New Lawn Saturday, November 29th, 2008   FA Cup Attendance: 1,864         Forest Green Rovers 2-0 Rochdale       Smith 27, Low 56       Smith 45+1
2008 /09

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CLASSY ROVERS EARN A PLACE IN HISTORY FOREST GREEN ROVERS 2 - 0 ROCHDALE While the temptation to resort to cliché is never greater than in the FA Cup, Rochdale’s thorough humbling at the New Lawn owed nothing to magic or destiny. Quite simply, the team chasing promotion from League Two had no answer to Forest Green’s imaginative attacking play and new-found defensive solidity. Coolly-taken goals in each half from Jonathan Smith and Josh Low barely did justice to their complete dominance, but a place in round three for the first time in the club’s 119-year history guarantees folklore status for Jim Harvey and his players. It was a display reminiscent of last season’s 3-0 demolition of Rotherham United in the same competition, as Rovers swarmed all over their opponents and proved that a cultured passing style can bear fruit in the hurly-burly of the Cup. In a frantic opening, the recalled Andy Mangan nicked the ball past Dale keeper Sam Russell before finding himself crowded out. Adam Le Fondre and Clark Keltie each had early efforts from range for the visitors, both too high, but otherwise their side seemed to be lacking the kind of urgency Cup football demands. That changed in dramatic fashion on 27 minutes when Paul Stonehouse’s cross was dummied expertly by Low, enabling Smith to bound into the area and slot the ball into the bottom corner. A major doubt prior to kick-off due to illness, the ex-Morecambe midfielder has now scored five times this season and continues to benefit from the faith shown in him by Harvey. Suddenly Rovers had belief flowing through their veins, and Mangan should have doubled their lead when he jinked past Marcus Holness and found himself with a clear sight of goal – only to fire at Rory McArdle’s legs. Rochdale looked stunned, with Mangan’s pace a particular bugbear, and the striker missed another glorious opportunity immediately after the interval when he headed wildly off-target at the near post. It was not until forcing four corners in quick succession that Keith Hill’s side managed to build any pressure, and they were denied by Stonehouse’s superb goal-line clearance in the 55th minute when Lee Thorpe rose highest to meet a Tom Kennedy inswinger. A minute later they were 2-0 down, as on-loan Cheltenham winger Low latched onto Lee Fowler’s pass and dinked cleverly past Russell to send the Rockwool army into raptures. It could have been worse for the Greater Manchester outfit, with Russell forced into a flying save to keep out a more convincing header from Mangan. At the other end, home stopper Terry Burton was secure in clutching a flicked header from Thorpe. He later watched as substitute Mark Jones’ piledriver sailed harmlessly over, an effort that summed up Rochdale’s day as the Blue Square strugglers saw out the remainder of the match with surprisingly few alarms. Forest Green: T. Burton; J. Gill, D. Kempson, D. Jones, P. Stonehouse; J. Low (C. Thomas 78), L. Fowler, J. Smith (A. Rigoglioso 90), C. Platt; S. Clist; A. Mangan (K. Mohamed 72); Subs not used: M. Preece, C. McDonald, L. Afful, R. Robinson. Rochdale: S. Russell; S. Ramsden, M. Holness, R. McArdle, T. Kennedy; C. Higginbottom (J. Shaw 46), C. Keltie, C. Toner, W. Buckley (M. Jones 64); A. Le Fondre, L. Thorpe; Subs not used: N. Stanton, A. Rundle, N. D’Laryea, J. Thompson, J. Spencer