed to put a header over the bar from about 1 yard out. It was one of those were it was harder to miss than it was to score !
Team that night for the old timers on here.
Harker
Radcliffe Parry Ashworh Ryder
Whitehead Leach Rudd Butler
Mellodew Smith
Sub Reg Jenkins
I'm a bit puzzled with Graham Smith up front and Reg on the bench although Smith played no 9 in both ties. Maybe Reg wasn't fully fit although he came on for Smith later at Spotland. Terry Melling who was the regular no 9 at that time must also have been injured.
[Post edited 15 Nov 2017 12:04]
Smith was regarded as a utility player when he first appeared on the scene, seem to recall him playing a couple of games in midfield too, when Vinny Leech was injured
Then Radcliffe picked up an injury and he started at right-back, a position he made his own
Terry Melling... the main reason we signed Tony Buck!
Smith was regarded as a utility player when he first appeared on the scene, seem to recall him playing a couple of games in midfield too, when Vinny Leech was injured
Then Radcliffe picked up an injury and he started at right-back, a position he made his own
Terry Melling... the main reason we signed Tony Buck!
Melling had his moments. He was a very poor man's Bobby Smith to those who can recall the old Spurs and England No 9. Tony Buck was in another class until that leg break. Never the same player after.
Can't remember who it was against now, or the score, but it was Mark Hilditch at the Pearl St end
The ball across had beaten everyone, including the keeper, leaving Spoonhead with a tap-in from two yards, but the ball stopping in the mud right in front of him somehow confused him and threw him off balance. By the time (about five seconds) he'd untangled his legs the ball was cleared. We all just started laughing!
I'm friends with his son so I'm going to have a good laugh with him about that later!
Can't remember too many missed sitters, but one will always live in the memory.
Hilly's first home game back with us after his stint at Barnsley, against Chesterfield.
The score was 1-1 in the 93rd minute and Chesterfield had a corner, it was cleared and our left winger (no idea who it was) was sprinting down the winger with the ball.
He slid the ball across to Brian Barry Murphy of all players who only had Tommy Lee to beat, instead of calmly slotting it away I remember he just blasted it as hard as he could straight at Lee who couldn't believe his luck!
That would have been some ending to Hilly's first game back at Spotland, I remember feeling so gutted that it hadn't gone in.
I'm friends with his son so I'm going to have a good laugh with him about that later!
Can't remember too many missed sitters, but one will always live in the memory.
Hilly's first home game back with us after his stint at Barnsley, against Chesterfield.
The score was 1-1 in the 93rd minute and Chesterfield had a corner, it was cleared and our left winger (no idea who it was) was sprinting down the winger with the ball.
He slid the ball across to Brian Barry Murphy of all players who only had Tommy Lee to beat, instead of calmly slotting it away I remember he just blasted it as hard as he could straight at Lee who couldn't believe his luck!
That would have been some ending to Hilly's first game back at Spotland, I remember feeling so gutted that it hadn't gone in.
That would have been George Donnelly who took the ball and put it across for BBM. I remember being in the Sandy thinking "How has he missed that?" But on viewing the replay, it looked slightly more difficult.
Think the one that sticks out in my mind is Keith Barker at Hartlepool... I'm fairly sure the goal was open and he absolutely skied it.
Chris o'Grady's sitter agianst Bury at Gigg when we got beat 1-0 was pretty bad. I think that was on a monday night and live on sky if I remember correctly
Edit- Just found a clip of the sitter in question. Doesn't look quite as bad as I remember it from behind the goal at the time but the camera angle isn't the best. Skip to 45 seconds if you don't want to watch the full thing
I can't remember who it was against but I remember Clive Moyo Modise coming off the bench and missing an absolute sitter against someone at the Sandy Lane end with one of the last kicks of the game with us a goal behind.
The worst I've ever seen was Neil Mellor's for Preston against Dale a couple of years ago - in the relegation season I think. Hit the post with an empty net from about a yard out.
I think that Smith played in the number nine shirt in that cuptie against Barnsley because we were desperate for a goal from somewhere. We had had a run of 1-1 draws earlier in the season (Melledew scoring in all of them) but the goals had really dried up by the time that the clocks changed. We looked anything but a team who would win promotion six months later.
