Dale picked up a victory in the opening friendly back in Blighty after a goal from trialist Gomez secured the win against Radcliffe Boro.

The game was standard pre-season fare on the whole but as pre-season games go, this will not have gone down well with manager Keith Hill. For the game brought with it an injury blow to defender Rory McArdle who suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder early in the game which will have put a huge dampener on preparations for Port Vale.

Injuries have already caused headaches to Hill, who has seen Ciaran Toner and Jon Shaw pick up knocks in pre-season but the McArdle injury will be seen as the biggest blow of the lot.

Apart from those injured, the game gave the entire squad a run out, including Flicker who is no doubt given fresh vigour from his Gillingham cameo at the end of last season, and also allowing a controlling element as the players find their feet for the 2009-10 season. Conspicuous by his absence was Clark Keltie who was transfer listed at the end of 2008-9. Have we seen the last of him?

The game itself was settled midway through the first half when trialist Gomez netted following a knock down by Alfie, and the lead could have been extended during the second half, but Kallum Higginbotham saw his penalty saved by keeper Phil Priestley who once played for Dale when Kallum was just nine years old.

First half: Edwards, Brizell, Dawson, McArdle, T Kennedy, Thompson, Flitcroft, Byrne, Woolfe, Le Fondre, Gomez.

Second half: Edwards, Wiseman, Dawson, Stanton, Holness, Buckley, G Jones, J Kennedy, Rundle, Higginbotham, Dagnall

Photo: Action Images

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