Rochdale strengthened their position near the top of the National League table with a commanding 3-1 victory over Maidenhead United at the Crown Oil Arena. From the first whistle, the home side asserted their dominance, displaying a clinical finishing ability that Maidenhead struggled to contain.
The deadlock was broken in the 18th minute after a flowing Rochdale move. Aaron Henry’s perfectly weighted pass found Ryan East, who finished with aplomb to give Rochdale the lead. Rochdale continued to press high and were rewarded just before half-time. In the 41st minute, slick interplay involving Dan Sassi, who provided the assist, allowed Kairo Mitchell to double Rochdale’s advantage. The home side entered the break firmly in control with a two-goal cushion.
The second half began much as the first had ended, with Rochdale on the attack. Just two minutes after the restart, Mitchell secured his brace and Rochdale’s third. A pinpoint pass from Connor McBride found Mitchell in space, and the striker calmly slotted the ball home to make it 3-0. Maidenhead, facing a seemingly insurmountable deficit, rallied and found a breakthrough in the 61st minute. Joseph Ajose’s goal offered a glimmer of hope for the visitors.
The goal prompted a series of substitutions from both sides. Rochdale looked to shore up their defence and midfield, introducing fresh legs to see out the victory, while Maidenhead made attacking changes in search of a route back into the match. Despite their efforts, Maidenhead couldn’t breach the resolute Rochdale defence again. The closing stages saw a couple of late yellow cards for Maidenhead players, reflecting their growing frustration as the match slipped away.
The victory propelled Rochdale to second in the National League table, extending their unbeaten run to four matches. For Maidenhead, the defeat leaves them languishing in the lower reaches of the standings. This result continues Rochdale’s recent positive trend against Maidenhead, having recorded a win and a draw in their two encounters last season.