| This match had everything that is great about supporting Dale, especially with Steve Parkin at the helm. Dale strolled to a victory to such an extent that Parkin was able to rest players in the second half, by introducing a couple of substitutions. This was Dale's biggest win under Steve Parkin, and you always had the feeling that it could have been more. It was as one sided a match as you could get, and it leaves Dale very comfortably in second position three points clear of their nearest rivals.
Roared on by a very vocal travelling support, Dale took to the excellent playing surface, reverting to the traditional 4-4-2 after last week's flirtation with three centre halves. That meant that Simon Coleman had to make do with a spot on the bench, and there was a recall for winger Phil Hadland.
The game began fairly evenly, with neither side really stamping their authority on the match. Shrewsbury had a couple of chances which went so wide they were threatening to be throw ins. Neither of them would have even worried Neil Edwards, who looked very confident today.
However Dale took the lead, as they have done in every away match this season, after about a quarter of an hour, in a very well worked move from our striking partners. Clive Platt won the ball through determination and went to the right hand touchline in the Shrewsbury penalty box, beating a defender in the process. He cut the ball back to Tony Ellis who turned and fired the ball with ease past the despairing Dunbavin in the Shrews goal.
If you expected Kevin Ratcliffe's Shrewsbury to fight their way into the match you would be very disappointed, as they offered very little in response. Winger Sam Aiston, who has been in fine form this season, could do little on either wing, and found himself outclassed by full backs Evans and Todd. In the whole of the first half, they had only two real chances. One which went straight at Neil Edwards, and the other which went over the bar from a cleared ball from a corner.
Many Dale fans were hoping that the second half would have matched the first. But for the second match on the trot, Dale produced a vastly different performance. However, this time, Dale stepped up a gear and were even better in the second half than they were in the first. Shrewsbury were always going to be defeated, and it quickly became a job of damage limitation as they worried about how many goals they would lose by, as they home fans poured out of the ground with a long time remaining in the game.
The game was put of Shrewsbury reach ten minutes into the second half, when Clive Platt got his sixth goal of the season, and he did well to do so. The goal came about following a deflected to drive towards the Shrews goal. Despite a poor first touch, Plattini recovered and fired home to send the away support at that end mental.
If that wasn't enough, within a very short space of time, Dale had scored their third and fourth goals of the game. Both goals came from corners on the right hand side. The first saw Mark Monington grab his third goal in three matches, when he arrived late at the back post to head home with ease. The fourth saw Dave Bayliss produce a bullet header to send the ball into the top corner to make it four goals for Dale at Gay Meadow for the second season in succession.
The rest of the game saw Dale knock the ball about for fun, and manager Steve Parkin realised that there was no point risking further injuries, and he withdrew Platt, Hadland and Ware. Loan signing from bury Lee Buggie came on and looked very lively and caused one or two minor headaches for the home defence.
This result was a very much deserved, and brought back chants of "Going Up" to the terraces, just as they did at Gay Meadow back in April. This time, it looks like it might just come true if we can repeat this performance a few more times.
Dale man of the match: Gary Jones. Ran the show yet again in midfield and is looking an even better player than he did last season. The Shrews could not cope with his running, tackling or passing.
Ref : Trevor Parkes (Birmingham) Did alright. Perhaps should have given two penalties (or at least indirect free kicks) to Dale for a couple of deliberate obstructions by the home side. Perhaps he felt pity for them. Other than that, he was fairly anonymous.
Attendance : 3,427
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