First-year scholar James Neild was pleased with how the Youth Team secured their 3-1 victory over Preston North End on Tuesday.
Dale ran into a two-goal lead in the first-half but saw their lead halved at the end of the period, before Neild made sure of victory with a late header.
“It was a tough game, we had to fight it out,” said Neild.
“It got a bit scrappy at times, but we managed the game well towards the end.
“The two early goals always help us out, because we have momentum from there.
“If they do get a goal back, which they did, we can always bounce back from it, and we got the goal to make it 3-1.
“You’ve just got to let it [Preston’s goal] slide. Sometimes, goals go in like that, and you’ve just got to bounce back and organise things like we did, and defend properly.
“We bounced back, kept on going how we were and we saw it through.”
Neild’s goal was the seventh of a productive season for the centre-back.
“I’ve just gone on a mad run! Every year I get three or four, but this year I’ve got seven – I don’t know where it’s come from!
“Aaron Morley’s deliveries are great. Today I had a few chances, and in the last game [against Walsall] I had about five chances.
“Every one of them seems to come to me. It’s just practice, and when you’re on a run of seven goals, you just have the confidence to go and get more.”
Neild has spent time training with the first-team in recent weeks, something he feels is helping his game hugely.
“Being around the players and more experienced centre-backs is helping me a lot.
“Being around the Gaffer, Beechy and Tony every day helps a lot more and gives you a better understanding of what to do in certain situations.
“I can learn a lot from them. I feel like I’ve got a lot better in myself.”