Rochdale manager Keith Hill was quick to draw a line under a second straight league defeat for his team on Saturday.
The 2-1 reverse at the hands of AFC Wimbledon ended Dale’s unbeaten home record and prompted them to slip to fourth in League Two.
But Hill wants his side to recover quickly and admitted changes to the starting eleven are likely for the FA Cup clash at Torquay United next Saturday.
“We can’t play the game in the past we have to play it in the future,” Hill told The Dale Player.
“One or two players were probably fortunate after the last couple of games to still be in the side and we’re getting to a point now where I feel change is probably necessary.”
Wimbledon, who had not won since September, claimed victory in bizarre circumstances after one of the Spotland floodlights was struck by lightning with 15 minutes remaining.
This prompted a 25-minute delay which the Rochdale boss believed changed the complexion of the match.
“I think there was an urgency from both sides to want to play a 15 minute game (because) the score was level, it might have been different if either side had been a goal down,” he said.
Floodlight failure aside, defensive lapses once again proved to be Dale’s achilles heel as they surrendered a 1-0 half-time lead.
Both the visitors’ goals, described by a frustrated Hill as ‘avoidable’, came following set-piece deliveries from wide areas with Dale failing to clear properly on both occasions.
“Individual players will either play or not play with respect to the decisions that they make and they’re individual decision making (on Saturday) wasn’t up to scratch,” Hill said.
“The players are being brave but they’re accountable for a defeat like that.
“I’m reasonably happy with the path that we’re taking but at the moment individual errors are costing us results.”
Image courtesy of Official Rochdale FC via YouTube, with thanks.
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