BIG MATCH PREVIEW: Rochdale V Swindon Town

Get ready for Saturday's game

1 April 2022

Swindon Town will be looking to make it a successful return to action when they take on Rochdale in the EFL Sky Bet League Two on Saturday.

Ben Garner's team are finally back in action tomorrow after a long break, with a trip to the Crown Oil Arena on the agenda - 3pm Kick-Off.

Town lost their last game, a frustrating 3-1 defeat to Crawley Town, so they will be looking to get back to winning ways, while the Dale picked up a big win in midweek.

Let's get you set for the game...

LAST TIME OUT...

Ben Gladwin's wonder strike and Jonny Williams' first goal for the club were not enough to secure all three points, as goals from George Broadbent and Liam Kelly ensured Rochdale left SN1 with a point on Saturday 16th October 2021.

LAST FIVE...

Season / Date	Competition	Result	Town Scorers
2021-22 - 16th Oct (H)	Sky Bet League Two	2-2	Gladwin, Williams
2020-21 - 13th Apr (A)	Sky Bet League One	2-1	Garrick
2020-21 - 12th Sep (H)	Sky Bet League One	3-1	T. Smith, Grant, M. Smith
2015-16 - 19th Nov (A)	Sky Bet League One	4-0
2015-16 - 18th Oct (H)	Sky Bet League One	3-0	Furlong, Delfouneso, Thompson

FULL RECORD V ROCHDALE

P	W	D	L	F	A
25	13	8	4	49	34

TICKET NEWS...

Town fans will be able to purchase tickets on the day with CASH ONLY from the Porta Cabin in the carpark facing the five-a-side-pitch. Fans can use card to purchase from the ticket office, but these windows are busy on the day.

Ticket collections will also be from the Porta Cabin.

There is NO price increase on the day.

TEAM NEWS...

Harry McKirdy will miss out for Town with a calf injury and Ben Gladwin is still working his way back, but there is a boost on the injury front with Louie Barry and Joe Tomlinson both back fit and available.

For Rochdale, Paul Downing will miss out and Eoghan O'Connell will have to undergo a late fitness test after being injured on Tuesday night.

A WORD FROM BOTH CAMPS...

Robbie Stockdale, Rochdale Manager: “It was a tough game when we played them at their place, a game of two halves. They were better than us first-half, we were better than them second, and it took a last-minute equaliser for them to get the draw.

“They’re a good team with some good players. Like us, they lost a couple in January and brought a couple in.

"They’ve changed their formation as well since the first time we played them, so we expect it to be a good footballing game.

“Ben is always going to set his team up to play football and we like to do so the same, so hopefully it will be an attractive game to watch.”

Ben Garner, Swindon Town Head Coach: "I think Rochdale are a really good team

"I think when I watch them play, when I look at the data aside from the league table, they should be higher in the league than they are and that can be a mixture of things.

"That can be bad fortune, they could be unlucky in certain games, and they could not be taking their chances. But the way they play, they’re well organised, they’re well-coached, and I think they've got some talented players within their squad.

"I think they could certainly be higher up the table, how they’ve played. We know it's going to be a tough game there, they had a good result midweek to get a win and I know they’ve had a little bit of a tough run recently but we’ll be going there with respect and understand what a good outfit they are."

ELSEWHERE IN THE SKY BET LEAGUE TWO...

Barrow v Port Vale (3pm)

Bristol Rovers v Bradford City (3pm)

Forest Green Rovers v Scunthorpe United (3pm)

Harrogate Town v Colchester United (3pm)

Hartlepool United v Salford City (3pm)

Mansfield Town v Northampton Town (3pm)

Newport County v Exeter City (3pm)

Stevenage v Oldham Athletic (3pm)

Tranmere Rovers v Carlisle United (3pm)

Walsall v Leyton Orient (3pm)

OFFICIALS

Referee - Declan Bourne
Assistant Referees - Geoffrey Russell & Christopher Husband
Fourth Official - Lewis Rape

FOLLOW THE ACTION LIVE

Not at Rochdale on Saturday? Don’t panic because there are numerous ways to keep up to date with all the action.

