Hill’s buoyed by upturn in form
ROCHDALE stretched their unbeaten run on the road to four matches with a draw at Plymouth on Saturday.
And boss Keith Hill believes the result will be looked back on as a precious point if his team can continue their positive upturn in form when it comes to home fixtures.
Dale have taken four points from their last two games at the Crown Oil Arena and Hill believes his side are turning a corner after a tough start to the campaign.
“It’s a positive point away from home,” said Hill after Matty Done cancelled out Joel Grant’s header after just 43 seconds.
“We’ve drawn four games on the trot away from home now, and if that supports winning at home, then it’s a great point. When you start like that and make the mistake we did for their goal then it’s an uphill task, but we settled into the game and took the game to the opposition.
“At half time, I would argue that it could have been 2-2, but equally so, it could have been 2-1 to either side.
“Going into the second half, we were confident because of the way we were playing, although we should have stuck to task a little bit more, keeping the ball from the opponent.
“We went a too long from fullback areas of the pitch rather than building up and using the fullbacks as offensive wingers,
‘If that supports winning at home, then it’s a great point’
which took their two main threats into deep areas of the pitch. Graham Carey is a great threat but only in the final third – he is a super player but he doesn’t like defending.
“Joe Bunney warmed to the task well in the first half but infortunately got booked and we had to bring him off.”
The home side’s early goal came in spite of Hill’s warning to his players that silencing the Home Park faithful was part of the battle plan.
“There were eight thousand supporters on and I said to the lads before the game that they had to try to silence them – I pointed out the noise they were making before the game and they are bottom of the league!” he said. the first goal! But I thought working on a few things in
“It was superb, the fans there was a good response. training, and that gives me supporting the team and We had a wobbly five or encouragement.” supporting the city. It was ten minutes but I was Dale have a break from brilliant. pretty impressed with League One action at the
“We gave them even everything else. weekend when they more to shout about with “We played more like I entertain Bromley in the the way we car crashed expect us to. We’ve been first round of the FA Cup. Published by MEN Media, Mitchell Henry House, Hollinwood Avenue, Chadderton, OL9 8EF. Printed by Mirror Colour Printers (Oldham) Ltd, Hollinwood Avenue, Chadderton, Oldham OL9 8EB