Dale manager is confident his side can beat anyone
ROCHDALE manager Keith Hill believes his side are more than capable of beating anybody in League One despite not winning in six games.
Dale were flying high in the playoffs at the turn of the year but have struggled in recent weeks, dropping to eighth.
But ahead of today’s trip to ninthplaced Peterborough United, Hill has still taken confidence from performances in recent weeks.
He said: “There’s a lot of encouragement from the performances that we’ve had, and it’s about making sure that we turn those performances into winning football matches again because we’ve got 15 games remaining.
“If we go on a run like we have done on two or three occasions this season of winning football matches, then we’re more than capable of beating anybody. Nobody knows where that’ll take us but our first aim and agenda is always 50-plus points.
“We shouldn’t have lost the game against Bolton and we really shouldn’t have drawn the game against Charlton last weekend, having gone 3-2 up. If we’re going to be real contenders this year, and if not this year, next year, then it’s the small details that individuals have to be better at.”
OLDHAM ATHLETIC’S form would be far more suited to Rochdale’s league position as they have eased the threat of relegation with seven points in three games.
They host a Millwall side who have climbed to the brink of the top six after going unbeaten in their last 11 league games.
The Lions have also reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and have won as many away games as Oldham have at Boundary Park despite the Latics’ recent revival under John Sheridan.
Like Oldham, BURY have also moved out of the bottom four with an impressive seven points in their last three games.
They are, however, only out of the relegation zone on goal difference and could be caught by Port Vale should they drop points.
Charlton Athletic are the Shakers’ hosts as the Londoners look for their first win in just under a month.
Third-placed BOLTON WANDERERS travel to tabletoppers Sheffield United in the third tier game of the weekend.
Bolton are seven points adrift of the Blades but have two games in hand, also having an extra game on second-placed Scunthorpe United.
Phil Parkinson’s side could complete a hat-trick of victories against their promotion rivals this afternoon, having already beaten them in the league and the FA Cup at the Macron Stadium.
WIGAN ATHLETIC face a crucial game in their bid to stay in the Championship as they host Nottingham Forest.