Live updates will be available on our Twitter and Facebook pages, in addition to our Match Centre on the website, which can be found at the top of the home page on matchdays.

In the wake of the game, https://www.swindontownfc.co.uk/ will be the place to go with a full report, reaction and pictures available to view and read through shortly after the final whistle.

Match Reports

MATCH REPORT: Rochdale 0-0 Swindon Town

Reds earn a point on the road

2 April 2022

Swindon Town had to settle for a share of the spoils in a 0-0 draw with Rochdale in the EFL Sky Bet League Two at the Crown Oil Arena this afternoon.

Neither side could force the breakthrough in the first-half, and that proved to be the case for the remainder of the game.

Head Coach Ben Garner made four changes as Jake O'Brien and Harry McKirdy missed out through illness and injury respectively, while Akin Odimayo and Ryan East dropped to the bench.

Mathieu Baudry and Ricky Aguiar came back into the side, as did Joe Tomlinson and Louie Barry with the pair having recovered from injury during the break from action.

Louis Reed missed out once again as he sat out the second of a two-game suspension, with the Reds looking to return to winning ways after two weeks without a game.

Rochdale had the first chance of the game as Max Clark drove forward before sending a tame shot straight at Jojo Wollacott.

There was then a lull in action before Town carved out their first opening of the game with more than 20 minutes played, as Joe Tomlinson's shot from long-range was fumbled by Jay Lynch, who recovered well to deny Josh Davison on the follow up attempt.

Liam Kelly then fired a half-volley over for the hosts, before another long-range effort from Tomlinson fizzed inches off-target.

Tomlinson tried his luck again, this time from a free-kick which was palmed away by Lynch, before Jack Payne's first-time effort was also dealt with by the Dale stopper with Town enjoying a spell of pressure.

However, Rochdale responded as Luke Charman flicked on a header from a corner which just evaded Danny Cashman at the far post, while Stephen Dooley forced Wollacott into a low save which proved to be the final action of the half.

HALF-TIME: ROCHDALE 0-0 SWINDON TOWN

Town started the second-half on the front foot and came close with a couple of dangerous balls into the box, but they couldn't make that pressure count.

Payne dragged a shot wide and Conor Grant was denied by Wollacott at the other end, before Ricky Aguiar sliced a shot wide after a Town counter-attack with the visitors coming under a spell of pressure.

Town then made their first change of the afternoon as Mandela Egbo replaced Aguiar, and the sub looked to make an instant impact with his cross picking out Payne, who could only fire a shot straight at Lynch.

There was nearly the opening goal with less than 20 minutes remaining after Payne chipped a beautiful cross into the box, but Egbo's header was superbly kept out by Lynch with the scores remaining level.

Town made a late change as Harry Parsons replaced Louie Barry in order to muster up one last attack, but both sides had to settle for a point with the game ending in a draw.

FULL-TIME: ROCHDALE 0-0 SWINDON TOWN

TEAMS & STATS

ROCHDALE STARTING XI - Lynch; O'Keeffe, O'Connell (C), Dooley, Charman, Grant, Dorsett, Keohane, Cashman (Matty Done 66), Kelly (George Broadbent 82), Clark.

SUBS NOT USED - Wade, McNulty, Downing, Odoh, Andrews.

BOOKED - Jeriel Dorsett.

SWINDON TOWN STARTING XI - Wollacott; Iandolo, Conroy (C), Baudry, Davison, Payne, Barry (Harry Parsons 89), Williams, Tomlinson, Hunt, Aguiar (Mandela Egbo 68).

SUBS NOT USED - Ward, Odimayo, Mitchell-Lawson, East, Minturn.

BOOKED - Ellis Iandolo.

Referee - Declan Bourne.

Attendance - 2,779 (695 Away Fans).

Ticket News

Rochdale tickets now on sale

Hit the road and back the boys!

18 March 2022

Tickets are now on sale for Swindon Town's upcoming trip to Rochdale in the EFL Sky Bet League Two next month.

Ben Garner's team head to Spotland on Saturday 2nd April - 3pm Kick-Off - and tickets can now be purchased for those wishing to back the boys on the road.