Sloppy shakers slump to 'embarrassing' derby defeat: Rochdale 3 Bury 0 (From Bury Times)

Sloppy shakers slump to 'embarrassing' derby defeat: Rochdale 3 Bury 0

10:00am Monday 30th January 2012 in Bury FC & Sport By Nick Jackson

BURY goalkeeper Cameron Belford described the Shakers’ second defeat of the campaign to their closest derby rivals as “embarrassing”.

Belford was singled out by manager Richie Barker as the only Bury player to emerge from a dismal showing with any credit, but the keeper took no pleasure in the plaudits, saying: “I’d rather make no saves at all and watch us win 1-0.”

Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro got a deserved opener for the hosts after only 15 minutes in front of newly-installed Dale manager John Coleman.

Bury old boy and man-of-the-match Nicky Adams provided the perfect cross from which the excellent Gary Jones headed what looked like a certain goal. Belford clawed the ball off the line, but Akpa Akpro was there to turn in the loose ball.

The home side doubled their lead five minutes before the interval when Adams’ partially blocked shot fell to Ashley Grimes who grabbed his first goal for Rochdale since October 1.

Adams was the architect again as the Bury back line took more of a beating 10 minutes after the restart, cutting the ball back from the left by-line for Grimes to hammer home from close range again.

If it had not been for Belford, Coleman’s side – who had already beaten Bury 4-2 at Gigg Lane earlier in the season – might have racked up a cricket score.

He was at full stretch with the game only 60 seconds old to prevent Akpa Apro’s shot flying into the top corner.

And he saved Efe Sodje’s blushes in the 31st minute when the veteran defender was dispossessed by Grimes in his own penalty area before Belford diverted his shot just past the post. The 23-year-old was also at full stretch to prevent Dale substitute Andrew Tutte making it 4-0 with 20 minutes remaing.

“For me it was an embarrassing result,” said Belford.

“To be out there and for us to be that far off our game was hard to stomach. It hurts the players just as much as the fans, trust me.

“The lads know themselves that we didn’t turn up.

“That’s twice now we’ve not turned up against Rochdale.

“The strange thing is, we knew they were going to come out of the traps like they did because they’ve got a new gaffer and they would be going all out to impress him.”

Manager Richie Barker echoed his keeper’s sentiments when he said: “It wasn’t an acceptable performance.

“As a football team, Rochdale out-worked us. We are a good side, but in terms of workrate we were absolutely miles off.

“I told them before the game it was going to be based around hard work and desire.

“They’ve appointed a new manager, and that has lifted the whole place and the players.

“They were going to rat us, pour forward and get balls into our box, and that’s exactly what they did, but we didn’t match them.

“We probably won 10 per cent of our headers and 10 tackles, and you can’t do that in a local derby and expect to get anything.”

ROCHDALE: Kurucz 7, Darby 7, Long 7, Amankwaah 7, Widdowson 7, Adams 9 (Ormerod 6), Kennedy 7, Barry-Murphy 7, Jones 8, Apka Akpro 8, Grimes 8 (Tutte 6).

Subs not used: Thompson, Holden, Lucas.

BURY: Belford 8, Picken 6, Sodje 6, Eastham 6 Skarz 6, Schumacher 6 (Carrington 6), Sweeney 6 (John-Lewis 6) Coke 6, Amoo 6 Bishop 6, Worrall 6 (Doble 6).

Subs not used: Hughes, Williams.

Referee: S Mathieson.

Attendance: 5,033.