Rochdale secured a commanding 3-0 victory over ten-man Tamworth at the Crown Oil Arena, a result that transformed a tightly-contested encounter into a dominant second-half display. The opening period saw both sides struggle to carve out clear opportunities, with Tamworth’s resolute defence frustrating Rochdale’s attacking efforts.
The match pivoted dramatically in the 59th minute. Jordan Cullinane-Liburd, already on a yellow card, received his marching orders for violent conduct, reducing Tamworth to ten men. This dismissal forced a significant tactical shift for the visitors, who retreated into a more defensive posture. Rochdale, sensing the shift in momentum, began to exert sustained pressure on the depleted Tamworth defence.
The breakthrough arrived in the 73rd minute. A neat passage of play between Tarryn Allarakhia and Harvey Gilmour culminated in Gilmour slotting the ball home to give Rochdale a deserved lead. The goal seemed to deflate Tamworth, who now faced an uphill battle to contain the relentless Rochdale attack.
Rochdale doubled their advantage just seven minutes later, in the 80th minute. Kyron Gordon found space inside the penalty area and calmly finished, extending Rochdale’s lead to 2-0 and effectively sealing the victory.
Devante Rodney added the final flourish in the 87th minute, converting a chance created by Jid Okeke to make it 3-0 and cap off a dominant second-half performance. The closing stages saw both sides make substitutions, likely with an eye on upcoming fixtures. The final whistle confirmed a comprehensive victory for Rochdale, a scoreline that accurately reflected their control after the red card.
The win propelled Rochdale up three places in the National League table to sixth, now on 36 points. Tamworth remain in 16th place with 26 points. While there is no recent head-to-head history between the two sides in the past three seasons, this match highlighted the disparity in their current form.