Wealdstone 1 – 3 Rochdale

Man of the Match

Alfie Massey

Sponsor: Clear Insurance Management

Dale moved to the top of the National League table with a 3-1 win at Wealdstone on Saturday afternoon.

Aidan Barlow and Devante Rodney sent Dale into the break two goals ahead, with Mani Dieseruvwe added a third less than a minute after half-time.

The hosts pulled one back late on, but Jimmy McNulty’s men comfortably saw the game out for a fifth win in six league games.

There was one change from the team that started Bank Holiday Monday’s win over Sutton United, with Tarryn Allarakhia coming in for the injured Joe Pritchard.

Dale began the game strongly and forced Stones stopper Dante Baptiste into a fine save inside two minutes, when he denied Rodney’s powerful effort after Mani Dieseruvwe’s lay off.

However, he could do nothing to prevent Barlow from opening his account for the campaign a minute later. Rodney did superbly on the left to beat his man and drive into the area before pulling the ball back for Barlow, who curled an effort into the far top corner.

The goal scorer continued to find dangerous positions in the Wealdstone area, seeing a shot blocked and poking another effort inches wide after being found by Rodney’s through ball.

Despite Dale’s early dominance, the hosts responded well, with only a reaction save from Oli Whatmuff to deny Omar Mussa’s close-range effort preventing them from equalising.

Rodney had a shot deflected into the arms of the goalkeeper, and a curling effort from Allarakhia was well blocked by the head of Jack Cook.

A Wealdstone free kick in a dangerous position was sent wide by Nathan Tshikuna, before Dale doubled the advantage five minutes before the break.

After a spell of Dale pressure was partially rebuffed, Harvey Gilmour kept the move alive and found Rodney. He turned his man and hit an effort with his left foot that found the far corner via a slight deflection to give Jimmy McNulty’s men a 2-0 half-time lead.

Within a minute of the restart, Dale all but made the three points a certainty with a third. Tobi Adebayo-Rowling had a cross well defended away, but Kyron Gordon was able to send another delivery across. This time, it was met by the head of Dieseruvwe, who stooped to power home his fifth of the season.

Former Wealdstone man Allarakhia had a good chance to make it four after being found by Rodney’s back heel, but he pulled his shot wide of the near post.

Whatmuff held a dipping shot from Mussa as the hosts continued to seek a way back into the game, and with 14 minutes remaining, Alfie Massey’s deflected shot, which found the back of the net, gave them a glimmer of hope.

Dieseruvwe came close to restoring the three-goal cushion, but his effort was deflected wide after good work from substitute Levi Amantchi down the left.

From the resulting corner, Kyron Gordon had a goalbound header cleared away from danger, with the hosts breaking and seeing a shot blocked on the line by a recovering Sam Beckwith.

Whatmuff was called into action for a final save in added time, holding Enzio Boldweijn’s curling shot, as Dale held on for their first ever points at Wealdstone.

Wealdstone XI | Baptiste, Cook ©, Georgiou (80’ Hassan), Mussa (70’ Kadji), Woodman, Boldewijn, Obiero (64’ Nkrumah), Chinedu, Hutchinson (64’ Adarkwa), Tshikuna, Massey.

Unused subs | Diarra, Tiensia, Covolan.

Scorers | 75’ Massey.

Dale XI | Whatmuff, Gordon, East, Ebanks-Landell ©, Allarakhia (69’ Moss), Gilmour (77’ Pettit), Dieseruvwe (88’ Tutonda), Rodney (77’ Amantchi), Adebayo-Rowling, Barlow (46’ McBride), Beckwith.

Unused subs | Gomez-Mancini, Humbles.

Scorers | 3’ Barlow, 40’ Rodney, 46’ Dieseruvwe.

Attendance | 1,365 (no away figure given).

Rochdale AFC Website 

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