Rochdale held by Harrogate on Football League farewell

By Sports Desk May 08, 2023

Rochdale ended 102 years as a Football League club with a 1-1 draw at Harrogate.

A Jimmy Keohane effort midway through the first half had given the already-relegated visitors hope that they might sign off with a fourth win in eight games.

But Toby Sims earned the Sulphurites a share of the spoils with his first goal in the English pro game, following a January move from US second-tier outfit the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

Rochdale had earlier started the game with a confidence that belied their position propping up the entire EFL and took a deserved lead, courtesy of a well-crafted goal.

Veteran striker Ian Henderson was the instigator, showing nimble footwork in the middle of the pitch before releasing Tyrese Sinclair through the right channel. Sinclair’s square pass then saw Keohane beat home keeper Mark Oxley from eight yards.

At the other end, on-loan Southampton winger Kazeem Olaigbe squandered the hosts’ best first-half chance, wastefully missing the target after being sent clear on goal by Sam Folarin.

After the break, a deflected Henderson effort bounced off the top of the bar while Folarin also grazed an upright before Sims levelled in the 74th minute.

The 25-year-old right-back found the net with a six-yard sidefooted volley after being picked out at the far post by Olaigbe’s cross from the left byline.

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    Grant McCann was a proud man after Doncaster won 4-1 at Colchester to register a 10th straight victory and move into the play-off places.

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    Tom Anderson netted a third in the 76th minute at the near post from Hakeeb Adelakun’s pass, and Joe Ironside sealed victory when he converted after Sam Hornby had tipped James Maxwell’s shot onto a post.

    A point on the final day against Gillingham will seal a play-off spot regardless of results elsewhere and McCann said: “I’m really proud.

    “Obviously conceding early wasn’t ideal for us but the response was outstanding.

    “We scored two very good goals, the first one from Mols (Molyneux) and the second one was another very good goal and something we knew could help us in the game, Biggo’s (Biggins) runs from the centre circle in between the posts after good play by Mols.

    “In the first half, we were a little bit edgy and it was a little bit even Steven in the game.

    “But in the second half, we were really comfortable and scored another couple of really good goals.

    “We always play for more goals; we never sit tight and take what we’ve got – that’s just the way we like to go about things.

    “We came up against a team that’s obviously down the wrong end of the table and we knew it was going to be tough.”

    Fevrier had Colchester on track to secure survival but they go into Saturday’s final game just three points above the drop zone, with their goal difference superior by four over Sutton.

    Colchester boss Danny Cowley said: “It was a tough night for us.

    “We have the ability to self-harm, to self-destruct, in a game where we let four terrible goals in.

    “For 75 minutes, it was 2-1 and they’ve had three shots at goal, two from 30 yards, and somehow they’re winning the game.

    “We were 2-1 down at half-time where we felt we shouldn’t have been, as we’d done a lot right.

    “We were in total ascendency and they don’t even want to score any more goals, they want to hang onto what they’ve got and we gift them another two goals.

    “I’ve just looked back at the goals and they’re very hard to defend.

    “We actually played well box to box but you can’t say you’ve played well when we’ve conceded the goals that we have.

    “It’s a damaging night and I’m really angry. We just did the basics so poorly.”

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