Jimmy McNulty’s men dominated the game and were kept out by a combination of woodwork and some superb goalkeeping, as Woking became the first team to stop Dale from scoring this season.
McNulty made two changes from last weekend’s win over Yeovil Town, with Ethan Ebanks-Landell and Kevin Berkoe returning to the starting eleven.
Dale controlled possession from the off and had the ball in the back of the net after seven minutes. However, Kyron Gordon’s sumptuous left-footed effort was ruled out for offside.
Mani Dieseruvwe saw a shot from outside the area roll harmlessly wide of Will Jaaskelainen’s right post, before the Woking goalkeeper collected Berkoe’s back-post header.
Ryan East sent a shot over from the edge of the area, before Jaaskelainen produced a fine save to deny a Dale opener. A corner was kept alive by Berkoe at the back post, who fired a low cross towards Gordon. He poked goalwards from close range but was denied by a stunning reaction stop.
Dieseruvwe almost got on a couple of Rodney crosses as well, whilst the hosts’ only efforts came from through a well-worked set piece, which resulted in Olly Sanderson dragging one well wide.
Shortly after the break, Aidan Barlow curled a shot over, whilst at the other end, Josh Kelly saw a shot deflected wide.
Dale were the width of the crossbar from opening the scoring on the hour mark, when Dieseruvwe headed Barlow’s corner off the face of the woodwork.
Sanderson headed over Oliver Whatmuff’s crossbar after a swift Woking counterattack, and Rodney saw an effort deflected over, after which Dale really began to turn the screw.
Jaaskelainen, Woking’s Man of the Match, saved Rodney’s free-kick low to his right. Gordon’s follow-up was cleared off the line before Ebanks-Landell’s close-range header was superbly turned over the crossbar.
Substitute Tarryn Allarakhia had a shot deflected wide, whilst fellow sub Levi Amantchi headed a corner wide.
In the final minute of five added on, Dieseruvwe was upended in the area, but the referee waved away the penalty claims, much to the dismay of the Dale bench.
It was the first time Dale hadn’t scored this season, but McNulty’s men still top the table, leading Scunthorpe United and Carlisle United by one point.
Woking XI | Jaaskelainen, Drewe, Richards, Okoli ©, Hinds, Akinola, Turner (81’ Andrews), Kelly, Akinola, Forster-Caskey, Sanderson (73’ Boatswain).
Unused subs | Ross, Beautyman, Ward, Patterson, Cotton.
Dale XI | Whatmuff, Gordon, East (90’ Amantchi), Ebanks-Landell, Gilmour, Dieseruvwe, Rodney (81’ Smith), Adebayo-Rowling, Barlow (72’ McBride), Berkoe (72’ Allarakhia), Beckwith.
Unused subs | Pettit, Burger, Moss.
Attendance | 2,979 (368 away).
