Bury 1 Rochdale 0 (From Bury Times)

Bury 1 Rochdale 0

11:52pm Monday 1st February 2010

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(1)

WHEN Shakers manager Alan Knill labels a display as the best he has seen from his team in his two years at Gigg Lane, you know it is something special.

The Bury boss has overseen some fantastic victories since sweeping into power but few have given him more satisfaction than this latest defeat of neighbours Rochdale.

Ryan Lowe's 77th minute winner was enough to inflict defeat on the Spotland outfit for the first time since November 14 and prove once and for all that Bury are in this latest promotion race for the duration.

They stood toe-to-toe with their neighbours and put the brake on the runaway leaders with a committed display that was a joy to watch.

“This win feels especially sweet because Rochdale are top of the league and we went into the game as underdogs,” said Knill. “But I think we showed that if we play to our full capability we are a match for anybody in this league.

“I think that is the best performance I have seen in two years here as manager - everything we asked for and worked on the players did.

“If somebody missed a tackle or header there was someone else there to back them up. It was brilliant but, as a manager, I am always cautious and we have to take it on in Saturday's game now.”

The three points lifted Bury back into the automatic promotion places and stretched their unbeaten record to just two defeats in 20 matches.

It was a blood and thunder clash with neither side willing to give an inch and the outcome was decided in one mad second half minute.

First Efe Sodje's fantastic late block prevented Chris O'Grady from slotting into an empty net from two yards out before Lowe showed him how it is done with a sublime finish at the other end.

The difference between winning and losing can be decided on these small margins and Bury will be thankful to both Sodje and Lowe for showing the nerve that secured a valuable three points.

Defences were very much on top for large parts of the game with Ben Futcher, in particular, outstanding at the heart of the Bury backline.

Shakers striker Andy Morrell gave an early glimpse of his capabilities in the penalty area when he fired wide after Brian Barry-Murphy's free-kick had been blocked by the Rochdale wall.

And Morrell was at it again in the 21st minute when he played a clever pass to Stephen Dawson, but the midfielder saw his stinging shot from eight yards out parried by visiting keeper Frank Fielding.

The visitors were offering very little in the final third and O'Grady had their only real opportunity of the first half when he blazed over after spinning his marker.

Bolton Wanderers youngster Tope Obadeyi was summoned from the bench by Keith Hill's men ten minutes into the second half and he was proving a threat down the flanks with his direct and powerful runs.

Rochdale started to up the tempo in the final 20 minutes and former Radcliffe Borough starlet Craig Dawson tested Wayne Brown with a header before Chris Dagnall was stopped in his tracks by David Buchanan and Ben Futcher.

At the other end, David Worrall brought a save out of Fielding before O'Grady's candidate for miss of the season.

Buchanan's slip let in Obadeyi and his cross was tailor made for the Rochdale striker to stroke home from two yards - but he amazingly made a complete hash of his effort under pressure from Sodje.

And that miss proved ever so costly as Lowe capitalised on Michael Jones' deflected pass to clinically slot home his 11th goal of the season with just 13 minutes remaining.

Morrell and Jones could have made the game safe in injury time but Bury's icing on the cake came when talismanic striker Andy Bishop made a surprise return from injury off the substitutes bench to replace goalscorer Lowe.

The town of Bury should be proud of their football team after this particular result. Let's hope there is plenty more to celebrate in May.

BURY: Brown 7, Scott 7, Futcher 8, Sodje 8 (Cresswell 6, 87), Buchanan 7, Worrall 8 (Baker 90), Barry-Murphy 8, Dawson 8, Jones 7, Morrell 7, Lowe 8 (Bishop 90). Subs not used: Racchi, Allen, Belford, Newey.

ROCHDALE: Fielding 7, Wiseman 7, Kennedy 8, Stanton 8, Dawson 7, Kennedy 8, Taylor 7, Atkinson 7 (Howarth 6, 81), Thompson 6 (Obadeyi 7, 55), O'Grady 7 (Higginbotham 6, 81), Dagnall 7. Subs not used: Arthur, Flynn, McCardle, Jones.

Attendance: 6, 528 (1996 Rochdale fans)

Referee: Mr Andy Penn (West Midlands)

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(1)