Dooley proving worth the long wait
KEITH Hill likened the anticipation of Stephen Dooley’s home league debut with planning a wedding!
Dooley set up Ian Henderson for the only goal of the game against Charlton last weekend in what was his first full appearance in League One at the Crown Oil Arena.
The skilful Northern Irishman was hindered by injury in pre-season and Hill has played a patient game in getting the midfielder up to full speed before unleashing him in English football.
The 27-year-old has started the last three fixtures – with Dale winning two of them – and is making the impression Hill hoped he would when he signed him from Coleraine in the summer.
“With Stephen Dooley it’s a bit like waiting to get married,” said Hill.
“You probably book your wedding twelve months in advance and we have been waiting all pre-season for Stephen to make his home appearance, and that was his first and we’re virtually into November!
“He could be a very good player for us.
“He is an intelligent player and you want intelligent players out on the pitch.
“He’s been in the treatment room a little too often, and I believe he was tired against Wycombe because he’d played back to back games. But I am pleased with him – I just hope we can keep him fit and keep him on the pitch.”
Another Dale star, David Perkins, is also having to play a game of patience as Hill uses him sparingly.
The Dale chief insisted it was the right thing to do with 36-year-old midfielder who has an important role to play in what is a largely youthful squad.
“David is a leader and he is experienced and he’s probably not played as much as he wanted to,” said Hill. “But I have to preserve him – he has to go out there and put in performance after performance.
“But I believe his 46-game season time is over, we have got to use him to support the younger players with his experience and leadership qualities.
“I think it was the right thing to put him on against Charlton, Ollie Rathbone had run his race and I think Jordan Williams had run his race. So we had the two perfect substitutes in David Perkins and Calvin Andrew and they both went out and performed to the standard of the players who had come off the pitch.”