Robbie Stockdale frustrated as ‘sloppy goals’ cost Rochdale

Posted Wednesday, November 24, 2021 by PA

Rochdale boss Robbie Stockdale was left to rue two sloppy goals but found it difficult to criticise his side’s performance in the 2-2 draw against Stevenage.

Dale dominated the first half and led twice only to be pegged back by Elliott List levellers on both occasions.

“If I look at the critical aspect of our game, the two goals we conceded were poor goals, I don’t think they had to work particularly hard for them. And that’s it – I thought the rest of the game, we were very good,” said Stockdale.

“We created several clear-cut chances, we had 26 attempts on goal and enough chances to win two or three games. Unfortunately we weren’t quite clinical enough to do it but, while I can be critical of the players a lot of the time, in main they were very good on the night.

“Stevenage were coming off the pitch, shaking our hands and saying how the heck did they get a draw out of it.

“It’s one of those really frustrating nights where you dominate every aspect of the game but we don’t get what we deserve. I tell the players you usually get what you deserve, but if you concede two sloppy goals you leave yourselves a mountain to climb – but we certainly had the opportunity to win it.”

Dale were fast out of the traps, scoring after five minutes when Jake Beesley swept home after Corey O’Keeffe flicked Liam Kelly’s corner into the mix.

The home side bossed the game but were undone in the 27th minute when Elliot Osborne sent List clear and he fired home.

Dale’s dominance continued and they were back in front on 35 minutes when O’Keeffe’s centre was poked home by Josh Andrews at the second attempt.

List levelled again two minutes into the second half, racing onto Jake Reeves’ pass and taking the ball round Jay Lynch before slotting home.

Dale had the better chances thereafter, Smith saving well from Andrews and O’Keeffe wasting a great chance, but Stevenage also had chances to win it.

Stevenage caretaker manager Robbie O’Keefe said: “In the first half I thought I got the shape of the team wrong, that was apparent in the first 20 minutes. We changed to a (back) four from a three for the second half and that solved the problem we’d had in wide areas in terms of them getting crosses in and also allowed us to get a higher press up the pitch.

“We weren’t great in the first half but we showed real resilience to stay in the game, real character, because it could easily have ebbed away from us.

“I can’t speak highly enough of the whole team. At the end, with the chances that we had, I thought we were going to nick it – we looked the more likely to nick it in the last 15 minutes.”