Rochdale were handed a heavy 5-0 defeat by Huddersfield Town in their EFL Trophy Group North match at the Accu Stadium on Tuesday. The loss brought a halt to a promising run of form for Ian Watson's side, who had won three of their last five league games. Huddersfield dominated from the outset, scoring twice inside the opening quarter of an hour. Lynden Gooch opened the scoring in the 13th minute before Jay Sway doubled the advantage just two minutes later. Cameron Ashia added a third goal eleven minutes after the restart, and further strikes from Samson Tovide and Jamie Spencer in the final stages completed the rout.
A difficult night
The statistics reflected the one-sided nature of the contest, with Huddersfield enjoying 64% possession and registering 17 shots to Rochdale's three. The visitors' night was compounded by a late red card shown to substitute Luke Schofield for a serious foul in the 88th minute. Ethan Brierley, who started for Huddersfield, featured against the club where he began his professional career. The result is a significant setback for Rochdale, who sit 11th in the League Two standings with 13 points from nine games. Their recent league form had been strong, with three wins and a draw from their last five outings, including a 1-0 victory over Swindon Town last weekend.
Attention now turns immediately to a return to league action. Rochdale travel to face Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park this Saturday, a key fixture in the fixtures list. The two sides played out a 2-2 draw in their last meeting in August, and with Tranmere currently 12th, the match represents a key opportunity to get back on track. The squad will be looking to put this Trophy defeat behind them quickly as they aim to climb the table.
