Walsall 0 Rochdale 2 - Report and pictures

[gallery] Walsall's first game of 2017 ended in defeat as Rochdale continued their hoodoo over the Saddlers with a 2-0 victory, writes Joe Masi at the Banks's Stadium.

Having ran out convincing 4-0 winners at Spotland back in November, goals from Ian Henderson and Joe Thompson saw the Dale claim their second win against Jon Whitney's side this season.

It could have been very different for the Saddlers if Ama Bakayoko hadn't missed a glorious chance to open the scoring early in the first half.

The 21-year-old blazed wildly over the bar with the goal at his mercy after being found unmarked in the box by Florent Cuvelier.

And Keith Hill's side went on to capitalise with their high work rate ensuring they are now serious contenders to win promotion from League One.

Despite securing a draw at Oxford just 48 hours earlier, Whitney made just one enforced change when naming his starting XI.

Kieron Morris came in for his first start since November with Isaiah Osbourne ruled out through injury.

Otherwise the boss stuck with the same 4-4-2 formation used in recent weeks with Joe Edwards moving into central midfield and Morris and Florent Cuvelier out wide.

For Rochdale, Henderson, Joe Thompson and Calvin Andrew started up front as Keith Hill's side lined up in a 4-1-2-3 system.

On a cold afternoon at the Banks's Stadium, Walsall came flying out the blocks and twice came close to taking the lead inside the opening 10 minutes.

First Edwards sent Morris galloping down the right flank with the winger then cutting inside and drilling a low strike which Conrad Logan did well to push away.

And from the resultant corner, Rochdale's Matt Lund got his timings all wrong and powered a header towards his own goal but the ball hit Logan before being claimed.

Whitney's side were looking rampant and they were presented with a glorious chance to break the deadlock just minutes later.

A blistering counter-attack saw involving Neil Etheridge, Simeon Jackson and Cuvelier ended with the Belgian rolling the ball across the box to present an unmarked Ama Bakayoko with a tap-in.

But the forward, 10-yards-out, blazed his strike over the bar when he should have been celebrating his ninth goal of the campaign.

Rochdale responded by taking the lead. Joe Rafferty's cross-come-shot flashed in front of goal before being tapped in by Henderson at the back-post.

The clash was now proving an open and entertaining affair with Whitney's side coming close to pulling level on the half-hour.

Bakayoko slipped Cuvelier through on goal wide on the left. The midfielder then looked to curl a strike into the far corner only for Logan to get a strong arm on the ball and keep it out.

Both teams continued on the offensive as the clock ticked towards half-time. But Walsall had Scott Laird to thank for ensuring they only went in at the break one goal behind.

A low ball into the box fell nicely for Oliver Rathbone to side-foot home. But Laird slid into make a brilliant block and deny the former Manchester United youngster from 10-yards.

The visitors came close to doubling their advantage five minutes into second half when Etheridge produced a smart stop to keep out a well struck Callum Camps free-kick.

Whitney made his first change just past the hour with Erhun Oztumer replacing Jackson. Morris then made way for Franck Moussa.

But the second half had proved cagey throughout with both sides struggling to create anything of note.

That all changed in the 74^th minute though when Rochdale grabbed a second to put the game to bed.

Poor defending from Moussa allowed Harrison McGahey to work his way into the box. The full-back then delivered a low cross which Thompson swept past Etheridge from close range.

Walsall looked to find a route back into the game during the closing stages, but they struggled to break through the well-drilled Dale defence.

They almost grabbed a consolation in stoppage time when the ball broke to Adam Chambers in the box but the skipper's rasping drive took a deflection before sailing over.

Otherwise the visitors saw out the game comfortably to cement their place in the League One play-offs.