Manager Keith Hill has given an honest assessment following his side’s 1-1 draw against Aldershot Town at Spotland on Good Friday.
The result sees Dale remain seven points above the drop zone and Hill told Dale Player after the game that he sees it as a point gained, rather than two points dropped: “That was the real mental pressure game of the weekend for us. For them it was a free hit and they were trying to drag is into it. They were away from home today and their pressure game is Monday [when they face Oxford at home].
“When you consider the first half and the debacle that it was, I thought we started the second half superbly and bright. We had the momentum and we scored while we had the momentum. We continued to dominate momentum but that changed as result of a harmless and needless free kick and that’s where we’ve got to learn. We’re giving away far too many free-kicks for off-sides or little nudges and they’ve scored from it so it was avoidable. We looked very comfortable in the second half up until that point then Aldershot shaded the game before it petered out.
“From my point of view it is advantage Rochdale with respect to our pursuit of staying in the league.”
He added: “Like I said during the week, you just don’t know how the players are going to respond to the task. The task is a pressure task and we’re all trying to achieve our goal and our aim which is our league status and that point will help.”
Dale head to promotion hopefuls Exeter City on Easter Monday and Hill is complimentary of Dale’s opponents: “They’re a good team. I like Paul Tisdale and I like the way they do things at Exeter. Barring Monday where I want to win, I hope they get promotion because Paul deserves it because they play the right way.”
You can listen to the full Dale Player interview HERE.