First Away Win of the Season

Great win for you today, well done!

Is Kevin Summerfield still your coach?

Thanks, and yes, Kevin Summerfield is one of our coaches.

And what a fine job he is doing!

Just got in. Superb battling performance yielding a deserved 3 points. Their 'keeper was awarded Man of the Match. That says it all really. How he kept out that Holness volley early on I will never know.

Great goal from Paterson blasting it home after being set up by Calvin. I said on another thread that I was unsure about Paterson. I do requests for the next game if anyone wants me to doubt someone pre-match.

We must have spent the first 20 minutes camped in their half. We looked really useful.

I only had £15 in my pocket and could not find a cashpoint so I ended up on the terrace behind the goal with the Dale fans (instead of sat with the 125 - 150 who had travelled to Spotland). The Dale fans appreciation and recognition of Holness and Stanno was nice to see and something that we must improve on when former players return to our ground.

Adebola looked poor. Glad we did not sign him. In fact, he may have won us the 3 points as was it him on the ground stopping a ball destined for the net in the first half?

Tommo had a great game. Went to catch or punch everything in the 6 yard area regardless of who was in the way. With one punch six yards out he took about 4 players out. The bloke next to me said to his mate 'That would have been a free kick if he had clattered players outside the area'. Rowett got what he wanted and I for one really appreciated what we had been missing.

I will try not to get carried away as I always do after a good win (and a bad defeat). I shall sign off and enjoy the next few days.

Again i told you so, KEEP THE FAITH gentlemen all will come good. As ive said we are a lot more solid as a unit and i dont think we will struggle this season at all.Again im looking forward to the rest of the season.

As a relative 'outsider' looking in, Rowett certainly inspires a bit more confidence than Pesch did when I hear him interviewed, and seems more willing to 'wield the axe' whether it upsets "the lads" (as Pesch would term them) or not!

Great performance. Rowett has this squad competing at every position and it is excellent to see.

Thought defensively again we were really solid, with Rochdale kept to a couple of half chances. Paterson's goal was a cracker and his overall workrate was excellent, he closed down space all day and he and Calvin looked pretty good together.

This looks like a good starting 11 to me. I know Billy must come back into to, but looking at the bench yesterday we had options everywhere.

Very happy.

Another difference noted on the day and commented on by Kevin Summerfield was how our new 'keeper can kick the ball well, kick it a long distance and keep it on the pitch. Defence can soon be an attack with that.

I thought Tomlinson's distribution was excellent throughout the game and although I am not a lover of route one football, on one or two occasions during the game, it was very effective. Looks like a good signing, but our defence is unrecogniseable compared to last season!