PAUL Ince was named Carling man-of-the-match after his brilliant midfield performance at Spotland on Monday night.

His late first-half goal prompted a Wolves' fightback, and most of the prompting was done by the former England star.

But the hero as far as Rochdale fans were concerned was striker Grant Holt, a player in the mould of the old fashioned centre forward, who gave the defenders in old gold a torrid time.

Holt hustled and bustled, scored a goal which gave Dale and their fans enormous hope of a shock win, and overcame two attempts to put him out of the match before finally limping off on 73 minutes due to a calf injury.

This lad is a class act in the bread and butter league games, and he proved he could be a class act on the big stage. No doubt there would have been one or two managers, having watched this Sky TV game, asking the pin-stripes on Tuesday morning if they could go out and buy Holt before long.

Let's hope those chairmen say "no" as with Holt in the ranks Dale should have every chance of winning promotion, or getting very close to promotion, but that's being selfish, of course.

As said, Holt left the pitch to the cheers of the crowd on 73 minutes. His team-mates trooped off later to a standing ovation which was well deserved.

Here in Rochdale the fans like winners, but if it can't be a win they love battling losers, and Dale certainly battled all the way in a highly entertaining match sprinkled with superb goals.

For 45 minutes the dream was alive, but Wolves controlled the second half as they forced Dale back and overcame them with the style of what was, after all, a Premiership team last season.

The Wolves side was shorn of some of its stars, but there were still Ince, the dangerous and speedy Kevin Cooper, and Scotland international Kenny Miller to ogle at.

They were put in the shade for much of the first half which saw Holt and Paul Tait cause endless problems for Wolves' central defenders and loan player Brian Cash make some telling interceptions and runs.

As Wolves' boss David Jones later said: "Rochdale were a handful for us early on and we needed half-time to sort things out. We didn't match their work-rate in the first half, and all credit to Rochdale who might well have been three up before the goal from Paul Ince kick-started us."

Dale's kick-start came in the fourth minute. Cash won the ball in his own half and knocked the ball on to Tait. His ball inside found Holt and the home fans went wild.

Cash was almost in for a Dale second, but his stooping header was held by the keeper.

Wolves had their early moments. Neil Edwards went down to push away a low close-range effort from Miller, and Edwards repeated the act on 15 minutes.

Leon Clarke thought he had levelled on 22 minutes, but his shot hit the inside of the far post and to great Dale relief came out.

Dale fans had gone wild with the first goal, but the celebrations were nothing to those which followed the second goal on 25 minutes.

It was sheer brilliance.

Holt won the ball and found Cash on the right. His perfect cross was met by Tait and his header gave keeper Michael Oakes no chance.

Leon Clarke should have pulled one back on 39 minutes but somehow managed to lift the ball over the bar.

Wolves did pull one back two minutes later when Ince let fly from 35-yards. It was one of those that could have gone anywhere. In this instance it found a top corner of the net.

Wolves started the second half by knocking the ball about and keeping possession, waiting patiently for the openings which came more and more as the half wore on.

It took Wolves only seven minutes of the second half to pull level. A shot from Cooper came back off Edwards and Leon Clarke took advantage of the rebound.

Seven minutes later Miller turned Greg Heald took the ball on and rounded off a great goal.

It took Dale until the 23rd minute of the second half to take a shot on goal, such had become Wolves' dominance. It was that man Holt who shrugged off a challenge and forced Oakes into a low save at his near post.

Cash then beat two men on the right but saw his low cross evade all in the middle and run wide on the far side of goal.

It was Dale's last real opening and Wolves added a fourth in the 77th minute. A quick break forward resulted in a Keith Andrews shot taking a deflection to beat Edwards.

It was game, set and match, but boy had Wolves been given an almighty scare before as manager Jones put it: "We woke up and showed our qualities."

Teams

ROCHDALE (4-4-2): Edwards, Evans, Heald, Burgess, Gallimore, Cash, Jones, Clarke, Probets (McCourt 64), Holt (McGivern 73), Tait. Subs not used: Gilks, Townson, Goodall.

Man of the match: Grant Holt... a superb display in the mould of a hustling bustling old-fashioned centre forward. WOLVES (4-4-2): Oakes, Clyde, Craddock, Newton, Ince (Olofinjana 83), Edwards, Cooper, Miller, Andrews, Clarke, Lowe. Subs not used: Lescott, Cameron, Jones, Mulligan.

Attendance: 3292.

Referee: MJ Jones.

Les Barlow

Tweet