Brad Inman scored twice for Rochdale at the weekend in an impressive 2-1 win away to Burton Albion.
The summer arrival from Peterborough, who spent last season on loan at Spotland, sent the visitors into dreamland by scoring a brace before the first had reached its midpoint
Liam Boyce pulled one back for the Brewers with fewer than 20 minutes remaining after Josh Lillis parried the ball into his path, but an otherwise imperious performance from the Dale stopper meant that would be no more than a consolation goal for Nigel Clough’s side.
Dale took the lead inside the tenth minute with a really cleverly worked goal, and manager Keith Hill would have been pleased, to say the least, to see two of his summer signings play a key part in Inman’s eventual finish.
It was another of the pre-season arrivals that had joined following a loan spell with the club last season, in former Liverpool defender Jordan Williams, that kickstarted a direct but eye-catching move which led to the opener.
Williams showed great composure take the ball past the pressing Liam Boyce before spraying a 50-yard pass forwards, almost straight onto the head of Ian Henderson. Dale’s talisman, a scorer of 20 goals last term, nodded it down just outside the box and into Inman’s path, whose side-footed finish from just inside the area gave Burton ‘keeper Stephen Bywater no chance.
Experienced shot stopper Bywater, who began his career at Rochdale more than two decades ago, had to pick the ball out of the net again, just 12 minutes later.
Kyle McFadzean had volleyed over from a corner just before the visitors notched their second and that also came on the counter attack.
Callum Camps’ swept ball wide to the left was expertly left by another new arrival, Aaron Wilbraham, allowing Henderson to stride forward. And the reliable attacker’s service for Inman was perfect again, curving a pass across the box to 26-year-old Inman, who took once touch and once more side footed it beyond Bywater.
Burton’s greatest threat all afternoon, Marvin Sordell, tested Lillis before the break, while Matty Done struck across the face of goal and just wide before the break.
Inman might have got his hattrick just after the hour and moments before he was hooked for Joe Thompson but sent his shot wide after latching onto a loose ball.
Burton’s solitary goal came when Lucas Aikins’ effort was parried by Lillis, albeit into a great area for Boyce, who made no mistake by converting the rebound.
Boyce had optimistic appeals for a penalty waived away late on, Lillis saving from Sordell yet again later in the same attack, securing a fine start to the season for Hill’s side.
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