Tag Rochdale

NAN-S-6
Replay
London, Feb. 27, 2018 (Reuters/NAN) Rochdale will not treat Wednesday’s FA Cup fifth round replay against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley as a day out.

Their manager Keith Hill is busy formulating the perfect plan to stop Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

The third-tier strugglers, bottom of League One, earned a replay after a last-gasp 2-2 draw at Spotland Stadium and are the lowest-ranked club in the sixth-round draw.

Tottenham, fourth in the English Premier League after an unbeaten run stretching back to mid-December, are huge favourites at their adopted home.

They now seek to win the competition for the ninth time and first since 1991.

In spite of initial problems adapting to Wembley, Tottenham have beaten Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal there this season.

“It’s not a day out for us,” Hill said. “We’re trying to do what would be an impossible task, which is play at Tottenham’s home ground and win an FA Cup replay.

“We’re trying to come up with the perfect plan, which has got to be delivered perfectly by the players.

“We’ve seen Premier League opposition and UEFA Champions League opposition not being able to manage it.”

“But we’ve done our due diligence on Tottenham and we’ve just got to make sure that we focus on our own game plan and not get carried away by the occasion.”

Rochdale lost to Wigan Athletic at the weekend to stay bottom of League One and Hill wants his team to be brave.

“We’ll try and play them at a game of football. I will encourage my players to be creative but focused, with intelligent energy,” he said.

“It’s going to be a difficult game but an enjoyable opportunity and that’s what I want the players to see it as.

“They’re going to have to be brave, and if we’re brave and we get beaten by four, five or six goals, then it’s something that me, as a coach, will accept.

“If we’re not too brave, then I’ll find that very difficult to digest, because I want us to take Tottenham on.” (Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

NAN-S-7
Draw
London, Feb. 18, 2018 (Reuters/NAN) Rochdale’s Steve Davies fired home a stoppage time equaliser to earn the third-tier strugglers a deserved 2-2 draw in a cracking English FA Cup fifth round tie against Tottenham Hotspur.

It looked as though substitute Harry Kane’s late penalty kick on Sunday had put the English Premier League side into the quarter-finals.

But Davies, also on from the bench, pounced in the second minute of added time to spark joyous scenes at Spotland.

“To get a draw at the end of the day against a Premier League club – you can hear what it means to the fans, board and staff,” Henderson said as the fans chanted ‘Dale are going to Wembley…’ in anticipation of the replay at Tottenham’s temporary home.

“We can’t wait to go to Wembley. We always felt we had an opportunity, Stevo (Steven Davies) is an unbelievable finisher and we deserved that today.

“I’ve always dreamed of playing at Wembley and now I can say I’ve played there – if I’m fit and picked.’’

Rochdale, bottom of League One, had their barren pitch re-surfaced for the arrival of Spurs who are bidding to win the FA Cup for the first time since 1991.

And Keith Hill’s men made a mockery of the 63 places separating the sides as they used the lush green surface to great effect to match a superior Tottenham Hotspur side.

The north London club line-up was however much changed from the one that drew 2-2 with Juventus in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

Tottenham’s team still brimmed with internationals, with Toby Alderweireld, Danny Rose, Kieran Trippier and Harry Winks all involved.

Spanish striker Fernando Llorente was upfront in place of the rested Kane.

Alderweireld was a touch fortunate to get away with a handball after slipping in the area and Henderson had a great chance but saw his shot saved by Michel Vorm.

Rochdale continued to play with style and Henderson opened the scoring in the 45th minute.

That was when Andrew Cannon played a dangerous ball onto the box and the skipper fired first-time into the corner.

Tottenham increased their intensity in the second half and levelled when Moussa Sissoko found space and threaded the perfect pass to Brazilian Moura who finished superbly.

Rochdale were ticking down the minutes after that as Tottenham sent in the cavalry with Kane.

The England forward had made his professional league debut in January 2011 at Spotland while on loan at Leyton Orient.

Dele Alli and Erik Lamela were also all released off the bench to try and force a win.

They defended valiantly, making last-ditch stops and goal line clearances.

But when Alli was taken down in the area and Kane drilled low into the corner with his 89th-minute spot kick, it looked like being a hard-luck story.

There was a final twist, though, as Matt Done swung in a cross from the left.

When the ball glanced off Alderweireld, it fell to Davies who took a touch before shooting home.

Eight-times winners Tottenham, who also needed a replay against fourth-tier Newport in the fourth round, could have few complaints at not finishing the tie.

“The FA Cup is magic. We have another opportunity at Wembley, the same situation like before,” Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said.

“It’s not easy to play this type of game. Of course we wanted to win but we have the possibility to win.

“We have all the squad fit and it will be another game to provide players with the chance to compete on Wembley and we have the possibility to reach the quarter-finals.”

The winners will face either Swansea City or Sheffield Wednesday in the quarter-finals. (Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)