Manager Keith Hill gave us his thoughts on Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Chesterfield in what was an entertaining fixture at Spotland.
“I thought it was a superb game,” he told Dale Player: “It was fiercely contested and it had a feel of an end of season game where two teams are vying for promotion. There was a superb energy to the game, a commitment and a lot of ability.
“It was a severe test of our credentials and we were probably playing against the best squad in the league. There were times where you had to applaud the opposition and vice versa because I thought we were excellent and I thought there was a lot of bravery on display with both teams trying to win it.
“I enjoyed watching them as much as I enjoyed watching us. I thought it was a great game and there wasn’t much for me to do except trust the players and let them work it out for themselves because the concentration levels had to be massive against the likes of Gary Roberts, who is probably the stand out player in the league, and Marc Richards. With the passes, the runs, the interchange and the creativity they can knock you out, so I was really pleased with the way that we played.
“I’m really, really pleased that we stood up to what you consider a severe test of our credentials with a different type of squad. We’re developing and it is encouraging. I look at our plan and I’m really happy with it.
“The amount of agents that I’ve had one the phone asking me if I want to sign this player or that player, but I just don’t see the point of any agent phoning up to recommend players because I don’t feel as though I’d be doing the players justice because I’ve got to trust them and they’ve got to trust me with respect to our development as a team and as Football Club for the future. We’re a different pose, but on that pitch over 90 minutes we were very, very close.”