Manager Keith Hill is disappointed that Rochdale’s Johnstone’s Paint Trophy journey is over for another season.
Dale exited the competition on Tuesday after a 1-0 defeat to Morecambe, a side who had already beaten Walsall and Bury in their progression to the Area Quarter Final.
Paul Mullin’s 17th minute goal separated the two sides at Spotland.
“I’m disappointed,” Hill told Dale Player.
“We know that Morecambe are not only a good side, they’re very honest and very competitive, and I think tonight we were beaten by an honest side.
“I think if you were to put the teams together side by side and asked for their technical excellence then you’d probably pick the majority of ours, but winning football matches is about endeavour, it’s about passion and commitment, and we played slow.
“I was looking for a repeat performance from Saturday but I didn’t get the energy or the intelligent energy that I expected. We got it later on in the game but it was far too late then. I think the opposition nestled in and they deserved to ride their luck a little bit because they’re a good side and I think they thoroughly deserve go through.
“But I’m disappointed that we’ve missed out on the opportunity to progress in the JP Trophy.”
He added: “We’ve been a Morecambe and we still are a Morecambe. We should represent Rochdale Football Club like Morecambe have represented Morecambe - that’s who we are and that’s our identity. If we start thinking we’re better than that identity then we’ll come unstuck.
“That’s what our philosophy is built on and that’s why I admire what Jim [Bentley, Morecambe Manager] is doing because he’s got a collection of players from non-league and other clubs who have not wanted these players and he’s made them strong. He’s also made them really competitive.
“At half time I showed a challenge from one of their players on one of our players and I asked for the same commitment. That was missing and that’s what really disappointed me because at this moment in time we’re showing a little bit of inconsistency, both individually and collectively, game to game.
“We’ve got to try and get that consistency back into our league campaign on Saturday.”
The full interview is on Dale PlayerHD.