Rochdale head to Barnsley on Sunday with a chance of creating history.
Dale can achieve their highest ever league finish, should they get a result at Oakwell. Even a defeat could see Rochdale achieve that record, depending on results elsewhere.
Manager Keith Hill guided his side to a ninth placed finish in League One in 2010/11, and this year’s squad are on track to equal or better that record heading into the last day of the campaign.
Rochdale’s play-off hopes came to an end last weekend following a defeat to MK Dons, but with a chance of creating history still a possibility, Assistant Manager Chris Beech says they’re treating Sunday’s game like any other.
He told Dale Player: “To be in with a fighting chance of the play-offs at the 45 game mark was a tremendous effort from everybody at the football club – the players, the staff, the supporters, the directors and the chairman. We’ve all been part of that journey, but obviously the MK Dons result ended that.
“We go into the last game of the season looking to finish as high as we possibly can, which could set a record at the football club.
“We can finish seventh or eighth and the worst position that we can finish is ninth, which is joint with our past best, so that’s something to try and achieve.
“The players deserve that accolade and it would be great to be part of the group that achieves that. Let’s be right, reaching the play-offs was always an outside hit to try and get there, which we had a right good go at, so why not be part of the group that represents the football club and the community in finishing in our highest position in the football league chain. They deserve that accolade, so let’s go and try to achieve
that.”
Beech continued: “We’re not looking at the game as any sort of dead rubber, or a game where the lads will have their flip flops on for because that’s not something that we condone.
“We’ve been professional this week because we know that we’ll be playing against a good opponent.
“Lee Johnson is a very good Manager. He did well at Oldham, which is why Barnsley searched out for his services. He’s got good friends amongst our staff and we know that he’s very professional. He’s from a footballing family, he was an excellent player and has started his management career really well. We know that Barnsley will be full committed."
The full interview is available to view on Dale Player.