Get the lowdown on our next opponents: Rochdale AFC.
The Opposition
More than a century in the Football League came to an end when Rochdale AFC suffered relegation at the end of the 2022/23 season, and preceded a maiden campaign in the fifth tier which was overshadowed by problems off the pitch.
After a respectable 11th place finish in 2023/24, the Dale, headed up by manager and former player Jimmy McNulty, kicked on in their pursuit of a return to the EFL, finishing fourth last term and gaining a shot at promotion via the play-offs. Despite taking a 3-1 lead heading into the final 20 minutes of the eliminator round, Dale were left heartbroken at the first hurdle when Southend United’s Tom Hopper and Leon Pavillon struck late on to take the tie to extra time, where a 101st minute goal from Charley Kendall sealed the Shrimpers’ spot in the last four, and condemned Rochdale’s fate to the fifth tier for a third successive year.
However, McNulty has managed to keep hold of the core of his squad, while adding plenty of quality to his ranks as well.
Top scorer Devante Rodney scored almost 30% of the Dale’s goals last season, with his 19 strikes being one of only three players to hit double figures alongside Kairo Mitchell (14) and Ian Henderson (10). McNulty has already bolstered his ranks though, with the gap left by the departure of Mitchell already being filled with exciting loanee Levi Amantchi from Walsall and reliable frontman Mani Dieseruvwe, who has arrived from Hartlepool United.
Dieseruvwe has been followed through the door by Pool teammate Anthony Gomez-Mancini, along with Casey Pettit (Maidenhead United) and Liam Humbles (Salford City), while a host of experience has been added in the form of Bryce Hosannah (AFC Fylde), Dan Moss (Woking), Joe Pritchard (Oldham Athletic) and David Tutonda (Morecambe).
11 players appeared more than 30 times throughout the campaign as McNulty found a settled side, featuring the likes of captain Kyron Gordon, along with Sam Beckwith, Tarryn Allarakhia, Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, Ryan East, Harvey Gilmour, Connor McBride and Liam Hogan, who all played key roles last season.
They have subsequently started the 2025/26 campaign in fine form, and were the only side in the division alongside Wealdstone to win all of their opening three games, before falling to their first defeat of the season last time out against Brackley Town to drop from the top of the league.
The Manager
Jimmy McNulty
Jimmy McNulty headed into his third full season in management after being appointed at the end of the 2022/23 season, taking charge of the club where he had spent almost ten years as a player.
After spending time in the academies of both Liverpool and Everton, McNulty began his senior career at Wrexham AFC, becoming reserve team captain and making one senior appearance for the Red Dragons before departing in 2004, having spent a brief stint on loan at Bangor City in the League of Wales. He would join another League of Wales side, Caernarfon Town the following summer, going on to make 63 appearances for the club over two seasons, scoring twice, whilst also reaching the position of captain.
This would see the defender rise into the Football League, with further spells at Macclesfield Town and Stockport County preceding a move to Brighton & Hove Albion, where he played a handful of times before moving on loan to Scunthorpe United. McNulty would later turn out for Barnsley, Tranmere Rovers and Bury, making the switch across Greater Manchester to Rochdale, where he would end his playing career with an eight-year stint.
McNulty made over 200 appearances for Dale, helping the club to establish themselves in League One over six seasons, before two relegations in two years saw him twice take on the role of caretaker manager following the sackings of David Stockdale and later Jim Bentley. Although he was unable to guide the club away from the League Two drop zone, he would later be appointed as Dale’s permanent manager, and oversaw their rise into the National League play-off places last season, where they were knocked out by finalists Southend United in the eliminator round, as well as reaching the Isuzu FA Trophy Semi-Final.
One to Watch
Mani Dieseruvwe
Emmanuel ‘Mani’ Dieseruvwe got off to the perfect start to life as a Rochdale player, and has been quick to continue his goalscoring exploits into his 15th club in his career.
Born in Leeds, Dierseruvwe began his career in the Sheffield Wednesday academy and spent time out on loan at Hyde United, Fleetwood Town and Chesterfield, before joining the latter permanently in 2013. The forward would spend a season at the Technique Stadium and made 25 appearances, but would be on the move again following a loan spell at Mansfield Town. A switch to Kidderminster Harriers saw him continue to play frequently, with four goals in 29 appearances prior to a brief loan stint at Boston United, which preceded a permanent move to Salford City in 2017.
He would move on loan to Chester after a year in Greater Manchester, but would soon carve out a four-year spell at the Peninsula Stadium, with Dieseruvwe opening the scoring in the 2019 National League play-off final, with Salford going on to win 3-0 against AFC Fylde and reach the EFL for the first time in the club’s history. Dieseruvwe continued this goalscoring form into the following season and wrote his name in Salford folklore with the Ammies’ first ever EFL goal, scoring both goals in a 2-0 victory over Stevenage.
A brief loan move to Oldham Athletic would precede his permanent departure from Salford, with stints at Tranmere Rovers, Grimsby Town and FC Halifax Town following. He would fine great success with the latter two, scoring twice in the Mariners’ victorious play-off campaign in 2022, before joining Halifax the following season.
His single season with the Shaymen saw him score 13 goals and win the FA Trophy, before joining Hartlepool United in May 2023, and the 29-year old would end the season with a career-best 25 goals in all competitions.
Dieseruvwe remained in-form last season as well, notching a further 16 goals, before joining Rochdale in the summer, where he scored two goals on his competitive debut in just three minutes, firing the Dale to a 2-0 win over Boreham Wood on opening day, before adding a third goal of the season in a 4-0 thumping of Gateshead last Wednesday night.
Recent Form
Brackley Town 2-1 Rochdale AFC
Rochdale 4-0 Gateshead
Rochdale 2-1 Altrincham
Boreham Wood 0-2 Rochdale
Rochdale 1-1 Manchester United Academy (Pre-Season)
Barrow 1-0 Rochdale (Pre-Season)
Last Time Out
Ryan Haynes’ early free-kick gave the hosts a 1-0 lead at half-time, but Connor McBride equalised shortly after the restart as Sam Beckwith and Anthony Gomez-Mancini, who were introduced at the break, immediately linked up for Dale’s equaliser. After receiving a pass into midfield from Beckwith, Gomez-Mancini drove forward and fed McBride with a through ball. He held off his man and poked underneath Gregory for his second in as many games.
However, Connor Hall followed his saved penalty on the hour mark to restore Brackley’s lead and ultimately condemn Dale to a first defeat of the season.
Photo Credit: Rochdale AFC
