10-Man Yeovil Town Holds Leaders Rochdale to a Gritty 1-1 Draw

Rochdale dropped to second place in the National League after a hard-fought 1-1 draw against 10-man Yeovil Town at Huish Park.

The visitors took an early lead when Aidan Barlow went one-on-one with Yeovil goalkeeper Jed Ward, scoring in the 13th minute. However, Yeovil responded swiftly as Finn Cousin-Dawson headed in Brett McGavin’s free kick just two minutes later, leveling the score.

Despite Rochdale having the numerical advantage after Aaron Jarvis was sent off in the 69th minute, they could not capitalize, settling for a point that allowed York to overtake them at the top of the table.

Yeovil manager Billy Rowley expressed pride in his squad’s resilience, saying, “We went down to ten-men for the second game in a row, which infuriates me and the players, but it’s part of football. The boys adapted and fought hard.”

Rowley acknowledged the physical toll on his team, with players battling cramps but maintaining their unity. “It’s everything you want to see in a team,” he added. “I’m proud of the lads for hanging on against a side that hadn’t lost a leading position all season.”

Reflecting on the match, Rowley described it as one of his best performances since taking charge last November. He noted the tactical nature of the game, calling it a “chess match” due to Rochdale’s positional play. “They’re very intelligent in how they try to lure you out of position and create overloads,” he explained.

Rowley contrasted this with recent matches against more aggressive teams, saying, “Those games were quite ugly and relied on quick transitions. Today was more about control and strategy, which we enjoyed until we went down to ten men.”