Rochdale vs Hartlepool United. Sky Bet League One.
Spotland StadiumAttendance3,706.
Saturday 7 August 2010 19:54, UK
Rochdale's long-awaited return to the third tier of English football ended in a 0-0 draw with Hartlepool at Spotland.
Pools gave the new boys an early taste of life in League One with Joe Gamble and Andy Monkhouse both going close inside the first six minutes. As Dale began to find their feet, debutant Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro cut in from the left and laid the ball off to Gary Jones who stung Scott Flinders' palms from 20 yards. Flinders was called into action again after 18 minutes when he denied Jones for a second time after the Rochdale skipper had got on the end of Joe Thompson's cut back. After the break, half-time substitute Adam Boyd almost made an immediate impact, supplying the cross for Anthony Sweeney to head over from 10 yards before Josh Lillis' acrobatic save kept out Sweeney's 25-yard drive after 52 minutes. Hartlepool continued to have the better chances in the second half - Sam Collins heading over the bar from Gamble's corner 20 minutes from time - but neither side could find a telling breakthrough.
