Rochdale progress at Carlisle’s expense

Posted Wednesday, August 28, 2019 by PA

Rochdale resisted a late comeback from Carlisle to secure a 2-1 Carabao Cup second round victory

The home side opened the scoring in spectacular fashion in the 11th minute when Aaron Morley gathered the ball in space 25 yards from goal and sent a wonderfully measured curling shot against the inside of Adam Collin’s post and into the net.

Morley was involved minutes later with a floated pass into Callum Camps which the midfielder in turn fed to Matty Done, who pulled his left-footed effort wide of the post.

Done scored the League One side’s second goal on the half hour, seizing on Byron Webster’s air kick and racing through unmarked and drawing Collin off his line before applying a clinical finish.

After the break, Morley and Dooley were narrowly off target with curling efforts from the edge of the area while Ollie Rathbone saw a 20-yard drive charged down.

The visitors grabbed a lifeline in the 70th minute when substitute Harry McKirdy raced through the Dale defence and was upended by Eoghan O’Connell. Jack Bridge hammered the resulting spot-kick down the middle of Robert Sanchez’s goal.

The League Two visitors then had what appeared a stonewall penalty turned away when Jimmy Keohane blocked McKirdy’s cross with his arm.