City 0, Rochdale 3

Sorry City were completely overwhelmed as Rochdale roared to the top of the League Two table with as one-sided a victory as you will see.

If it wasn’t for Simon Eastwood, the only home player to emerge from a dismal night with any credit at all, the goals against tally could have reached humiliating proportions.

City were frequently at sixes and sevens – thankfully the final winning margin did not reflect that.

Outplayed and outclassed. It was the worst possible way to kick off a potentially decisive December schedule.

Yet City’s team selection had been no surprise. The unchanged line-up had earned another crack after the demolition job of Grimsby.

Rochdale, whose purple kit was the spitting image of Harchester United from the Dream Team TV series, were missing key midfielder Will Buckley with an ankle injury.

City began brightly, with James O’Brien firing in a decent effort and namesake Luke creating a half-chance for Gareth Evans.

But Rochdale had chalked up impressive wins at Bournemouth and Dagenham in the last two away games and their confidence was clear as they got forward whenever possible. Full backs Tom Kennedy and Scott Wiseman were not scared to push up and link with midfield.

They hassled City into mistakes and Chris Dagnall, their top scorer with ten goals, turned Steve Williams inside out to open up a sight of the target but luckily for City seemed to trip over his own feet.

But there was no escape when City coughed up a self-inflicted strike in the 12th minute. Williams scuffed a clearance straight to Dagnall, who rounded James Hanson1 before working the ball beneath Eastwood.

It was a cheap goal to concede, especially against such dangerous opponents, and there was an edginess in the stands as City struggled to get back into the game.

Williams claimed he was held by Chris O’Grady in the Dale box but referee Dave Foster was unimpressed. Evans then tried to play in Michael Flynn but he was smothered by three purple shirts.

The place needed a lift and Simon Ramsden nearly supplied it against his old club with a thundering tackle on Will Atkinson, before whipping in a bending cross that was just beyond James Hanson and the stretching Evans.

It got the crowd going but a City free-kick 25 yards out nearly proved their undoing.

Flynn’s shot cannoned into the wall and suddenly Dale were on the break. Dagnall rode Rehman’s desperate lunge on the halfway line to charge away but his chip over the advancing Eastwood sailed wide.

But Dale were back on the offensive again and took a firm grip on proceedings with another goal after 28 minutes.

It came via left-wing crosses from O’Grady, who had already done more in just over half an hour than he managed in a month on loan with the Bantams last season.

He picked out Dagnall, lurking with intent at the far post, whose initial close-range blast was well kept out by Luke O’Brien. The rebound came straight back to the Dale hitman and although his connection was far from convincing, the sliced effort completely bamboozled the grounded Eastwood.

It may have been a miskick but Dale’s all-round superiority deserved the advantage.

City were reeling and their night threatened to get even worse as O’Grady found more room to deliver from the left. Joe Thompson was on hand to convert but the assistant flagged for offside.

City won their first corner but Williams missed his header and Rehman’s follow-up did not pack enough power.

Rochdale continued to threaten and Eastwood produced a fine double save to keep the deficit at two, first foiling O’Grady and then getting across quickly to turn Atkinson’s goal-bound effort over the bar.

City were getting the run-around and Thompson cut in dangerously to set up O’Grady. He sliced at the ball and this time it bobbed gently into the keeper’s hands.

City’s own attack had been bottled up with Simon Whaley, the chief destroyer against Grimsby, getting no change at all out of his former team-mates.

Lee Bullock’s flick header from a free-kick was pouched by Tom James Hanson3 right on half-time but it did not save City from a few frustrated boos when the whistle followed. The only saving grace from such a one-sided opening 45 minutes was that Rochdale were only two ahead.

Stuart McCall made a change for the second half, with skipper Rehman replaced by Jonathan Bateson. There were plenty of candidates who could have made way.

Ramsden switched to centre half and given the task of shackling Dagnall before he did any more damage.

The drum in the TL Dallas Stand was pounding but the fans were waiting for signs of a recovery. James Hanson2 knocked down Whaley’s cross but nobody reacted quick enough to the second ball on the edge of the penalty area.

Tom Kennedy received the game’s only booking for tripping Whaley but the free-kick from a decent position came to nothing.

Kennedy then handed City a corner with a bizarre fluffed clearance from halfway. Hanson could not get over his half-volley from the set-piece.

Scott Neilson replaced James O’Brien but had not touched the ball before Rochdale bagged the third goal they had long been threatening.

Dagnall was through again and, although Eastwood did well to keep him out, the rebound was snaffled at the second attempt by O’Grady.

It looked all over bar the shouting even though the Bradford End continued to maintain an impressive wall of noise. It was strains of the Accrington embarrassment from two seasons ago.

Sadly the only hope for their team was a Plymouth-style abandonment and the freezing rain was not heavy enough for that.

Rochdale were seemingly queueing up to pile on the agony. Only Eastwood stood between Dale and a thumping as he proceeded to foil O’Grady and substitute Kallum Higginbotham.

But City remained wide open as Rochdale cut them apart at will. Neilson back-pedalled to whisk the ball away from Dagnall and Atkinson missed with a chip after the back four once again went walkabout.

McCall swapped Evans with Michael Boulding but the goal threat was only at one end. O’Grady again wreaked havoc to find Dagnall but Ramsden was across in the nick of time to block.

By the end, the rain was coming down with full force – but it still wasn’t the biggest shower on display.

Attendance: 11,472