I think that Smith played in the number nine shirt in that cuptie against Barnsley because we were desperate for a goal from somewhere. We had had a run of 1-1 draws earlier in the season (Melledew scoring in all of them) but the goals had really dried up by the time that the clocks changed. We looked anything but a team who would win promotion six months later.
The defence was ok and midfield was really good, we were missing a cutting edge. When Tony Buck came along it was problem solved.
The defence was ok and midfield was really good, we were missing a cutting edge. When Tony Buck came along it was problem solved.
My recollection was that it was tactical given we were away in the original tie to Barnsley who were at the time doing well in the division above us so we 'flooded' midfield in the way tie and then kept the same formation in the replay until we got desperate for an equaliser.
Jenkins played quite a few games as sub and during the run in Richley alternated Melledew and Jenkins on the bench with one coming on for t'other for the last 20 mins.
I think Melling got a hat trick at Bradford Park that season, our last trip there before they lost their league status to Cambridge U. He wasnt a bad player but Tony Buck was in different class until that horrific leg break in a collision with a bloke called Death!
My recollection was that it was tactical given we were away in the original tie to Barnsley who were at the time doing well in the division above us so we 'flooded' midfield in the way tie and then kept the same formation in the replay until we got desperate for an equaliser.
Jenkins played quite a few games as sub and during the run in Richley alternated Melledew and Jenkins on the bench with one coming on for t'other for the last 20 mins.
I think Melling got a hat trick at Bradford Park that season, our last trip there before they lost their league status to Cambridge U. He wasnt a bad player but Tony Buck was in different class until that horrific leg break in a collision with a bloke called Death!
Well I was at the replay and I can't recall the formation we played but I've got a sneaking feeling Smith actually played up front, but not very well.
I remember Morike Sako going up for a free header with the freedom of the net to aim at from seemingly less than a yard out. Any normal-sized person would've been able to head it level, never mind down, and still get it in, Sako headed it well over though.
Going back to Graham Smith, I sometimes wonder how close he was he was to being included in Bob Stokoe's clear-out at the end of the 1967/68 season. When he came from Leeds he didn't play at rightback because Vic Cockcroft was first choice there and spent a few games alternating between central defence and midfield, neither of them terribly convincingly to be honest. It was only midway through the promotion campaign that he slotted in at rightback at the expense of Vince Radcliffe. Safe to say that he never looked back after that.
I'm not up to speed with current players but have the ' Dale ever had a better pair of full-back's than Smith and Ryder ? There have been a few better individual players over the years but has there been a better pairing ?
I'm not up to speed with current players but have the ' Dale ever had a better pair of full-back's than Smith and Ryder ? There have been a few better individual players over the years but has there been a better pairing ?
No
' I started out with nothing and i still got most of it left'
Smith and Ryder were solid consistent full backs but for me the best pairing we had were Wayne Evans who played over 250 games for us and Lee Todd who played 50 times in the early 00s.
Smith and Ryder were solid consistent full backs but for me the best pairing we had were Wayne Evans who played over 250 games for us and Lee Todd who played 50 times in the early 00s.
I'm not up to speed with current players but have the ' Dale ever had a better pair of full-back's than Smith and Ryder ? There have been a few better individual players over the years but has there been a better pairing ?
Before Vince Radcliffe got injured, his pairing with Ryder was very good, but from a perspective of continuity and longevity Smith and Ryder probably was better. The names still trip of the tongue without thinking.
Before Vince Radcliffe got injured, his pairing with Ryder was very good, but from a perspective of continuity and longevity Smith and Ryder probably was better. The names still trip of the tongue without thinking.
Yeah I liked Radcliffe. My girlfriend at the time worked with his wife in the office at TBA so I got to know him socially, very pleasant unassuming bloke. I don't really know what he did wrong to get left out in the first place.
He stood in for Joe Ash and Colin Parry a few times in the centre of defence at the business end of the season and did nothing wrong.
I was surprised to see him being let go so we could sign that young centre half from Liverpool who did nothing and was released the next season.
He was the one who told me Tony Buck was signing for the club before it was announced.
Peter ward at Palace. Camps had one a few years back when we had to beat Mk Dons to have a chance of still getting in the play offs - virtual open net from around 6 yards and he scuffed it wide. O'Grady at bury has already been mentioned but if you watch closely Efe Sodje cleverly fouls his standing leg as he shoots.
Its a BRILLIANT goal to cap a BRILLIANT start by Rochdale - Don Goodman 26/08/10
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