Rochdale 2 – Stevenage 4

Saturday left a feeling of what might have been. If Dale`s defenders had realised that marking means getting and staying close enough to a player that you can stop them turning then the result might have been different.

Sadly they decided to let Stevenage`s players pass the ball, turn around, all in their own good time you understand, aim their shot, taking their time, picking their spot and bang! Another goal down.

It might just have been my viewpoint, but I thought I saw Craig Reid smoking a cigar in the time between trapping the ball, and shooting to make it 0-1.

It was more of the same for 2-1. Laurie Wilson started with his back to goal and turned with all the agility of an aircraft carrier in a canal, yet still he had no defender within 5 yards of him as he shot for goal. Kean parried the ball, but Dale`s defenders, in a clearly charitable mood, just stood and watched as Chris Beardsley ran towards the loose ball and lifted over Kean`s despairing dive.

Beardsley`s second was a great finish, but no such quality was needed for Stevenage`s 4th as the Rochdale defence, obviously stung that they hadn`t moved for the previous goals, all ran into each other at speed, leaving the ball to bounce off them and into the net.

It wasn`t all bad though. Going forward Rochdale at last looked like they had bite. Jones was calmness personified as he volleyed home Dale`s first. New signing David Ball showed the sort of class and finishing to make it 2-4 that all teams need from their strikers. The signs are that if he`s given chances he`ll score goals.

Sadly they`ll be totally in vain if the defence doesn`t tighten up. The image of the back 4 all looking at each other baffled as they went 1-0 down summed up the afternoon. With a 19 year old behind them, and Eyre playing musical centre halves with his selection, there was a real lack of leadership.

The midfield didn`t help either. Too often the back 4 were left exposed to midfield runners. It begs the question: with Jones so dangerous going forward, does Eyre really need to play 3 out and out strikers as well?

There are positives to take from Saturday, but with attack sorted, the serious work of sorting out of the defence needs to start now.