Manager Keith Hill has told Dale Player that he wants his players to make more of their opportunities in front of goal.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s trip to the Proact Stadium, Hill commented: “The structure of the team has been magnificent in two and a half league games. We’ve kept clean sheets but we should be making more of our opportunities.
“When we’ve assessed and evaluated the four games that we’ve played, including the Capital One Cup, we should have scored more goals than we actually scored and that’s the only disappointment from my perspective.
“We will conceded goals but the manner in which we respond is very, very important. Our defenders can’t keep getting our strikers out of jail when they're missing good opportunities to create and put the ball in the back of the net.
“We’re scoring great goals but we’ve got to score more. When we’re in wide areas of the pitch we’ve got to be more creative and it’s not just a question of being ok at the next opportunity because it won’t be.”
He continued: “I don’t think a two goal margin is insurmountable for us as a team because of the options that I’ve got from the bench and the players that I have out on the pitch. We do create, we do get in behind opposition teams, we can play in front of them and we can forage. I think we’ve got a general good balance, but we’ve got to make the most of these opportunities.
"I think we were very close the other night to beating a very good Walsall side, or at least getting something out of the game, but if we want to retain our position as high up the league as we possibly can and improve on last season, then these are the things that we’re asking the players to do.”
The full interview is available to view on Dale Player.