Rochdale produced a dominant display at the Crown Oil Arena, routing Aldershot Town 4-0 and bringing the Shots’ eight-game undefeated streak to a resounding halt. The home side wasted little time in taking control, opening the scoring in the 15th minute when Sam Beckwith found the net, assisted by Aidan Barlow. Rochdale’s relentless pressure continued to pay dividends, and their lead was doubled in the 36th minute by Devante Rodney.
Half-time saw changes for both sides. Rochdale replaced goalscorer Beckwith with Jack Kingdon, while Aldershot introduced Kwame Thomas for Keane Anderson. With Aldershot needing to change the course of the match, Theo Widdrington and Dan Ellison were brought on after 50 minutes. However, any hopes of an Aldershot revival were quickly dashed.
Rodney secured his brace and Rochdale’s third goal in the 54th minute. Just two minutes later, the lead was further extended to 4-0 when Ian Henderson scored, with Rodney providing the assist. Aldershot’s woes were compounded in the 58th minute when Josh Barrett received a yellow card for a foul.
The final 30 minutes saw a series of substitutions as both managers sought to manage their squads. Having already scored, Henderson made way for Kairo Mitchell for Rochdale. Aldershot also made further changes in search of a consolation goal, but the outcome was already beyond doubt. Rochdale comfortably controlled the remainder of the match, securing a comprehensive victory.
The win sees Rochdale climb to 6th in the National League table, while Aldershot Town drop to 15th. Rochdale had already enjoyed a positive recent record against Aldershot, winning two of their previous three encounters and scoring five goals to Aldershot’s four. This emphatic victory further strengthens that record.