Manager Keith Hill was in an upbeat mood on Friday morning as he reflected on Tuesday night’s win over Chesterfield.
He told Dale PlayerHD: “I was pleased with the way we controlled the game from start to finish and the score-line should have been more flattering with respect to us winning the game so I was really pleased.
“I was really pleased with the way that the team managed the injuries that we received during the game and the fatigue at the end of the game.
“We got a positive result and a positive performance, and from a manager’s perspective, when we made the changes that we did, and two of them were enforced, it’s pleasing that there’s that continuity to the performance. The players understand what’s necessary.
“Scott Tanser was excellent, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing was superb, Callum Camps, who was playing in the number four role, was magnificent, Ashley Eastham came in and did superbly, while Lewis Alessandra played brilliantly.
“I was really pleased with the performance and the positivity of the team, and the way they actioned the plan that we had prepared for.”
After Tuesday night’s excellent performance against the Spireites, Hill has vowed to put faith in his squad and has ruled out going into the loan market for injury cover.
“We’re more than a few players down but it creates opportunities for other players.
“I’d rather go with the players that we’ve got than bringing someone in on the loan market who isn’t used to the way that we do things and then there be a failure in that sense.
“I’d rather play these games that we’ve got with the players that we have available. If I feel as though they’re doing the right things, then they’ll maintain their starting position in the team. We’ve got 35 league
games left so I think we can afford to do what we’re doing at this moment in time because I think it will only be a matter of time before we get the likes of Calvin Andrew, Andy Cannon and Ian Henderson back.
“We’re being a bit stretched but when I look at the players that we’ve got, including Brian Barry-Murphy, I’m more than content for those players to represent me and Rochdale Football Club [in our upcoming games] against the likes of Sheffield United, Bury and Coventry.”
The full interview is available to view on Dale PlayerHD.