Rochdale delivered a commanding performance at the Crown Oil Arena, securing a decisive 4-1 victory against Solihull Moors. From the kickoff, the home side exhibited a potent attacking game, leaving Solihull struggling to cope.
Ryan East opened the scoring for Rochdale in the 8th minute. East then doubled Rochdale’s lead in the 17th minute, with Tobi Adebayo-Rowling providing the assist. The pressure from Rochdale continued, resulting in a third goal in the 20th minute from Devante Rodney, assisted by Connor McBride.
At the start of the second half, Sam Beckwith further extended Rochdale’s advantage in the 50th minute, McBride once again claiming the assist.
Solihull Moors managed to pull a goal back in the 58th minute through Callum McFarlane, who had been introduced as a substitute just three minutes earlier; Oscar Rutherford provided the assist.
The match also saw several cautions issued. Jacob Wakeling received a yellow card in the 6th minute, followed by Jamey Osborne in the 46th minute. Ryan East was also booked in the 61st minute, Kyron Gordon in the 84th minute, and Casey Pettit in the 91st minute.
In an attempt to shift the momentum, Solihull Moors made a triple substitution in the 55th minute, bringing on Oliver Tipton, Callum McFarlane, and Tyler French. Rochdale responded with substitutions of their own, introducing Aidan Barlow and Kevin Berkoe in the 64th minute, followed by Jake Burger and Daniel Moss in the 75th minute, and finally Casey Pettit in the 80th minute. Solihull Moors also made further changes, bringing on Sam Bowen in the 69th minute and Szhem Whyte-Hall in the 80th minute.
This victory sees Rochdale cement their position near the top of the English National League table. They currently sit in second place with 24 points from nine games, continuing their impressive run of form and goal-scoring ability. Solihull Moors, in contrast, find themselves in 19th place with 10 points from 11 games, and will need to find consistency if they are to climb the table.