Latics lack derby guile

EARLY ADVANTAGE . . . Aaron Amadi-Holloway puts Athletic in front

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Athletic 2, Rochdale 3

IT STUNG that bit more because it was Rochdale.

And though Athletic can point to ill-fortune here — a perfectly good goal given offside and a debatable penalty for Rochdale — John Sheridan will know his side simply wasn’t quite as smart as Rochdale on the day.

It shouldn’t really come as too much of a surprise that a side now third-bottom of Sky Bet League One should exhibit flaws that have proven costly all season.

While Keith Hill’s well-drilled charges dominated much of the possession up until being reduced to 10 men shortly before half-time, the hosts once again failed to summon up the guile needed to carve out chances.

Aaron Amadi-Holloway can certainly hold his head high. His were two splendid goals, the first a delightful side-footed finish after a neat lay-off from Curtis Main to open the scoring, and the second, to bring it back to 3-2 after 71 minutes, a splendid dipping volley with the outside of his right foot from 25 yards out from a Tim Thiele nod-down.

In between those two sublime moments, it all went wrong. Thankfully, results elsewhere around the drop zone were kind. Only Blackpool won.

Games are running out for Athletic, though. Leaders Burton are next up, away from home in a televised clash on Saturday in which there will be no Matt Palmer and no Thiele.

It is more than four months since the club was last outside the bottom-four. A perfect chance to clamber out was missed here, at 1-0 up and seemingly cruising.

Main started for Athletic, despite talk from the Doncaster end that they wanted to recall their on-loan forward. With no such option included in the loan deal though, the 23 year old was in the line-up again for Sheridan.

Tareiq Holmes-Dennis, signed on a youth loan from Charlton until the end of the season, made his debut in the problem left-back position for Athletic — the club's 14th loan player of the campaign.

By contrast, Rochdale fielded three players who have come through the ranks at Spotland during the clash. The trio includes Callum Camps, who earned the first-half penalty from Timothee Dieng.

After Anthony Gerrard had headed into his own goal a smart inswinging delivery from Donal McDermott — Dale’s only corner kick of the match, another symbol of how clinical they were — Camps picked up a poor pass from Dieng. He raced past straggling home midfielders and hammered in a 25-yard shot off the underside of the crossbar in the 55th minute.

The 3-1 lead was halved by on-loan Wycombe star Amadi-Holloway's second, which came after he had one chalked off by a terrible decision from assistant referee William Smallwood. Two players were clearly playing the forward on as he fired between Josh Lillis’s legs after Mike Jones’s effort had been blocked.

Dale started the derby the more confident side, pinging the ball around on the sandy surface. Athletic were guilty of going too long too early, while Main should have done better when miscontrolling a loose ball in the area after 24 minutes. It was the sort of chance Sheridan knows his side needs to start taking.

Athletic were soon 1-0 up though, after Amadi-Holloway’s volley had been pushed out by Lillis seconds earlier. As a team goal, there can’t be any better scored by the home side this season.

The penalty arrived after 37 minutes, duly despatched by Henderson to Joel Coleman’s right with little fuss.

The Rochdale captain’s decision to slide in on Main near the dug-outs in the 44th minute was unfathomable, given his earlier wrestle to the floor of Liam Kelly which earned him a first booking. The 31 year old looked suitably embarrassed.

Rochdale recovered to score twice in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, a period Athletic started in powder-puff fashion. Amadi-Holloway was guilty of conceding a soft corner with a header he didn’t need to put behind. Camps then produced his party piece to leave Athletic truly up against it.

The ball was never moved quickly enough to draw Rochdale defenders out of position. The goal Athletic did manage was a great strike, but Sheridan’s side lacked invention.

Gerrard smashed a free-kick into a defensive wall. He was an unusual taker in such a good position, with Palmer on the field.

The defender also grazed the crossbar with a 30-yard drive in the 89th minute.

Lillis was not seriously worked, though, and Dale’s determination paid off.