Fish and chips all round after Burton win away at Rochdale

Posted Sunday, January 06, 2019 by PA

Burton assistant manager Andy Garner joked that the incentive of fish and chips on the journey home from Rochdale inspired his players to a 4-0 win at the Crown Oil Arena.

Marcus Harness fired a brilliant hat-trick and set one up for Liam Boyce as the Brewers climbed to ninth in League One, their highest position of the season so far.

“We were fantastic, absolutely brilliant. I don’t know if it’s because we’ve promised them fish and chips on the way home for the first time in a long while, perhaps that inspired them!” said Garner, who hailed the performance of treble hero Harness.

“We’re all delighted for Marcus, he’s a great lad who always tries and works his socks off,” said Garner.

“We’ve had to tell him to keep going, your chances will come eventually and now that we’ve put him in he is on a little bit of a run. All his goals were fantastic.

“It’s a brilliant result, it means we’re ninth in the league and it keeps us going.

“It’s the first time we’ve been in the top half this season. It took a bit to get over the disappointment of relegation last season, but we know we’re a good side in this division and if we perform like that we can beat most of the teams in this league.”

Harness showed good instinct to score the opener at close range in the 19th minute before slamming home a fine finish on the half hour from just inside the Dale penalty area.

The home side, booed off at the break, improved after the interval and had the ball in the Burton net only for Michael Willams’ effort to be ruled out for a foul in the build up.

Payne put the game beyond Dale in the 78th minute after being fed by Harness, who went on to complete his hat-trick in the 86th minute with a left-footed drive from the edge of the area.

Dale have lost their last three games, conceding 13 and scoring none and boss Keith Hill, who clashed with the club’s supporters at half time, said the day was his toughest as manager of the club.

“I think that was, personally, during my time here as a player, coach, manager, the worst experience that I’ve had here. Definitely,” he said.

“I was trying to give some encouragement to the players, having been a player myself and knowing what it’s like – you can’t see the next pass, you are trying but it’s misguided, you start doing things you shouldn’t do which leads to more problems and it’s difficult for them players and I just wanted to support them the best I can.

“I wanted the players to be applauded, I wanted the players to be supported and it’s the hardest thing to do in the darkest hour. But they needed that support and that’s why I reacted.”