Dale on high for Sunderland trip
ROCHDALE head into arguably the most attractive away fixture of the League One season this weekend in confident frame of mind.
Dale travel to the division’s marquee club, Sunderland, on the back of last Saturday’s 3-0 home win against Gillingham. It was their first league win on home turf and with away form impressive so far, Ian Henderson insists they have nothing to fear in taking on the Black Cats in their own back yard.
‘We have nothing to lose and nothing to fear. We have just got to perform’
The Stadium of Light is an impressive stage and Henderson, who netted a hat-trick against the Gills last time out, is relishing the prospect.
“We’ve got to enjoy all of the games and we go into the Sunderland game in good spirits coming off the back of last weekend’s win and performance,” he said.
“We have nothing to lose, nothing to fear and we have just got to perform individually and as a team and you never know what is going to happen up there.
“We’re all happy going into the game against Sunderland where it will be a totally different atmosphere with maybe thirty thousand people there. It’s going to be unbelievable.”
Henderson is closing in on 100 goals for the club and, beyond that, his target of surpassing Reg Jenkins as the club’s all-time leading goalscorer.
His hunger to perform at his best for Dale shows I am going to cherish, they feels the defence is playing And Henderson “But when you step no sign of abating. only come around every their part in creating reserved praise for into the professional
“The 100 goals target now and then, but I will the perfect storm of scoring another youngster who arena there are demands will come and don’t take continue to keep working goals and keeping the has made an impressive as an individual and as a that for anything other hard and scoring goals for opposition out. start to the season – Ollie team that you have to than self confidence,” he this club. I still have this “We want to entertain Rathbone, who has added adhere to and he stepped said. year and next to run on and, as well as score goals, goals to his game in the up.
“It is a goal that I have my contract, I am coming keep clean sheets,” he opening weeks of the “I remember speaking set for myself, maybe up to 34 in January and said. campaign. to Ollie at the end of last three years ago I said that near on 35 by the end of “If we can keep it tight “I’m coming up to six season about adding goals it was one of my goals and the contract. at the back and we’re years at the club in February to his game and that’s ambitions while I was at “I have had an unbelievable creating chances up front and it’s always been a what he’s done this year. the club was to become time at the club that’s a winning formula club which has developed “Credit to him – it’s only the top goalscorer ever in and week in, week out I try right there. players,” said Henderson. his self discipline and professionalism the club’s history and that to perform to the best of “I though Harrison that has got is a goal I have set myself, my ability and I give every McGahey and Ryan Delaney “We were fortunate him into that position. but that’s personal to me single ounce of effort that were exceptional enough to get Ollie from “He works incredibly and I wouldn’t be able to I can.” against a very good player Manchester United, one hard, day in, day out, and I achieve that if it wasn’t for While the Dale frontline in Tom Eaves last week. of the most prestigious wouldn’t be surprised if, the players, the staff and took the plaudits for last They dealt with quite a big football clubs on the in the future, we see him the backing that I get from weekend’s comfortable threat who had already planet, and he would have playing for an elite everyone. victory at the Crown Oil scored quite a few goals had an element of pedigree League One side into the “Days like last Saturday Arena, Henderson also this season for himself.” to him. Championship.”
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