That’s why when he see that heart breaking goal go in against us at the end of a game that sends us all home miserable and depressed, we come back again to be a part of a day we will never forget and in years to come here on the TFF, we will proudly say I was there that day, the day when we might have expected to get turned over by the league leaders, only we turned them over.
Today football turned around and said to me how dare you say you have fallen out of love with me and it’s a long time since I got back home and bust into such emotion tears that made Carol give me one of those” you silly fool “looks, but I was really moved emotionally today and this Saturday at Plainmoor for all the right reasons.
I arrived near the ground at 1.45pm and the first job to do was drop of Andy’s picture at his parent’s house, job done and I knew this was one of those big days when I clapped my eyes on a game taking place beside the swimming pool between both sets of fans and being watched by a good size crowd. Not sure how many were on each side, but mindful of what that moaner merse had to say about my pictures on last weeks match post I made, I thought he won’t be able to moan this week and so I was soon clicking away.
Instead of going into the ground I walked up the lane behind the main stand to get a feel how the Rochdale fans were feeling and I could not resist telling the Manchester policeman he had a funny hat on, well they are so different to the ones our boys wear. He took it in good fun and we had a few more laughs together before I walked back down the lane and into the ground.
Before the kick-off all I could hear were the Rochdale fans singing and I thought they would make more noise than us during the game, but how wrong I was as our fans sung their hearts out and got fully behind the team for the whole game.
To be honest it felt like I was in a dream during the game and I expected to wake up from it and find we were not winning by such a high score and I did feel like pinching myself to really make sure I really was awake.
What was amazing about today’s score was that we at times made the game so hard for ourselves, not holding onto the ball and giving it away so cheaply and at the beginning of the game we were camped in our own half and when we did play the ball over the halfway line up to Benyon, he always had his back to goal and either lost the ball far to easily, or played it backwards and gave it away, I was thinking what I would not give for a big strong target man up front, but boy did Benyon improve so much as the game wore on and he fully deserved his man of the match award.
I said before I went to the game we needed to work for the whole ninety minutes and try and take any chances we did get and it was clear our players were up for the fight and as the first half wore on we were getting so much more into it. The game was really turned on its head in a nine minute spell that saw us score three goals and I thought it was a shock to take the lead in the first place, whoever would have bet on us going in at halftime three nil up.
So the game kicked off and Ellis who had a fine game again nearly gifted Rochdale a very early goal as he headed a very weak back pass to Bevan that saw a Rochdale forward get to the ball first and shoot first time and Bevan did well to beat the ball down as the shot was to powerful to hold onto the ball Rochdale were playing really neat passing football and had one shot just wide of the post and after that we gave the ball away again to Jones who hit a good shot from the edge of the box, but it was always bending wide of the right hand post.
Up the other end and we were relying on what Nico could offer us and one throw in he look around the 12 minute mark fell to Rendell who got the ball back to Wroe on the edge of the box, only it would not sit right for him to shoot and the Rochdale defence were able to clear the ball away from danger.
At this stage Benyon was still giving the ball away and he made a poor pass that was cut out and a long ball was sent over the top of our defence to Joe Thompson who was inside the right hand side of our box and he tried to loop the ball over Bevan from there and only managed to get the ball over the crossbar.
We were still creating the odd chance and Zebs went on good rum and fed the ball to Nico who picked out Rendell in the Rochdale box, but he could not make a good contact with the ball and it went tamely to the keeper. A few minutes later and Zebs ran across the edge of the box trying to make space for a shot, he took one that got blocked and looped up in the air toward the goal and up rose Rendell to head at goal and force a good save from the Rochdale keeper.
On 27 minute we were enjoying a bit of pressure around the Rochdale box, shots were going in and getting blocked and the ball kept coming back to us, it came to Zebs who was forced to turn onto his weaker left foot to shoot and the shot had no power in it, but the ball found its way to Rendell to toe poke it past the keeper and into the net for a surprise lead.
Nico proved why he must start games when he sent in a wonderful cross to pick out Benyon in the box, I though Benyon had climbed on the back of the Rochdale defender to get above him and head the ball into the net and I was pleased yet surprised the ref did not blow up for a foul and disallow the goal.
We then won a free kick just outside the box, Nico sent the ball in and it was curling in at the far post and a Rochdale defender did well to hook the ball up in the air and out for a corner, Nico ran over that side of the pitch to take it and Ellis got in a good goal bound header and I thought he had scored, but I see Benyon was on the goal line to get the final touch.
Benyon could have made it four before half time after Muzzy went on a run and rolled the ball into the box, Benyon hit a right foot shot just wide of the post. Rochdale had two more chances just before the brake , one was a shot that went over the bar by Gary Jones and the second was another powerful shot that Bevan had to beat out again with his hands, the ball was fired back at goal again with so much power, that when Ellis managed to get his head in the way, it almost took his head off.
So three nil up and I was expecting to see a really fired up Rochdale come out for the second half and maybe get back into the game, they had to wait some time out on the pitch before our boys decided to come and join them.
We did find ourselves under some pressure but Benyon was now proving a real handful for the Rochdale defence with his runs and when high balls were played up toward him, the Rochdale defenders were more worried about Benyon than trying to win the ball, Muzzy could have done better with a very slack pass played in the box by a Rochdale defender, Muzzy ran in and got the ball but his shot was high wide and handsome.
We started sitting a bit to deep and giving the ball away again and it kept coming back at us, but we seemed content to let Rochdale have the ball just inside our half, but made sure we got in tackles to win the ball back of them as they got closer to our goal.
Ellis then gave away a free kick, it was taken and resulted in a simple catch for Bevan who launched the ball up field and Benyon was going to get on the ball and it looked like he would be able to poke the ball past the advancing keeper who just look Benyon out for a clear penalty. Up steps Wroe who coolly sent the keeper the wrong way and put the ball into the left hand side of the net.
Bevan had slipped and fell when kicking the ball up the field just after this and it was no surprise that he had to go off and Poke took his place, now what a good second keeper to have to come off the bench.
Muzzy was really enjoying himself by now and went on a great run down the middle of the pitch and then got it all wrong when he took the shot that really was horrible, but he got plenty of applause for the great run.
Benyon was working hard and won a ball I thought was not there to be won, he played it out to Muzzy who then played the ball low into the box, it got blocked out and fell to Mansell who hit his shot just past the post.
Benyon deserved a hat trick and I think we all thought he was going to get one, he got to the ball once again before the advancing keeper, but could only toe poke the ball toward the goal, it had no real power in it and the ball was just gently rolling toward the goal line, just as you thought it was going to cross it, a Rochdale defender got there and hooked the ball off the line.
Then came goal number five and the best of the bunch for me, Nico close to the touchline on the halfway line with the ball at his feet, he looks up and makes everyone think he is going to play the ball inside, instead he plays it to Muzzy who just ran past two Rochdale defenders and into the box and smashed the ball with his right foot into the new giving the Rochdale keeper no chance at all.
Great game, great result and one that has made me forget all that has happened this week.
Merse if you ruin this week’s match day thread moaning about my pictures you’re banned. ;D
Rochdale Kit man
) winning is so important. We had the hardest of the lower league matches and stuffed Gracie Fields United 5 - 0 and in all fairness could have been seven or eight. 5 - 0 without Mo 
That didn't happen earlier this season and is the reason why we are where we are. 
