Manager Robbie Stockdale on Dale’s 1-0 win over Walsall at the Crown Oil Arena…
“I’ve got to be pleased with the result and the performance,” said the gaffer.
“I thought the better team won and we got what we deserved out of the game, although I wasn’t happy with the last 20/25 minutes of the first half.
“I thought we actually started the game well and on the front foot, but my feeling from the touchline was that we got a little bit sloppy in our work. Our intensity with and without the ball wasn’t quite at the level that it was during the first 15 minutes, and we almost got sucked into playing how they were playing.
“There were a few reminders said at half-time and I thought after half-time we were very good and probably should have scored a couple more goals.”
And the boss was pleased with the clean sheet.
“We kept another clean sheet so for all that I think we were quite dominant in the game and could have scored three or four, we scored one goal but one was enough because we kept a clean sheet. That is always the messages that we give to the players.
“I can’t remember Jay [Lynch] having a save of any significance to make, maybe one straight down his throat, so to speak, but we managed the game pretty well as well, and as they are pushing bodies forward we created numerous chances to score a second and possibly a third."
The match was Dale’s third consecutive home game in a row and the side have kept clean sheets in all three fixtures, securing seven points from an available nine.
"It’s a team collective to keep a clean sheet because everybody defends and everybody attacks, so that clean sheet mentality has got to be there every single time.
“Will we get clean sheet every game? Of course we won’t, but you’ve got to strive to get that because that’s three games in a row where we haven’t conceded and we take seven points, so that’s what need to keep doing. We keep stressing that to the players.
“I thought the players, again, put in a great shift. The fans were right behind them and they saw the effort from the players. It was a pleasing afternoon.”
Watch the interview in full on the club’s YouTube channel.