Manager Keith Hill reflects on Dale’s 4-1 defeat to league leaders Wigan Athletic at the Crown Oil Arena…
“Wigan are a class outfit and they’re top of the league for a reason,” said Hill.
“They’ve got the best players, the best manager, they’re spending the most money and they’re better than us.
“We suppressed it, we took it on, we had chances in the first-half, but a lack of discipline from a set-piece has cost us going into half-time, and I’m disappointed with the nature of their first goal in the second-half. We tried to change things to get goals, and believe it or not, it hands the game to the opposition.
“But we’re not the first team to lose to Wigan and we won’t be the last. They beat MK Dons 5-1 at the weekend and they’re capable of doing that because they’ve got a marvellous squad, and unfortunately they got players who can get the better of you.
“I think they’ve got the best defensive record in the whole of the football pyramid, so it’s a difficult one. I think Doney should have tested the goalkeeper on a couple of occasions, and we had good heading opportunities at set-plays, but we couldn’t convert. When you don’t convert you hand Wigan a platform to build on.”
Next up for Dale is a trip to Peterborough United’s ABAX Stadium and Hill says it’s important that his side move on quickly from Tuesday night’s defeat.
“This game [Wigan] isn’t going to get us relegated. We should have made the most of Saturday against Portsmouth and got the three points but this was a free hit - I wasn’t relying on this game.
“The next six games are very important for the team. And that’s what we’ve always tried to do [draw a line under it and move onto the next one].
“We have really important games coming up and I expect a better bounce from the players. I want more energy out on the pitch and we’ve got to be brave. I’m sure we’ll take the teams on that we’ve got coming up.
“Today, we’ve been beaten by a good side and there’s no shame in that.”
Listen to the full interview on iFollow.