Brian Barry-Murphy says it is imperative that his side remain focused what has brought them success in the early stages of the season.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday night’s match against Lincoln City, the Dale boss said:
“It’s imperative that we remain focused on our overall aims and processes, and how we work as a group moving forward.
“The lads were gutted after Saturday’s game, as you can imagine, and I think everybody at the Club was, and the supporters.
“I think there was a great understanding that the lads actually put everything into the game. It just wasn’t our day for any number of reasons really.
“From my own point of view, it’s imperative that we don’t just think that we have to win on Tuesday night, because of what happened on Saturday, and that there’s a desperation to our play.
“This is a very, very long season and our lads have put in an incredible amount of effort into preparing for it. I’m just very, very calm and intent on reminding the players how successful we have been, both at the end of last season and at the early stages of this season.
“We need to remain focused on what has brought that success, and that is an insatiable appetite to work hard in every day. I’ve been filled with enthusiasm since Saturday, once we’d all licked our wounds.
“In preparing for Tuesday night’s game, the lads’ attitude and application has been exemplary as always, and they’re very keen to put on a performance that excites our supporters.”
Barry-Murphy is expecting a tough test against Lincoln, who sit just outside the playoffs following promotion from League Two last season.
“Playing against an opposition of the calibre of Lincoln, there’s no guarantees whatsoever that we’ll be able to win Tuesday night’s game. But we can guarantee that we’ll put everything in to try and provide excitement, and we think, a performance that will be justifiable to our supporters, which is all we can do really.
“We’re playing against a team who have been on a successful run over a long period of time. They’ve established themselves as one of the big hitters in terms of League One now, because of the players that they’ve recruited.
“It’s going to be a great test for our team, but that we’re very excited by and very keen to get our teeth into.
“We’re going to have to be resolute and really dogged in the way we approach the game, but our lads are willing to do that which they’ve proven over and over again.
“It’s just a case of everybody sticking together and remaining really focused on our plans and our own focuses. If we do that, then the Tuesday nights will continue to be great value at the Crown Oil Arena.”
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