Manager Keith Hill reflects on Dale’s performance against play-off hopefuls Scunthorpe United at Glanford Park…
“With the games we’ve got left, it’s a pointed gained,” said Hill on the 1-1 draw.
“I don’t look at the position that we’re in, I look at the form that we’re in, and barring Tuesday, we’re in good form.
“It’s a game that we could have won, with the gilt-edged opportunities that we had, especially in the first half, that could have put us 2-0 up. It speaks volumes about the game when Matt Gilks is named as Scunthorpe’s Man of the Match by sponsors.
“We didn’t get the positive result but we got a positive performance, so I’m really pleased about that going into the last 10 games of the season.
“Regardless what anyone thinks, the points are there for us to gain, regardless of what anyone else is doing, to guarantee our survival. If we don’t survive with the group of players I’ve got, then I’m sure we can mount a promotion challenge next season in League Two.”
He continued: “We had chances and we defended quite well, expect for the five minutes during the early exchanges of the second half, where we should have dealt better with the tactical change that they employed, but once we had dealt with it, we took the game to the opponent again.
“I’m really pleased for the players for the performance, but realistically, they know that they should be winning that game. We have to convert these opportunities that we’re creating into three points, but if I look at the last three away performances and results, I have to take that one.”
Dale are now just five points behind 20th placed Oldham Athletic going into the final 10 games, something which pleased Hill.
“That’s what I asked for and that’s what I planned for. We were in a situation where we could have been more points away, or we could have been closer to safety, but now it’s our 10 games, and I’m really pleased because there’s a real spirit amongst the players, and apart from Tuesday against Fleetwood, we’re matching sides.
“I’m going to give the players a bit of time off [between now and Good Friday] because it has been a relentless task for them to keep being asked questions, so for them to concentrate like they have done over the last six games has been marvellous. I just wish we’d got a few more points, but hey, we’re the five points from safety that I wanted. The task is still there for us to achieve so let’s attack it.”
Watch the full interview on iFollow.