They still blame us
By Nathan Jackson
October 28 2005
Saturday sees the Imps travelled to Spotland where the home club still blame us for them not winning promotion. Despite Rochdale making the playoffs in 2001/2, they blame 2 draws against Lincoln for them not winning promotion but they're well on their way to ending their 32 year stint in this league
It says it all about Lincoln, we played fairly well against a very very very average Wycombe side, take a deserved lead and two Marriott mistakes later give Wycombe a 2-1 win, despite them not having a single clear cut chance of goal in the whole game, so in other words, we're going in the right direction, before the ball gets near our area and then we're screwed.
This Saturday sees us face the least successful side in the whole football league, Rochdale AFC, who are currently in the middle of their 32nd consecutive year in the 4th tier of English football. City have had a recent good history against Rochdale until last season's 3-1 defeat at Spotland.
Birch and McCombe are still definatly out. Mayo is still out for no other reason than he is crap, Steve Robinson won't be anywhere near the starting line-up because Keith doesn't want to play players who can play well and other than that. Infact, it'll almost guaranteed be the side that started against Wycombe last week. Although Marvin Robinson willl more than likely sit out for having the nerve to score a goal last Saturday, something that Keith doesn't like our strikers to do.
Who I think will start (Right to left)
Marriott
Beevers Cryan Morgan McAuley
Kerr Butcher Brown Keates
M/Robinson Asamoah
Rochdale, the club who mysteriously blame us for them not winning promotion in the 2001/2 season (it may just have been me, but it was their fault they lost 4-3 on aggregate to Rushden in the playoffs) and since then, they have generally not had it easy. Paul Simpson took them to lower-midtable mediocrity in the 2002/3 before Steve Parkin saved them from relegation the following season before turning them into potential playoff-throwaways last season.
This season, Rochdale have started well and currently sit in a promotion position after 8 wins in the league so far. They opened their season with a 1-0 win at Shrewsbury, however, Wycombe visited Spotland a few days later and the current league leaders returned to Buckinghamshire with all 3 points after a 2-1 win. Cheltenham were the next team to visit Spotland and they took a point after a 1-1 draw.
However, Rochdale showed their promotion credentials by thrashing Leyton Orient 4-1 at Brisbane Road. However, this was followed by a 5-0 defeat at home to Bradford in the League Cup. Just over 2,600 turned up for their local derby with Macclesfield a few days later and the majority went home happy after a 3-1 win for the Dale. However, 2 days later, they travelled to Darlington and went home with nothing after a 2-1 defeat.
Little over 2,000 saw them thrash Torquay 4-1 at Spotland before they lost 3-2 in front of yet another small crowd at Boston. A 2-0 win over struggling Mansfield was followed up with a disappointing draw away at struggling Barnet before another defeat at Spotland, this time to Oxford by a 1-0 scoreline. However, a 2-1 win at home to Rushden a few days later sparked a 4 game winning run. It was followed by a topsy-turvy match at Chester which they eventually won 3-2 before beating collapsing Notts County 3-0 at Spotland. 3 days later saw them progress in the LDV Vans with a 3-1 home win over local rivals, Stockport. However, last Saturday saw them lose 3-1 at Peterborough, something that saw the players in for Sunday training.
As stated earlier, City have enjoyed recent success over Rochdale. The start of this good fortune was the game when Rochdale started to blame Lincoln for Rochdale's failure to get promotion (only 6 short months before the season ended and they made the playoffs). Richard Jobson gave Rochdale a lead just before half time at Spotland in November 2001, Durkan doubled the advantage from a deflected free kick. It looked to be headed for a 2-0 win for Rochdale before Tony Battersby pulled one back in the 89th minute and then, in the 3rd minute of injury time, Battersby popped up again to grab the Imps a very unlikely point.
The return game at Sincil Bank was billed as possibly the last ever league game at Sincil Bank, City faced going out of existence after going into administration. However, Lee Thorpe did give the Imps' some joy just before half time when he smashed home from close range. Mark "would miss an open goal from 2 yards" Camm then ran one on one with the keeper but his shot went narrowly wide and this was the imputuse for Paul Simpson to equalise for Dale.
Ironically, Rochdale were the first of City's opponents at Sincil Bank in the "new era" and the game produced arguably the best goal seen at Sincil Bank under Keith's reign. In the 79th minute, Yeo broke free before running to the corner of the area and smashing the ball towards goal. The ball had a mental swerve and hit the back post and settle in the back of the net. Dene Cropper doubled City's advantage just before the end with his first (of only 3) goals for the club.
City went to Rochdale in a rearranged game in January and dominated the game but only went away with a 1-0 win. It appeared to be heading for 0-0 but Futcher popped up 7 minutes from time when Bimson's looping header was headed goalwards by Futcher to give the Imps a deserved win.
There was a sense of deja vu about Rochdale's visit to Sincil Bank in 2003/4 when Mikael Antoine Courier made his debut for Rochdale, just a week after debuting for Kidderminster, which also came against Lincoln. He even gave Dale a very undeserved lead when he smashed a ball at Marriott who was left with an easy catch but decided to elbow the ball into the net. Marcus Richardson equalised just before half time.
The return game at Spotland in April showed exactly what City were about that season. Futcher had a goal disallowed in the first half before Gary Fletcher pounced just after half time when he responding quickly to Kevin Ellison's header. Simon Yeo doubled the advantage 9 minutes later when he sledgehammered a shot into the net and just 47 seconds later, Yeo broke through again before the ball found its way to Fletcher who was left with a simple tap in and thus followed a mass exedus from Rochdale fans.
Last season saw the end of City's luck. The Imps against controlled the game at Sincil Bank and took the lead in the first half through Matt Bloomer's clinical finish. City looked to be heading for a comfortable 1-0 win before a lapse in City's defence saw Clarke equalise with Rochdale's only realistic chance on target.
Rochdale dominated the return game at Spotland despite playing for more than half the game with 10 men. Grant Holt gave Rochdale a 6th minute lead from close range before City won a penalty just before the 20 minute mark when Ernie Cooksey handled a goalbound effort on the line, he was sent off and Yeo tucked away the penalty. However, comical defending from City re-gave Rochdale the lead when Heald was left with a simple tap past Marriott and more suspect defending gave them a 3rd when Goodall had a brilliant chance to simply slide the ball into the unguarded net from close range.