NON LEAGUE SOCCER: Dale relieved to get league form back on track

ROSSENDALE United claimed a much needed three points from what turned out to be a comfortable victory in the end.

A lack of league games in recent weeks had seen the club slide to third from bottom in the UniBond First Division. And while Saturday's win doesn't improve the league position much, it does put the side in a great position to make an assault on the top half of the table.

With 20 minutes to go the game was goalless, and neither side looked capable of breaking the deadlock. But once Chris Brooks had opened the scoring from Blake Norton's measured cross the visitors' defence fell apart.

The first half was poor at best with the visitors settling to a game plan to stifle any thoughts of attacking football.

Any forward play came from Dale and Doni Clarke went close to opening the scoring on a couple of occasions, his best effort being a header which drifted just wide of the upright.

The pattern of play was the same after the break, though Stuart Irvine was denied by Matt Houldsworth as he cleared the Bishop striker's shot off the line following a rare attack for the visitors.

Brooks' opener on 72 minutes opened the game up, allowing the attacking threat of Clarke and Norton to be used to the full as they exploited the gaps behind the defence as Bishop pushed for an equaliser.

The second goal arrived 10 minutes later. Clarke cut in from the right, Marc Batey sent him tumbling to the ground and Dave Gamble hammered the ball home from the penalty spot.

Gamble almost made it three with a superb free kick, which hit the post, but the final goal arrived with two minutes remaining.

Batey's bad afternoon turned into a nightmare as the Bishop full back failed to spot keeper Kevin Duncan rushing off his line to meet a through ball, and he slotted it home from 40 yards to round off a miserable afternoon for the defender.

ROSSENDALE'S game on Tuesday night at Vauxhall Motors has been called off due to Vauxhall's Cheshire Senior Cup commitments.

The game has been rescheduled for 25 November.