Character to the fore at Southend
JIM Mcnulty was proud to see his Rochdale side bring the curtain down on their first National League campaign with a victory over play-off chasing Southend at Roots Hall.
The home side stood an outside chance of making the top seven with victory over Dale while Mcnulty’s men were destined to finish mid-table regardless of the outcome.
However, Dale came from a goal down to secure a 2-1 win and 11th place in the final table.
“It was a very good performance, they obviously had everything on the line trying to get into the playoffs and they’re a very, very good team,” he said.
“They’ve done amazing this season, they’ve had a similar storyline to ourselves in terms of adversity, the club being under real threat.
“It was a nice moment at the end, our team – after applauding our fans, who got up so early to come down here and support us, which really heartfelt and appreciated by ourselves – our team also felt as a group we’d extend our appreciation to the Southend fans as well.
“It was just from a place whereby we know what they’ve been through this season because we’ve been there too.
“I thought it was important to show our appreciation to both sets of fans as a set of players and as a football club off the back of what was a brilliant victory.
“Southend were a team going for everything, incredibly hungry. We had nothing tangible to play for in the same way they did, but I thought the players found a brilliant performance and once again the character this group has shown all year long.
“To go one down and turn it round to win 2-1, it was a brilliant win.
It was a brilliant team goal to win the game and I thought as the game went
on there was only one team going to win it. We grew with the ball, Southend played well but found us difficult to play against and I felt as the game went on we really did take control of the performance. It was a very good away day for us
“While points were never going to really affect the table for us in any way that would change our outcome for next season, commitment to how we play is everything and it’s everything to build on moving forward.
“I think that same commitment to how we play was shown through a group that was a little bit different. We had some
very young players on the pitch at the end, we had a 16-year-old who played almost all the game in centre midfield. In the main the team was very young – I know Hendo is a bit of an anomaly that raises our average age, but he raises it well because he had a brilliant impact when he came on.
Commitment can be shirked under stress, particularly for the youngest of the players, and I thought there was none of that. Southend really pushed us but our identity was there and game plan was very, very good. I like those games the most sometimes when we go behind and I can really
see if the players are going to commit still or they’re going to go a different way which wouldn’t suit us.
“But they committed and came back from one down here, silenced the stadium. It was a really good performance.”
Harvey Gilmour was forced off after a heavy challenge Mcnulty described as ‘naughty’ and the coach said the midfielder would have been ruled out for several games had it occurred earlier in the season.
The incident saw Cory Edwards introduced from the bench and the youngster showed up well.
“The foul on Harvey was a bit of a naughty one to
be honest, it’s a shame on the final day of the season. We would lose Harvey for a few weeks now in terms of missing games – thankfully for him he won’t have to do that but it was a bit of a naughty tackle. He’s a bit sore in there,” said Mcnulty.
“Cory Edwards is another product that we’ve no fear of blooding as we have done the season with George Nevitt throughout the campaign. He was really good, he was really brave and took the ball deep under pressure from some big strong men out there. He helped us, played his part.
“Harvey was doing well before he went off and it was a bit of a loss. Obviously Harvey’s had a brilliant season and been really important to the team but Cory was there, ready to come on and I’m glad for him.
“I wanted to get him on the pitch but I didn’t envision him having to come on so early.
“He played really brave and he’s a credit to himself, Lee Thorpe and the youth team coaching staff and then also our staff for the work that’s gone on daily to make it look like when he does come on a football pitch he knows what he’s doing as part of a bigger picture that also knows where it’s going.”