Former Hartlepool United frontman wins second successive National League player of the month award
Former Hartlepool United striker Mani Dieseruvwe has been crowned the Enterprise National League player of the month for September.
The 30-year-old, who scored 43 goals in 89 games during a prolific spell at Victoria Park, becomes just the second player ever to win the award in back-to-back months, having also received the accolade in August. Indeed, Rochdale are the first ever club to win three of the first four National League awards of the season, with manager Jimmy McNulty being crowned August's manager of the month before narrowly missing out on September's prize to Boreham Wood boss Luke Garrard.
It's been a superb start to the National League campaign for both Dieseruvwe, who has found the net nine times in his first 11 games and is the division's joint-leading scorer, and Rochdale, who rose to the top of the table after inflicting a first defeat of the season on Robbie Savage's Forest Green Rovers last time out. Having scored five times in August, Dieseruvwe added four goals in three matches last month, bagging braces against Braintree and promotion rivals Carlisle as the Greater Manchester side enjoyed a memorable month. Having missed out on promotion following a fourth placed finish last season, McNulty's side went all out in pursuit of a new frontman over the summer following the departure of the mercurial Kairo Mitchell. While Pools made what manager Simon Grayson said was a "really good offer" to keep Dieseruvwe, who scored 18 goals last term, at Victoria Park, the hugely popular striker opted instead to sign for Rochdale having been Dale's number one transfer target all summer. So far, it looks to have been a shrewd decision, with Rochdale winning 10 of their first 12 matches to give themselves a one-point lead over Forest Green Rovers having played two games less than their nearest challengers.
For Pools, life without their talismanic top-scorer has proven more difficult. Certainly, it hasn't been all bad and there remains a hope that Grayson's side, who are four points outside the play-off places, can claw their way back into promotion contention despite a disappointing recent run of results. Even so, a lack of goals is starting to become a bit of a concern - Pools have scored just 13 times in their first 14 matches this term - and it's inevitable the fans will make comparisons between the fortunes of their new strikers, signed to replace Dieseruvwe, and their former frontman.
So far at least, those comparisons don't make for good reading. Alex Reid, signed following a successful spell at Wealdstone during which his 17 goals in 32 games helped the Stones beat the drop, made a fast start and found the net three times in his first four Pools appearances but has since gone seven matches without a goal and has spent the two weeks sidelined with a hamstring injury. Danny Johnson, meanwhile, who returned to Victoria Park having spent time in the club's academy as a youngster, has endured a torrid first couple of months of the campaign and is without a goal in his first 14 Pools appearances. Veteran Vadaine Oliver, signed in September, has shown some positive signs, scoring twice in his last three matches, and could be in line for his first start when Pools travel to Northern Premier League Premier Division side Gainsborough Trinity in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round on Saturday.