Our prediction for this League 2 match:
Hartlepool
Match Time & Date:
21/01/2023
16:00
Prediction: 1-0
Rochdale
Hartlepool will look to put an end to their four-game winless run in all competitions when they take on Rochdale on Matchday 28. The Pools are desperate to escape the relegation zone, and we are positive that they will leave their hearts on the field. Both Hastie and Shelton are pushing for recalls to the starting XI as duo Hamilton – Tumility failed to impress in a 2-0 loss at Gillingham.
Meanwhile, the Dale aim to recover from a 2-1 loss to Colchester. Jim Bentley’s men aim to move away from the bottom three as well, but seeing that they have already suffered seven defeats on the road this term, we are tempted to put our money on the hosts. There are no fresh injury worries in the away team ahead of Saturday’s encounter. In the first half of the season Hartlepool defeated Rochdale 2-1.
Highlighted Player (Eoghan O\'Connell):
Eoghan O’Connell is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a center back for Rochdale. O'Connell, who hails from the village of Douglas, was born on the 13th of August, 1995. In his early days, the defender used to play for two renowned Irish academies in College Corinthians and Avondale United before switching to the Celtic Academy in 2011.
He made his professional debut on the 29th of March, 2014, featuring in Celtic's 1-1 draw against Ross Country in the Scottish Premiership. His time at the Hoops included sporadic first-team appearances and loan spells with teams Oldham Athletic, Cork City, and Walsall. However, he won Celtic's Academy Player of the Year 2014 award and was included in the reputed Irish publication Journal.ie's " 10 most promising young Irish Footballers" article. His search for regular playing time brought O'Connell to Bury, whom he joined in June 2017.
He remained at the club for two seasons before signing for his current club Rochdale on a two-year contract starting on the 4th of July, 2019. Additionally, the 24-year-old has capped for the Republic of Ireland's under-19 and the under-21 team. He made his under-21 debut on the 2nd of September, 2017, in a 2-0 UEFA European Under-21 Qualifier win over Slovenia.
Highlighted Team (Rochdale):
Nicknamed the Dale, Rochdale are a professional English club that compete in the League One (English third tier). Rochdale were founded back in 1907, after World War I, with the team beating Accrington Stanley 6-3 in their first league game 14 years later.
The Dale wear blue shirts with black stripes and blue shorts when playing at home, whilst gray is the dominant colour of their away kit. Spotland Stadium is the club’s home ground, with the venue holding no more than 10,249 spectators. Bury and Oldham Athletic are considered the club’s fiercest rivals, but they have built up rivalries with the likes of Halifax Town, Burnley, Stockport County, Wigan Athletic and Accrington Stanley as well.
Back in 1962 Rochdale made it to the Football League Cup final, with the team facing Norwich City in the title game. The Canaries proved to be a big catch for the Dale, but this is still considered the club’s biggest success. It has to be noted that the Spotland Stadium outfit have three Lancashire Cup titles as well (1948/1949, 1970/1971, 2004/2005).
Sparta Prague 
Atletico Madrid 
Barcelona 
Brest
Bayer Leverkusen 
Salzburg 
Bayern Munich 
PSG
Inter 
Leipzig 
Man City 
Feyenoord 
