DALE JOY, BUT FLIT’S FUMING
ROCHDALE manager Keith Hill revealed he drew inspiration from Sir Alex Ferguson as he led his side to derby day victory against Bury.
The win was Dale’s seventh on the bounce and came courtesy of goals from Ian Henderson and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.
However, the game was marred in controversy from dubious penalty decisions to two red and nine yellow cards.
“I was trolling through some of the big-name managers, Sir Alex Fergusson if I’m going to drop names, on what he said when it comes to playing games like Man City, Liverpool. It’s not about the football, it’s about winning,” Hill said.
“All I emphasised is that we have to run quicker, work harder, head more, track more – everything to win the game, and we did that.
“The game had everything. The lads were up for it and we were confident. We managed the opposition very well and it reflected in the scoreline and the game.
“I can see why the opposing bench have got a little bit of grief with the opening penalty but, if I’m being honest, I’m not bothered.”
Rochdale opened the scoring in the 37th minute when referee Peter Bankes awarded Dale a penalty for an apparent foul by Jacob Mellis on Matthew Lund.
Bury boss David Flitcroft was in uproar at the dubious decision – which he later labelled “disgusting” – but Henderson sent Ben Williams the wrong way from the spot.
The Shakers thought they had equalised in the 63rd minute when Mellis’s shot fell at the feet of James Vaughan six yards out for a tap-in, but the assistant referee was quick to rule it out for offside.
Mendez-Laing doubled the lead midway through the second half, but thereafter the game hit boiling point and the referee began to lose control.
Bury defender Kean Bryan flew into high tackle on Andrew Cannon in the 77th minute which drew a straight red card from the referee.
All 22 players were involved in the melee that followed and a host of cautions were dished out. The afternoon got worse for the Shakers four minutes from time when Mellis was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence, leaving manager David Flitcroft in uproar about his side’s ill discipline.
“We are clocking up too many yellow cards and too many red cards,” Flitcroft said. “Certainly internally I’ll be sorting that out. “In the cold light of day it’s two goals conceded, nine men on the pitch only and I have got to now try and pick the bones out of that.
“Sometimes I look at a derby and it’s a damp squid – this one wasn’t. There were challenges going in, good challenges.
“When I find players going diving and actually looking for it, and then the referee actually giving it, I find it disgusting. It needs taking out of the game.”