BARNSLEY FOOTBALL CLUB

Midway point in Cup clash

Rochdale 1 (Tutte 6)
Barnsley 1 (Stones 44)

Rochdale and the Reds went in at the break having notched a goal apiece in the Capital One Cup clash at Spotland. Tutte sent home the opener with a wonderful finish on just six minutes only for youngster John Stones, on his full debut, to haul the Reds level just before the break.

Confusion in the Dale defence led to Davies doing well to muscle off the defender on just three minutes before curling low at Lillis. The hosts were raring to go in an attempt to get one over their former Management team.

A Donnelly strike took a wicked deflection that Alnwick did well to save on five minutes as Rochdale replied down the right. Barely a minute later they took the lead as Tutte finished superbly with a sweeping 20-yard finish after Wiseman was caught out down Barnsley left by Donnelly.

The home side cut three the Reds down their right once more and blazed a glorious opportunity to double their advantage as Grimes flashed his header wide when expertly picked out by the scorer Tutte. The striker was completely unmarked eight yards out.

Things got even worse for the Reds when the stretcher had to be called on for Jim O’Brien with 15 gone as the winger went down awkwardly on the right. Dagnall replaced him on 18 minutes.

It took until the 24^th minute for Lillis to be tested again, although Done’s strike lacked enough power to trouble the Dale ‘keeper. Done robbed Lillis out on the Barnsley left but his drilled cross just couldn’t quite catch Rochdale out as Davies was thwarted by a good Edwards challenge.

Alnwick came to the Reds’ rescue on 28 minutes as Kavanagh smacked a half-volleyed effort low to the far post but the number 12 got a strong hand to it to turn it round. Grimes made Alnwick work barely a minute later from distance with a 25-yard curler.

A minute before the break came a moment that youngster John Stones will certainly never forget as the defender hauled the Reds level on his full debut. Mellis swung in a vicious delivery to the far stick which Stones met with a clever header for the leveller. The 18-year-old relished the moment as he celebrated with the fans he used to watch this side with as a kid.

Half time.

Rochdale: Lillis, Cavanagh, Edwards, Kennedy, Tutte, Donnelly, Grimes, Edwards, McIntyre, Adebola, Pearson.
Subs: Smith, Bennett, Putterill, Curran, Rafferty, Craney, Barry-Murphy.

Reds: Alnwick, Stones, Foster, McNulty, Wiseman, Mellis, Perkins, Done, O'Brien (Dagnall 18), Etuhu, Davies.
Subs: Lidakevicius, Hassell, Golbourne, Dawson, Digby, Cywka.

Referee: Mr G. J. Sutton
Assistant Referees: Mr P. Graham & Mr M. Salisbury
Fourth Official: Mr P. Dermott