Scott Wiseman has spoken to iFollow about Rochdale’s recent return of points, as the side prepare to face Fleetwood Town at the Crown Oil Arena on Tuesday night.
Dale go into the match on the back of Saturday’s draw against AFC Wimbledon, a point which extended their unbeaten run to four games.
“Saturday was a big show of character from the lads,” said Wiseman.
“It was a great performance and the boys couldn’t have done anymore, other than put the ball in the back of the net.
“It’s another game that we haven’t lost, and we’re now unbeaten in the last four, so it has been fantastic to keep the run going.
“I wasn’t here during the first half of the season, but I’m aware that it would have been the type of game we would have ended up losing, having gone a goal behind, but now, when you look at the last four games, it seems we’ve turned a corner. We’re picking up results and have been seeing out games.
“We also stopped leaking goals and we’re creating multiple chances at the other end. It’s frightening how many we’re creating and I’m sure we’ll start putting them away.”
Rochdale have cut the gap on their relegation rivals, Fleetwood Town and Northampton Town, who sit 20th and 21st respectively in the League One table, to five points. In addition, Dale have two games in hand on Tuesday night’s opponents and have three on the Cobblers, something Wiseman believes has given the players confidence.
“Picking up points means even more to us when you’re taking them off the teams above you, or you know that you are edging closer to them and you’ve still got games in hand on them, so it’s a double hit of confidence for us. We know that we're going to be play some Tuesday games when they don’t play between now and the end of the season, so we have the opportunity to capitalise on that.”
The Cod Army visit the Crown Oil Arena on Tuesday night, having moved out of the bottom four on Saturday. Their goalless draw with Charlton Athletic was enough to see them climb out on goal difference, thanks to Northampton’s defeat.
It’s Dale’s fifth game in a fortnight, but that doesn’t phase Wiseman.
"Fleetwood picked up a point at the weekend against a good Charlton side, so it’s imperative that we continue this run of form that we’re on when we face them on Tuesday night. The performances are there, and that has been reflected in the points return over the last four games, so we need to keep that level of performance going.
“If you ask the majority of footballers, they prefer playing Saturdays/ Tuesdays, because there’s no time for sulking or thinking about a past result, you’re straight into focusing on the next game and working hard in preparation for that.”
Wiseman returned to Dale for a second spell this January, join on loan from Chesterfield until the end of the season, and he admits it has taken time to get up to speed fitness wise.
“I’ve had to improve my fitness since coming here. I had forgotten what Keith Hill demands of the players and what would be expected of me, so it hit me like a brick during the first few weeks! I’ve had to work hard on that, and now, due to injury, I’ve had the chance to get a couple of games under my belt.”
Watch the full interview on iFollow.