Keith Hill wants Rochdale to show more in attack at home - 7M sport

Keith Hill wants Rochdale to show more in attack at home



Posted Wednesday, March 14, 2018 by PA

Keith Hill wants Rochdale to show more in attack at home

Rochdale boss Keith Hill insists his side must find a different way to attack opponents at home following their goalless draw against Southend at the Crown Oil Arena.

Relegation threatened Dale came into the match on the back of successive away wins at Walsall and Rotherham.

But despite creating a host of chances and dominating the first half, his side were unable to break down the visitors.

Southend then came into the match after the break and, while they never seriously tested Dale stopper Josh Lillis, they put the home goal under pressure at times.

“I’m happy with the clean sheet but we should have done more going forward,” said Hill.

“It’s difficult because away from home the space is there for us to attack – at home we have to attack a different way. With the players we have on the pitch we should be more creative, a little bit more patient and hold our position better.

“In the first half I didn’t think we played our positions as well as we had been doing in recent games, but what I’m really pleased about is the clean sheet.

“I said to the players after the game that’s seven points from a possible nine so don’t be disappointed with a point today because of the six we’ve just picked up.”

Dale should have been ahead by the half-time interval, Matt Done and Andy Cannon seeing efforts blocked, while Ian Henderson and Stephen Humphrys were denied by Shrimpers stopper Mark Oxley.

Henderson also headed Brad Inman’s cross just over the crossbar as Dale bossed the opening 45 minutes.

But Southend edged the second half and while they didn’t create a clear-cut chance, boss Chris Powell felt they should have been awarded a penalty following a foul on Marc-Antoine Fortune by Jim McNulty.

“We haven’t lost away from home since I’ve come in which is pleasing but we need to turn one point into three,” Powell said.

“We had to work terribly hard for the draw. We got to grips with it better in the second half having not got out of the blocks in the way we planned to.

“That’s partially our fault but also down to Rochdale. We needed to change it a little bit and show a bit more assertiveness, which I felt we did in abundance later on.

“I felt we created the better chances in the second half and should have had a penalty as well when Marc-Antoine Fortune is fouled in the area. He beat their player and was taken out – simple as that.

“It’s another game we haven’t scored and they’re the details. We’re looking okay defensively and in passages of play going forward, but it’s hitting the back of the net which is the important part.

“As the game went on we were able to impose ourselves better. We counter-acted them in the second half.”

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